Gun Control Myths

This FirearmsTruth series examines gun control myths that the media continues to propagate. The first gun control laws were intended to keep minorities from being able to possess firearms. Today, the stated purpose is to keep criminals from obtaining guns for the furtherance of criminal activity. Oddly enough, the number of armed criminals has increased during the same period that gun control laws have proliferated. Draconian anti-gun laws seem to have the opposite effect of those intended. Read more

Myth One: Guns Cause Crime:

Gun control advocates often pander to people’s emotions and so-called common sense. It is easy to argue that the availability of firearms increases crime. But careful study shows this simply isn’t true. If anything, legal gun ownership reduces crime, at least violent crime. Read more

Myth Two: Firearms Restriction Reduce Crime:

Gun control advocates have claimed for years that laws which restrict firearms ownership reduces violent crimes. The United States has over 20,000 different gun laws, most of which are at the state and local level. Since the 1960’s states and cities have passed stricter firearms laws intending to reduce violent crime but more often than not violent crime increased. Read more

Myth Three: Guns are if little help in defending against criminals:

This myth goes hand in hand with the second myth – that being that gun control laws reduce crime. The truth is that guns in private hands are quite helpful in defending against criminals, especially if they are armed. Read more

Myth Four: Killing someone is the only reason to buy a handgun

If you believe this myth – that killing someone is the only reason to buy a handgun – then you probably would you also agree the only reason to buy a sports car is to speed and drive recklessly? But owning a handgun actually serves another purpose – it is there in case you need it. Most handgun owners don’t even need to fire it to make the point when the time comes when they need to defend themselves. Read more

Myth Five: People who buy guns are more prone to violence and crime than are other people

This myth assumes that only bad people or criminals have guns. But some facts need to be cleared up. It is noted that violence and crime are higher among black than white, lower-income than middle- or upper-income, young than middle-aged, single than married, urban than rural individuals. Read more

Myth Six: Criminals mainly have guns in order to commit crimes

Career criminal William “Willie” Sutton, a prolific U.S. bank robber, reportedly said he robbed banks “because that’s where the money is.” In fact he never actually said that line, but it stuck. Sometimes the myth is greater than the truth. This could be why Myth Six is one that people easily believe; criminals mainly have guns in order to commit crimes. Read more

Myth Seven: Killing and other violent crimes were prevalent in the Old West because guns were so plentiful

John Wayne killed a lot of men in many Westerns, as did Clint Eastwood (although for the record the World War II film Where Eagles Dare had the highest body count of any of his films). The point is that Westerns suggest that everyone was packing guns and it was a dangerous place. Read more

Myth Eight: Gun Control Laws Keep Criminals From Obtaining Guns

The loudest voices for gun control claim that it will keep guns out of the hands of bad people. What is generally not explained or possibly considered is that criminals don’t care about the law. If they’re going to break the law to commit a crime, then why would a law against owning a gun be a problem for them? Read more

Myth Nine: Required Waiting Periods Would Prevent Some of The Most Vicious Crimes

Criminals don’t wait to commit crimes, so why should law-abiding citizens wait to be able to defend themselves? That is probably a good question, but gun control zealots will answer that there should still be waiting periods as this would some how “prevent some of the most vicious crimes!” Read more

Myth Ten: Most Murders are Committed by People Killing Friends or Family Members

Guns are dangerous say the anti-gun zealots because you’re likely to be murdered by someone you know who has a gun! But is this myth true? This is a common argument, “most murders are committed by people killing friends or family members.” Read more

Myth 11: The Availability of Guns Contributes to Crimes of Passion

People kill in the heat of the moment, not because they are angry says this myth – but rather because a gun made it possible. Read more

Myth 12: Automatic rifles and Assault Weapons are Too Dangerous to be Left in Private Hands

The root of this myth is another myth entirely – one that anti-gun types even perpetuate. This is that assault weapons are in fact fully automatic and/or military firearms. This is a myth within itself and one we’ve covered in our “Media Misinformation” posts. Read more

Myth13: Gun control laws are especially needed to prevent the purchase of “Saturday Night Specials

This is an old myth, but one that still is often used today by anti-gun crowds. There is some irony in this fact as well. On the one hand, the anti-gun crowd argues that assault weapons are essentially crime guns but also points to inexpensive so-called “Saturday Night Specials” as well. Read more