Today in "Sell More And Do Nothing"

[The Grand Nudger]

There's no indication whatsoever that the possession of a gun reduces instances of home invasion, that the use of a gun a person does possess in a home invasion is common, or that the odd use of a possessed gun in a home invasion changes the outcome of the event.  

I think that gun rights advocates might do better to stick to explanations that don't involve the fantasy of shooting at someone, on principle.  Anecdotal, but I find that people who are very much against the idea of gun ownership at the outset soften their views if you stick to a calm and rational exploration of gun ownership.  We own guns because we like shooting guns.  Yes we understand that guns are dangerous.  No we don't like shooting at people.  No we aren't going to get into a firefight in the middle of a city block.  

This isn't Mosul.

Of course there' s no evidence ....

Why?

The old newspaper adage - if it bleeds, it leads.


When someone gets shot - for whatever reason - it gets reported - to the police and by the media.

When someone prevents a crime with a gun - as far as reporting goes - nothing happened. Nothing happening doesn't sell newspapers.

That's an interesting theory, but studies have been done on the subject and people do report the use of their guns.  

The calm and rational explanation for this data..is that gun owners aren't actually interested in "defending their homes" with their guns, and that those who are often find that there is no opportunity to do so.  Further, that when someone does do so because they do have the opportunity and do legitimately intend to use their guns for that purpose, things go pretty much as they would when..for example, the lights suddenly come on in a house that a burglar thought was empty, or the residents call the cops. Moe often than not, a person with guns doesn't use their gun, they simply announce that they own a gun...which..obviously, you don't have to have a gun to do, and which people without guns -also- do. Unless the people breaking into your house are assassins, it's entirely unclear what the use of the gun would bring to the situation - while the risks associated with owning a gun and with using a gun in your home are a known known.

We own guns, because we like shooting guns. Not because we intend to shoot people with them, which is a terrible idea.