“Most American gun owners say they own firearms to protect themselves and their loved ones,” the Guardian reports, “but a study published this week suggests people who live with handgun owners are shot to death at a higher rate.”
“We found zero evidence of any … protective effects,” a Stanford University researcher said (read story here). On the other hand, they found that having a handgun in a home doubles the statistical odds of being shot by someone else.
Domestic violence accounts for much of it. The study found 84% of the victims were women.
The study encompassed 600,000 California residents from 2004 to 2016. Its results are consistent with numerous other studies over many years showing that “guns in the home raise the risk of a violent death,” including from suicide. We’ve all seen news stories of kids playing with guns.
A gun is useless against intruders unless it’s instantly accessible, loaded, and doesn’t have gun locks. But that’s a very dangerous state for it to be in, especially if there are children in the home. So why have it at all? I suppose the answer is some people get emotional comfort from its presence.
For example, if there’s a nuclear war, you might need it to defend your dwindling food supply from the starving survivors. I suppose worrying over that keeps some people awake at night.
Photo: Do you have nervous neighbors who are paranoid about noises in your yard?