Defensive Gun Use - DGU Figures:

Are Guns used 'FOR GOOD' as much as they are 'FOR WRONG' ?

- I don't think that I can present any totally conclusive answers here ... well nobody else has been able to - and they are all, of course, unbiased, statistically qualified researchers eh.

Mind you (and this is a fact) - I did work as a clerk at the British Board of Trade RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS DEPARTMENT off Whitehall for a couple of years in my early twenties.(1960s).

Anyway I'm just trying to get a clear and fair picture in my head by working it out on paper.

America is the largest society where guns are relatively freely available (in most States) - and statistics on this topic are used by both pro-gun & anti-gun groups. (- Israeli stats might be interesting too).

- So there are said to be 327 Million individuals living in USA and an estimated 400 Million guns there in civilian hands.

My usual reference source Wikipedia has a lengthy page on the DGU topic. Link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defensive_gun_use

My precis would be that guns are used defensively in USA either from (low estimate) 55,000 - 80,000 times a year to (high estimate) of 4.7 million times per year.
- Are statistics Facts?

 Some problems here are the usual issues of criteria - what IS 'Defensive Gun Use' - and how are the questions asked, and the sample sizes & methodology. (Does just showing that you are armed count .. or do you have to have drawn a gun - or to have fired it? etc.).

(- Does knowing that there are likely to be armed citizens - say in a GUN SHOP - and therefor choosing not to commit a robbery - count statistically as "an armed defense"?)

- That is an awfully wide spread to use as a measure but I'd plump for a guesstimate (my blog - my choice) of up to 1.2 million times per year. - You can argue about it among yourselves.

The other side of the equation is the FBI's Violent Crime Figure for 2015:

1,197,704 VIOLENT CRIMES COMMITTED in USA 2015.

SO - I reckon that leaves the discussion undecided eh ... Well sort of 50:50

There is NO question or debate in my mind that we all have an indisputable RIGHT TO SELF-DEFENSE.

Would there be less reliance on armed police if fit and proper citizens were armed and trained to a good level of competence? (a level similar to being a 'Deputy L.E Officer').

 - Would there be better outcomes to 'Active Shooter' and 'Terrorist Attack' events - or a reduction of frequency? - you surely know the arguments about "arming teachers" in 'gun free zones'.

. When defenseless people are attacked by violent murderers they die.

. When killers are resisted and stopped - fewer innocent people are killed.

So the answer has to be YES - maybe.

__________________________

When 77 young people were murdered by one foul scumbag in Norway 2011 (mostly on the Norwegian island of Utoya) - tragically many of the innocent kids lay down passively pretending to be dead while the killer walked among them shooting. A few jumped off the island into the sea to escape.

Marty K.