Quote:I just read that according analysis of FBI data (per the Washington Post) for every justifiable homicide there are 34 murders, 78 suicides and 2 accidental deaths. Either someone is lying or they are getting bad data.

 

Forgive me, but I'm unsure of your point here. Weren't we speaking about the defensive use of firearms compared to accidental deaths? Not all defensive uses end in a death, frequently they don't even result in a shot being fired. As someone pointed out above, most criminals aren't looking for hard targets. I've never had to fire my weapon, never had to remove it from concealed carry in public and only had to brandish it one time while on my own property. That instance isn't recorded anywhere as I'm sure many others aren't, so it really makes any kind of statistical analysis flawed.

 

But in the numbers you listed, I agree that the accidental deaths would go away if guns were removed, but do you believe there would be fewer murders or suicides or would they simply move to another means? I think the violent crimes stats in other countries show that people will still find a way to kill others or themselves even without a gun.

---