Does carrying a gun make you safer? Early research results suggest the opposite

"For years, researchers have been trying to investigate whether carrying a gun is protective or risky. But getting the answer through science has proved elusive. Now, University of Pennsylvania researcher Charles Branas has tried a new tack -- employing methods normally used by epidemiologists to study cancer and other diseases. Branas compared a group of shooting victims to a similar set of 'controls' who had not been shot. His results, he said, show that guns did not, on average, protect those who possessed them from being shot in an assault -- and in fact raised the risk by four times or more."
6 commentscategory: Miscellaneous karma: 153

comments

  1. #1    I have always questioned what part of the Second Amendment gun enthusiast did not understand. "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." says the Constitution. Now for all you strict constructionist believers that the Constitution ought be preserved as written, there is in English grammar something called an apositive. An apositive is a word or group of words in the latter part of a sentence that refers to a word or words in the beginning of the sentence, that is usually the word or words before the predicate and used to be commonly called the subject of the sentence. Now what part of the Constitution is it they don't understand? A well-regulated militia having the right to keep and bear arms or draft ducking Cheney who keeps and bears arms not against foes but against a supposed friend.
    written by deke4 since 116 days 5 hours 7 minutesdeke4
  2. #2    Well done, deke4!

    I think it is intuitive to people who do not have a paranoid or violent streak that MORE GUNS is MORE DANGEROUS.

    Of course, I do believe that we should be able to defend ourselves on an individual basis. If you have ever been to a gun show or similar event, you don't meet people whose main interest is self-protection, you meet people who love guns, the same way a drunk loves drinking. These people are addicted to violence - plain and simple.

    This culture, which is encouraged and nutured by the NRA, is an intrisically violent and troubled sector of our citizenry. It is an even greater pity that these are generally the same people who think Obama is a secret muslim.
    written by zelator since 116 days 22 minuteszelator
  3. #3    Hypothetical quackery and moronic chicanery......

    Way to many "variables" induced into his hypothesis. Seems to me from the article, that when some statistic or another did'nt jive, he just "adjusted" the numbers. He was basically "tryin too hard"

    As alway's, good 'ol MERC will be a keepin his pea shooter.....

    Anytime any of you knuckleheads feel like givin yer firearms up, drop me a line.... I'll take em!

    :-)

    P.S. And I don't even belong to the NRA! Go figure....
    written by mercman since 115 days 22 hours 44 minutesmercman
  4. #4    #3: tell us what city you live in. We'll be looking in your local paper for your obit.
    written by Malgoska since 115 days 22 hours 17 minutesMalgoska
  5. #5    >> P.S. And I don't even belong to the NRA! Go figure....

    Then there is hope for you yet, mercman!
    written by zelator since 115 days 22 hours 16 minuteszelator
  6. #6    Houston....

    And yeah.... just try NOT carrying around here. Lemme know how that works out for ya....... NOT!

    Since Katrina, the "trash pile" has only gotten deeper......

    Personally, I carry a Remington 870 Tactical Magnum 12ga pump wherever I roll in "H" town.... 18" barrel with extended mag... pistol grip.... I like to alternate between 00 buck and slug... 9rnd capacity. There ain't a whole hell of a lot gonna get away from this baby.... legal as the day is long.

    For all you liberal "non gun" owners, this type of firearm is not your everyday pawn shop "knee jerk" 20 dollar saturday night special. But never the less she is special........

    » ver todo el comentario
    written by mercman since 115 days 14 hours 39 minutesmercman
closed comments

who are we
code: license, download  |  images license
Valid XHTML 1.0 Transitional    Valid CSS!   [Valid RSS]