In a previous diary I put forth the question "Why are some people against firearm ownership?" I then gave some examples of the more common reasons that people have provided in gun related diaries for being against firearm ownership, they were:
They believe that firearms are only for killing people
They believe that firearms are bad and cause crime
They believe that it is the job of the police to protect us
They believe that there isn’t an individual right to firearm ownership
They believe that firearms are too dangerous for most people to handle
They believe that firearm owners might snap and go on a shooting spree
While these reasons for being against firearm ownership are valid to the individual holding those views, none of them are based in reality or founded in fact.
Firearms are not the cause of crime, in 2007 there were 613 fatal negligent firearm discharges, in 2010 there were 14,161 non-fatal negligent discharges, and the total number of non-fatal gun shot injuries in 2010 was 73,505. Based on our population and the fact that there are close to 290,000,000 firearms in America, it doesn't appear that firearms are too dangerous for most people to handle otherwise negligent discharges, non-fatal injuries and fatalities would be significantly higher. There is an individual right to keep and bear arms, the police have no obligation to protect us, firearms are not just for killing people, and I am not aware of any instance where an average law abiding firearm owner has suddenly snapped and gone on a shooting spree.
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