🚀 go-pugleaf

mel@zadall.com (Melanie Arabsky) writes:
] Ok - there's a can of worms.  Any real stats on how many guns are
] *actually* used in legit self-defense?? 

Yes. Several independant studies place the figure at about 800,000
uses a year in the US alone, with some studies placing the number
as high as 2.5 million.  There is one study that shows a markedly
lower number for a restricted subset of such uses,  but as it is
a severe outlier it is of questionable validity.  The Dutch Weasel,
P. van Muers, will now appear and post it for you. Pay it no mind.

] I would especially like to stack that number up next to how many
] accidental deaths attributed to guns 

1400 per year, probably including some suicides classified
as "accidents" by well-meaning coroners.

] For my purposes I would like to consider handguns only 

About one-third of all uses, I think.

] The reason I am curious is that I seriously suspect some people who 
] claim to have guns 'for self defense' would be more honest if they 
] just said 'I like them, I feel good owning one, I like to use it'.  

Perhaps there are some people like that, but guns are used for 
self-defense quite a lot.
--
Dennis O'Connor                          doconnor@sedona.intel.com
Intel i960(R) Microprocessor Division    Solely responsible for what I do.