General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What is the function of a gun? [View all]branford
(4,462 posts)no one is suggesting that you engage in any firearm sports or jump out of perfectly good airplanes.
I know that I too don't engage in either activity, but that doesn't mean I would deny it to others.
The statistical risks of accidents or shootings for the vast majority of Americans is still statistically minimal, no matter the sensationalism of the news.
Although instances of self-defense are low, with or without a firearm, that does not mean Americans lost the right to self-defense or one of the best protective tools available (and protected by the Constitution).
I would also note that defensive firearms use might not be as rare as you suggest, as per the NRC study sponsored by the CDC,
Almost all national survey estimates indicate that defensive gun uses by victims are at least as common as offensive uses by criminals, with estimates of annual uses ranging from about 500,000 to more than 3 million per year
in the context of about 300,000 violent crimes involving firearms in 2008.
Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence:
http://www.nap.edu/read/18319/chapter/1#ix