Posted March 16, 2017 1:27 pm by Comments

By Bob Owens

handguns

An article from MLive.com today incorrectly posits that owning a gun increases the risk for both gun owners and their families.

At a time when sales of firearms for self defense are soaring, crime and health statistics show many purchasers overestimate how much protection a gun provides and underestimate the risks of owning a gun.

There are no publicly available statistics on how many total guns are licensed in Michigan.

However, as of March 1, more than 600,000 Michigan residents had active concealed pistol licenses, which is about 8 percent of the state’s adult population. An estimated 29 percent of Michigan households have at least one firearm, according to a 2013 survey.

Between December 2012 and the end of 215, FBI background checks for Michigan handgun purchases increased seven-fold, to 141,689. Polls show the desire for personal protection is driving those sales.

According to a 2014 Gallup poll, more than six in 10 Americans believe a gun in the home makes it safer – a perception that has nearly doubled since 2000.

“Where’s the evidence that a gun in the home makes you safer? The surveys of gun research show the opposite,” said David Hemenway, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms

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