# Do Lots of People Own Guns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 13, 2007, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882 "2007-05-13T00:40:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/81 "2007-05-14T19:07:45Z")
I don’t own a gun as I live in NYC and it is illegal. My Father owns two a .30 calibre Carbine revolver and a 9mm Luger my Grandfather took off of a Nazi officer. I prefer to be able to kill with my bare hands. ;p Gun ownership is important so that every person can be an armed sovereign republic unto themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/82 "2007-05-14T19:43:11Z")
[QUOTE=GuyNblueJeans] I feel that every law-abiding, level-headed woman in America should carry. The rapes would go waaaay down if they did. Several years ago, I read this heart warming article about a lady that came home to the darkened garage of her house and was attacked by some scumbag from behind and, thankfully, she had the presence of mind to reach into her purse for her gun and place a bullet in his head, killing him instantly. God bless her! 🙂 [/QUOTE] Oh yes…by all means bless the murderess. Bless her hard. Some interesting stats on women and guns: [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Q6CTiOgxk6YJ:www.bradycampaign.org/facts/factsheets/pdf/women.pdf+women+using+guns+against+attackers&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us](http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Q6CTiOgxk6YJ:www.bradycampaign.org/facts/factsheets/pdf/women.pdf+women+using+guns+against+attackers&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us) > [@](#): > > Myth: Guns protect women from rape. > Fact: Guns are rarely used by rapists - less than 2 percent of rapes are committed with guns,while almost 70 percent are committed with personal weapons (physical violence). Women would be safer knowing self-defense to fight off an attacker than using a gun which can easily be turned against them. > > Myth: Women need guns to protect against stranger rape. > Fact: Stranger rape is not the greatest danger for women as most women (75 percent) are raped byoffenders known to the victim. 60 percent of rapes are committed against victims under the age of 18 who are forbidden by law to own a gun. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/83 "2007-05-14T19:59:09Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Oh yes…by all means bless the murderess. Bless her hard. Some interesting stats on women and guns: [http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Q6CTiOgxk6YJ:www.bradycampaign.org/facts/factsheets/pdf/women.pdf+women+using+guns+against+attackers&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us](http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Q6CTiOgxk6YJ:www.bradycampaign.org/facts/factsheets/pdf/women.pdf+women+using+guns+against+attackers&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us) [/QUOTE] Uhm…yeeaaahhhhh… :dubious: Y’know? Citing the Bracy Center might not be the best way to go about making your case. ---
**Author:** ![GuyNblueJeans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@GuyNblueJeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyNblueJeans)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/84 "2007-05-14T20:11:03Z")
Kalhoun – If, God forbid, any of us “gun nuts” should happen to one day see you being raped, what should we do? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/85 "2007-05-14T20:16:15Z")
[QUOTE=GuyNblueJeans] Kalhoun – If, God forbid, any of us “gun nuts” should happen to one day see you being raped, what should we do? [/QUOTE] What does that have to do with women carrying guns for protection? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/86 "2007-05-14T20:17:18Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank] Uhm…yeeaaahhhhh… :dubious: Y’know? Citing the Bracy Center might not be the best way to go about making your case. [/QUOTE] Do you have stats that counter these? I’d like to see them. ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/87 "2007-05-14T20:42:32Z")
I don’t own a gun (1:35 scale artillery models excepted), but my father has several which he has had from before I was born. One .22 rifle, a Walther automatic pistol (war souvenir originally acquired by my grandfather) and a .455 Webley revolver that was my grandfather’s personal military sidearm. ---
**Author:** ![GuyNblueJeans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@GuyNblueJeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyNblueJeans)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/88 "2007-05-14T20:49:32Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] What does that have to do with women carrying guns for protection? [/QUOTE] Are you serious? Well, if the lady has a gun and some guy has his pants down around his ankles while sporting a boner and intending to insert said boner into her wee wee without her permission, then she can BLOW HIM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. And if she (you) doesn’t have a gun to take care of the situation, THEN one of us folks that do own firearms, if we’re there, can intercede and BLOW THE CREEP AWAY (and put him out of business so he’ll not harm other ladies and girls). Does that make sense, Kalhoun? ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/89 "2007-05-14T20:55:18Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Do you have stats that counter these? I’d like to see them. [/QUOTE] Well, now that you mention it… First: [Women’s Self Defense Institute](http://www.rapeescape.com/fightwfear.htm) > [@](#): > > Studies have finally dispelled the myth that women are unable to protect themselves and that resistance will only “make things worse,” replacing this erroneous claim with newfound data: immediate and aggressive responses including fighting back are effective. Conversely pleading, reasoning or appealing to a rapist’s humanity is not - the latter being “almost universally futile,” notes Dr. Judith Herman, foremost authority on trauma and author of the best selling book Trauma and Recovery. Second: [Rape and Resistance](http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-7791(199005)37%3A2%3C149%3ARAR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-M) > [@](#): > > What are the consequences when rape victims resist rapists? Analysis of a nationally representative sample of rape incidents reported in the National Crime Surveys for 1979 to 1985 yields the following findings: (1) Victims who resist are much less likely to have the rape completed against them than nonresisting victims, a pattern generally apparent regardless of the specific form of resistance; (2) The form of resistance that appears most effective in preventing rape completion is resistance with a gun, knife, or other weapon; (3) Most forms of resistance are not significantly associated with higher rates of victim injury. The exceptions are unarmed forceful resistance and threatening or arguing with the rapist; (4) Even these two forms of resistance probably do not generally provoke rapists to injure their victims, as ancillary evidence concerning assaults and robberies indicates that resistance rarely precedes injury. Attack against the victim appears to provoke victim resistance, rather than the reverse; (5) Only about three percent of rape incidents involve some additional injury that could be described as serious. Thus it is the rape itself that is nearly always the most serious injury the victim suffers. Consequently, refraining from resistance in order to avoid injury in addition to the rape is a questionable tradeoff. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/90 "2007-05-14T21:38:07Z")
[QUOTE=GuyNblueJeans] Are you serious? Well, if the lady has a gun and some guy has his pants down around his ankles while sporting a boner and intending to insert said boner into her wee wee without her permission, then she can BLOW HIM OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. And if she (you) doesn’t have a gun to take care of the situation, THEN one of us folks that do own firearms, if we’re there, can intercede and BLOW THE CREEP AWAY (and put him out of business so he’ll not harm other ladies and girls). Does that make sense, Kalhoun? [/QUOTE] You said all women should carry guns to protect them from rapists. I disagreed. Then you said > [@](#): > > If, God forbid, any of us “gun nuts” should happen to one day see you being raped, what should we do? and I said: > [@](#): > > What does that have to do with women carrying guns for protection? I’ll ask again. What does a bystander have to do with a woman carrying a gun for protection? I would hope that a bystander would help me, of course. But my carrying a gun doesn’t ensure my safety and may very well get me killed when all I would have been was raped. See the difference? I do not believe rape is an offense that would justify anyone killing anyone over. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/91 "2007-05-14T21:53:58Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank] Well, now that you mention it… First: [Women’s Self Defense Institute](http://www.rapeescape.com/fightwfear.htm) Second: [Rape and Resistance](http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-7791(199005)37%3A2%3C149%3ARAR%3E2.0.CO%3B2-M) [/QUOTE] I agree that women can fight back. I do not agree that a gun is the best way to do that. And as I said earlier, rape is not justification for murder, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/92 "2007-05-14T22:08:35Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] I agree that women can fight back. I do not agree that a gun is the best way to do that. And as I said earlier, rape is not justification for murder, in my opinion. [/QUOTE] That’s a judgement call on your part, subject to your own values and mores. Are you willing to deny other women that right to choose whether or not they should be raped because you’re kinda “oogy” about guns? Just out of curiosity: are you pro-choice or pro-life? ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/93 "2007-05-14T22:09:10Z")
I’ve lived in urban/suburban Southern CA all my life. To the best of my knowlege, no-one in my family nor my friends’ families owns a gun. The sole exception is my grandfather’s WW2 service gun, which he has framed behind glass, and doesn’t own any ammo for. I have never touched a gun, and gods willing I never will. I am going to visit some friends who live in rural KY at the end of this month, and I know they have several guns. I don’t feel safe about that, and if I didn’t know that they’d laugh me out of the state I’d ask them to store them somewhere else while I’m there. It’s sorta like someone said above - there are 3 kinds of people in L.A. who have guns, cops, criminals, and liquor store owners. And not even all of that third category have 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/94 "2007-05-14T22:15:16Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank] That’s a judgement call on your part, subject to your own values and mores. Are you willing to deny other women that right to choose whether or not they should be raped because you’re kinda “oogy” about guns? Just out of curiosity: are you pro-choice or pro-life? [/QUOTE] Hey, fuck you. Nobody chooses to be raped, you knuckle-draggin’ moron. A woman increases her chances of serious harm during a rape, should she even have the time to go for her gun. She’d be better off fighting back in other ways than to risk losing her life or killing someone else over a usually non-life threatening attack. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/95 "2007-05-14T22:24:05Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Hey, fuck you. Nobody chooses to be raped, you knuckle-draggin’ moron. A woman increases her chances of serious harm during a rape, should she even have the time to go for her gun. She’d be better off fighting back in other ways than to risk losing her life or killing someone else over a usually non-life threatening attack. [/QUOTE] My apologies; my previous post was very poorly phrased. Allow me to amend: That’s a judgement call on your part, subject to your own values and mores. Are you willing to deny other women the tools _they_ might find most effective and be most comfortable with, should they ever be confronted with a rape/sexual asault situation? Even when I have non-partisan links showing that fighting back, even with a gun, reduces the chance of injury or death? Remember, using a firearm to defend yourself /= a dead Bad Guy. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/96 "2007-05-14T22:27:10Z")
I’ve lived my whole live in the upper midwest. Here it’s very common for a household to have firearms. But most of those are hunting rifles or shotguns. Probably 95% plus. They aren’t in the house for protection. They are there for deer, pheasant and turkey hunting. All of the ones I have known are stored either in a safe, with a trigger lock, or at minimum, far away from ammunition. They really couldn’t be used for a home break-in. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/97 "2007-05-14T22:33:35Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank] My apologies; my previous post was very poorly phrased. Allow me to amend: That’s a judgement call on your part, subject to your own values and mores. Are you willing to deny other women the tools _they_ might find most effective and be most comfortable with, should they ever be confronted with a rape/sexual asault situation? Even when I have non-partisan links showing that fighting back, even with a gun, reduces the chance of injury or death? Remember, using a firearm to defend yourself /= a dead Bad Guy. [/QUOTE] Well, I would rather see no hand guns, but since they’re legal, a woman can carry a gun if she chooses. I think it will do her more harm than good, but that’s the chance she’s willing to take. The chances of the circumstances being conducive to her getting the gun and actually using it are slim, at best. She’d do better to kick, elbow, gouge, and scream in nearly every case. And I, for one, know that even a small man could wrestle a gun out of my hand with ease. I do not want to be the direct cause of a rapist’s or robber’s death. I do not believe that most people think it is ethically right to kill someone because they’re taking your stuff or raping you. It’s overkill (pun intended). ---
**Author:** ![GuyNblueJeans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@GuyNblueJeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyNblueJeans)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/98 "2007-05-14T22:44:59Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] You said all women should carry guns to protect them from rapists. I disagreed. Then you said and I said: I’ll ask again. What does a bystander have to do with a woman carrying a gun for protection? I would hope that a bystander would help me, of course. But my carrying a gun doesn’t ensure my safety and may very well get me killed when all I would have been was raped. See the difference? I do not believe rape is an offense that would justify anyone killing anyone over. [/QUOTE] Correction" I said, “..every law-abiding, level-headed woman in America..” ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/99 "2007-05-14T22:50:27Z")
[QUOTE=GuyNblueJeans] Correction" I said, “..every law-abiding, level-headed woman in America..” [/QUOTE] Who decides what law-abiding and level-headed are? Are women who speed exempted from the right? Where do you draw the line? Liars? Tax cheats? ---
**Author:** ![GuyNblueJeans](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9bcb4/32.png) [@GuyNblueJeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuyNblueJeans)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882/100 "2007-05-14T22:57:53Z")
[QUOTE=Kalhoun] Who decides what law-abiding and level-headed are? Are women who speed exempted from the right? Where do you draw the line? Liars? Tax cheats? [/QUOTE] You’re wearing me out. ☹ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-lots-of-people-own-guns/403882.md?page=6)