Many Americans View Guns as Safety Devices
April 18, 2001
JTO
http://www.jointogether.org/gv/default.jtml?O=267161

Despite recent school shootings, new research
finds that many Americans don't view gun
ownership as dangerous, but rather as a form of
security like a seat belt or smoke detector, the
Los Angeles Times reported April 11.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, there
are more than 30 million loaded, unlocked guns
in American homes. According to a recent poll,
one in four U.S. households have a gun for
self-defense.

Gary Kleck, a criminologist at Florida State
University, conducted research to determine how
often guns are mentioned, brandished, or fired in
self-defense. His research found that guns are
used for self-defense 2.5 million times a year.

Kleck said that victims who put up armed
resistance are less likely to suffer injury or lose
property than those who struggle, yell for help,
or give in.

Kleck also said that the risk of a child being shot
by the family gun is "a fictional issue." He added,
"It's like a bolt of lightning striking you on a sunny
day. It is possible, but reasonable people don't
take it seriously," he asserted.

A Gallup Poll conducted last summer found that
60 percent of gun owners said a firearm makes a
house safer. The majority of people surveyed
said they owned a gun for self-defense.