murders, 17,424 were suicides, 366 were accidents, 316 had unknown reasons, and only 154 were
confirmed to be in self-defense. Guns are currently being used in this society for murders, celebration,
hunting and gang activity. Guns are used in the drill team, for war and by the police force. Guns should
not be used in such ways where others could be harmed or killed. They should be used only for self-
defense to protect themselves and their valuables, not as weapons to take other's lives.
The Gun Owners Foundation says that guns save more lives than they take and prevent more injuries
than they inflict. However, that is very untrue. The usage of guns for self defense to not self-defense
ratio is 1:22. For every time a gun is used in self-defense, there are 22 shootings that are not. Also, gun
violence costs the nation about one hundred billion dollars a year. Eighty per cent of the money used to
treat firearm injuries comes from taxpayer dollars.
The Gun Owners Foundation says that criminals avoid armed citizens. A law in a city in Florida that
required at least one gun in every household caused the crime rate in that city to drop 89%. Another law
that permitted the carrying of concealed weapons dropped the homicide rate by 36%. But having a gun
in a household raises the risk of a homicide or suicide. A household with a gun is three times more
likely to have a homicide using a gun and five times more likely to have a suicide using a gun. Suicide
is not a crime, but it is still a death and is just as bad. Guns are clearly dangerous, no matter how they
are used. Even though a household may have a gun, the head of the household may not be trained in
using a gun, and may cause an accidental shooting.
The Gun Owners Foundation also says that gun control such as the Brady Bill, is not the
answer