Summary Of Just Take Away Their Guns By James Wilson

In “Just Take Away Their Guns,” by James Q. Wilson, Collins Professor of Management and Public Policy at the University of California at Los Angeles, the author shows what is wrong with each side of the argument. In the first paragraph, he says, “The president wants still tougher gun control legislation and thinks it will work” (Barnet and Bedau 124). But, he continues on to say how this will not affect the illegal use of guns. About 200 million privately own a gun and one-third of that 200 million own a handgun (Barnet and Bedau 124). Only two percent of the citizens are using them in unlawful acts (Barnet and Bedau 124). The number of people who defend themselves outnumbers the amount of arrests for crimes committed. There are many issues with gun control, such as, whether a citizen should be able to own a gun or not, law enforcement confiscations, and punishment for criminals who use guns.
Wilson presents convincing statistics to support his statements. He shows that only a fraction of the guns used by criminals are purchased at a gun shop. He points out that many would-be burglars are scared away because a home owner displayed or used a gun. He also presented statistics that disprove the assertion of gun control advocates that “the cost of self-defense is self injury: Handgun owners are more likely to shoot themselves or their loved ones than a criminal” (Barnet and Bedau 125). These statements are very true and should definitely be taken into consideration when dealing with gun