My latest Forbes piece is now out: "That Time The CDC Asked About Defensive Gun Uses".
I discuss some recent work by criminologist Gary Kleck on unpublished CDC data on defensive gun use, and how that may support the case of gun rights advocates.
Some of the statistical evidence is still in question, however, and Kleck has withdrawn the original version of his paper pending further analysis.
Ultimately, individual rights are not validated (or refuted) by statistics. But real-world evidence can help affirm the underlying principles.
I also wanted to note one good response I received from Ari Armstrong, responding to a point I made in my piece: "I think there are probably fewer defensive gun uses than in the '90s,
simply because violent crime has gone down so there's less need for
defense."
For more details, see the full text of "That Time The CDC Asked About Defensive Gun Uses".
Related articles:
"Any Study Of ‘Gun Violence’ Should Include How Guns Save Lives" (Paul Hsieh, 3/20/2018)
"Criminologist Gary Kleck on Guns, Crime, and Their Study" (Ari Armstrong, 11/7/2015)
The blog of Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine (FIRM)
