"A 2013 National Research Council report found that studies looking at the effectiveness of different self-protective strategies had consistently found that victims who used guns defensively had lower injury rates than did victims who used other strategies."
And the direct paragraph after the one that references in the report being cited: Even when defensive use of guns is effective in averting death or injury for the gun user in cases of crime, it is still possible that keeping a gun in the home or carrying a gun in public—concealed or open carry—may have a different net effect on the rate of injury. For example, if gun ownership raises the risk of suicide, homicide, or the use of weapons by those who invade the homes of gun owners, this could cancel or outweigh the beneficial effects of defensive gun use (Kellermann et al., 1992, 1993, 1995). Although some early studies were published that relate to this issue, they were not conclusive, and this is a sufficiently important question that it merits additional, careful exploration.
It should also be pointed out that guns
very much do increase rates of suicide. That's not in question, despite lobbying attempting to shut down research on the health effects of firearms.
Also, the firearms industry just generally has an upsetting among of influence and power. They're selling a product, and they lobby to defend and reinforce that product. Firearms companies
do not have the public's best interest in mind.
Not that the political left is really effective itself. Most gun control is absolutely stupid bullshit that I can't see helping much of anything. It's still shockingly easy to obtain what amounts to an easily concealable semiauto M4 even in California. And all manner of pistols, which should just be straight up illegal from a utilitarian perspective. But eh. Doesn't matter to
me nearly as much as global warming, since at least Americans are mostly just shooting Americans, while GW kinda fucks over everyone.
Slinks back to the RTD board