Handgun Self-Defense: America’s Biggest Secret?
by: Chris Bird |
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Home invasions. Rapes. Carjackings. Murders. Everyday our local and national news reports that these heinous crimes are being committed all around us. What is rarely reported is the number of crimes which are prevented when people use guns in self-defense. According to research by Florida State University and other universities, an estimated 2.5 million ordinary Americans use a gun to protect themselves from criminals each year. In the majority of cases, no shots are ever fired; the mere act of wielding a weapon is enough to deter the criminal and stop the intended offense.
Even more interesting is to find out who these gun-carrying citizens are. They’re average everyday people; level-headed, responsible citizens that you would sit beside in church on Sunday or play golf with on weekends. So why are most of us stunned when we see the results of these studies?
“At first glance the statistics might seem high,” says Chris Bird, a gun-rights activist and author of the new book, “Thank God I Had a Gun: True Accounts of Self-Defense (Privateer Publications, 2007). “But you must understand the dynamics involved. For example, most people who defend themselves with a gun don’t report the incident to law enforcement officials. And unless a criminal is actually shot, you probably won’t hear about it in the news.”
A former investigative reporter, Bird believes there are additional reasons these incidents go under-reported. “Fear deters many people from reporting a self-defense confrontation,” says Bird. “Can you imagine being arrested for protecting yourself? ‘He-said, she-said’ type cases are typically left to a prosecutor’s discretion. That means the person defending himself could wind up on the wrong side of the law.”
Another factor is the location of the attempted crime. People are much more hesitant to involve the police when the incident occurs outside of their home or off their property. Laws vary from state to state, but most people don’t want to be subjected to interpretations of gun use laws that could find them at fault, even though they were protecting themselves.
Researchers at Saint Louis University have taken defensive gun use studies even further. They’ve tried to determine the impact of armed self-defense on the crime rate. According to the study, civilians kill an average of 299 felons per year (88% with guns) in cases of justifiable homicide. Based on the shooting deaths of those felons, researchers estimate that there are approximately 400,000 fewer violent crimes each year.
“One of the best-kept secrets in America is how often and effectively ordinary citizens defend themselves with firearms against a criminal attack or threat,” says Bird. “For decades, Americans have been brainwashed into taking a passive role in their own survival. "Fortunately, some citizens have ignored that advice and are taking responsibility for their own safety and survival."
For more information visit www.PrivateerPublications.com.
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About the Author
Chris Bird has been a journalist for 25 years and a handgun shooter for more than 40 years. He was born in England and his interest in shooting has steered him through the bureaucratic red tape of owning handguns in England, Canada, and Australia.
He was a commissioned officer in the Royal Military Police of the British Army in the 1960s. After leaving the military Bird migrated to Canada. There he worked as a cowboy in British Columbia while shooting and hunting extensively. He later became a journalist and worked for newspapers and television stations as a crime and investigative reporter.
Bird is also the author of The Concealed Handgun Manual: How to Choose, Carry and Shoot a Gun in Self Defense, now in its fourth edition.
He is certified in Texas as a concealed-handgun instructor. He is a director of the Texas Concealed Handgun Association and a member of both the Texas State Rifle Association and the National Rifle Association.
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