Skip to main content
4 of 4
replaced http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/ with https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/

Are lax gun laws responsible for the high rate of handgun violence in the United States?

Possible Duplicate:
What real evidence is there for the effects of gun control?

In the wake of today's horrible tragedy in Connecticut, many say US handgun laws are to blame:

If laws controlled guns the way the NRA controls politicians, the US would be the safest country in the world.

Andy Borowitz (@BorowitzReport)

and

22 children in China attacked with a knife today, no deaths. Senseless violence can't be prevented. Gun violence can.

Alex Blagg (@alexblagg)

and...

Examples of this line of thinking: linking US gun law to individual acts of senseless violence, are really too many to list, though I welcome any additions edited into this post.

But is there any proof that:

  1. US gun law is more lax or irresponsible than in other countries
  2. other countries experience less gun violence
  3. there is a direct causative link between the two

In other words, are our laws or lack thereof substantially responsible for gun violence? And therefore is there good reason to believe gun law reform will lead to less violence?

samthebrand
  • 4.8k
  • 4
  • 34
  • 56