Armed: New Perspectives On Gun Control

Hoping to disentangle myth from reality, the authors summarize research on guns and violence in accessible, nontechnical language. Among the topics addressed are media bias in coverage of gun issues, prohibitionist measures for reducing gun violence, and a close analysis of the Second Amendment.

According to conventional wisdom accidents with handguns account for a significant number of deaths among children, gun owners endanger themselves more than they ward off potential criminal assailants, and there is a widespread legal consensus that the Second Amendment does not support an individual's right to bear arms. All of these assumptions, and many others, say researchers Gary Kleck and Don Kates, are contradicted by the weight of criminological and legal evidence. Hoping to disentangle myth from reality, the authors summarize recent state-of-the-art research on guns and violence in accessible, nontechnical language.

Among the topics addressed are media bias in coverage of gun issues, prohibitionist measures for reducing gun violence, the frequency and effectiveness of the defensive use of guns, and a close analysis of the Second Amendment.

This well-argued and scrupulously researched volume is essential for any full understanding of the complex gun issue.