3 ms·

Burglaries isn’t even remotely a proxy for “lives saved”.

• mgarfias 5y ago
  CDC estimates 500k defensive gun uses (DGU) per year. Others put that number up over 2M. Even by the smallest estimates it is a non trivial number.
  • umvi 5y ago
    Again though, defensive gun uses is not a proxy for lives saved. In general adding guns to a situation where murder is not the intent will increase the number of lives lost.
    • mgarfias 5y ago
      It’s a better proxy than burgs. Also, the definition implies that the firearm was used defensively, that is, it’s presence helped avoid a deadly confrontation
    • frongpik 5y ago
      In a situation where a criminal breaks into someone's house and brandishes a knife, the intent doesn't matter and the criminal shouldn't have agency to decide the outcome. I think this is what rubs me the wrong way about your comment: who gets to decide the outcome - the robber or the one being robbed.