10 Arguments For and Against Gun Control

3) More Guns = More Homicide

Gun Control Position:
Both on an international and a state-to-state level, there is a direct correlation between rate of gun ownership and violent crime. Therefore, if the rate of gun ownership is reduced, the instances of violent crime will reduce with it. This method has been demonstrated in Australia, where the passage of strict gun laws in 1996, which included the destruction of approximately 650,000 automatic and semi-automatic weapons, has resulted in a 59% decrease in gun-related homicide and has completely halted the occurrence of mass shootings.

Gun Rights Position:
Sure, Australia may be one example, but its isolated application to the entire world is simplistic and ignorant of a broad range of data. For instance, in 1997 Great Britain banned civilian possession of almost all handguns in response to the Dunblane Massacre. The rate of intentional homicide climbed to a peak in 2002, and is still higher today than it was in 1996 (the year before the law took effect.) In addition, countries such as Israel and Switzerland broadly permit home ownership and concealed carry of handguns, and they enjoy relatively low rates of homicide. The evidence for lower crime rates as a result of greater gun control is selective and far from conclusive.