10 Arguments For and Against Gun Control

9) The Gun is the Great Equalizer

Gun Rights Position:
Guns level the playing field. Consider a small-framed female under assault at the hands of a larger male, an elderly citizen being robbed by a stronger and more youthful one, or a single person being attacked by a group. All of these situations put the aggressors at a significant advantage over their victims, and criminals are more likely to perpetrate crimes against victims that they perceive to be low-risk. A firearm has been, in many instances, enough to scare off criminals who think that they have found easy prey or to eliminate the disadvantage of a victim in self-defense.

Gun Control Position:
In reality, a very low percentage of crimes are prevented because someone was carrying a firearm. The United States has more firearms per capita than any other nation in the world, and despite the anecdotal claims that guns save lives and prevent crimes, statistics show that the opposite correlation is true. More guns equal more crime, and the instances of law-abiding, gun-carrying citizens actually stopping crime from happening are very few and far between.