Gun control

The gun control issue, as discussed in the United States, is a dispute between those who say that private citizens should have and use fewer guns and those who promote increases in private gun ownership and use. Often the term gun control is used for the "fewer guns" positions in the controversy, as in, "I'm in favor of gun control."

Among the main arguments for "gun control" are concerns that the frequency of gun crimes and accidents is proportional to the number (or percentage) of guns owned, possessed or carried by private citizens. Having a gun handy makes it likely that it will be used to escalate a domestic dispute, for example.

Arguments on the other side include the claim that citizens who are issued concealed weapons permits are substantially less likely than the average person to use a gun to commit a crime. Merely showing a gun to an assailant or thief is enough to run him off. Similarly, the thought that a gun owner might be in a targeted residence has been known to put some convicted criminals off entering homes while the owners are on the property.