A study disproves the NRA's talking points

David Hemenway, director of the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, has been conducting a study regarding guns, gun violence, and whether or not the National Rifle Association's talking points are at all valid. Unfortunately for the NRA, to this point, the study's findings send a very clear message to the powerful gun lobby: "You're wrong!"

Hemenway modeled his study off the 2010 study on climate change, where it was reported that 97% of climate scientists believe humans to be responsible for global warming. He and his team of researchers looked through 1,200 gun-related articles published since 2011 "in peer-reviewed journals focused on public health, public policy, sociology, and criminology." Hemenway then sent surveys to the authors of these very articles on a monthly basis (up to 300 per), asking these gun experts an array of questions regarding the topic. To this point, nine surveys have been completed, with approximately 100 of the gun experts/researchers responding to each. Here's how the results have played out thus far:

"Do you think having a gun in the house makes it a safer or a more dangerous place to be?"

More dangerous: 64%

Neutral/It depends: 32%

Safer: 5%

Difference: 59% (between more dangerous and safer)


"Strong gun laws help reduce homicide."

Agree: 71%

Neutral/Don't know: 18%

Disagree: 12%

Difference: 59%


"The change in state-level concealed carry laws in the United States over the past few decades from more restrictive to more permissive has reduced crime rates."

Disagree: 62%

Neutral/Don't know: 29%

Agree: 9%

Difference: 53%


"In the United States, guns are used in self-defense far more often than they are used in crime."

Disagree: 73%

Neutral/Don't know: 20%

Agree: 8%

Difference: 65%


"In the United States, having a gun in the home increases the risk of suicide."

Agree: 84%

Neutral/Don't know: 8%

Disagree: 8%

Difference: 76%


"In the United States, having a gun in the home increases the risk that a woman living in the home will be a victim of homicide."

Agree: 72%

Neutral/Don't know: 17%

Disagree: 11%

Difference: 61%


"Internationally, and in the United States, evidence indicates that background checks can help keep guns out of the hands of a significant number of violent people."

Agree: 60%

Neutral/Don't know: 23%

Disagree: 16%

Difference: 44%


"Safe storage (e.g., unloaded, locked up) of firearms in the home reduces the likelihood of suicide."

Agree: 65%

Neutral/Don't know: 18%

Disagree: 17%

Difference: 48%


Average numbers

More gun-control crowd: 68.9%

Neutral: 20.6%

Less gun-control crowd: 10.8%

Difference: 58.1%


So, on average, out of every ten gun experts/researchers out there, approximately seven believe guns to be dangerous and that more gun laws would mean less crime, one believes the direct opposite, and two are uncertain which way they lean at this point. No, these numbers aren't quite as staggering as those in the 2010 climate-change study, but they're pretty significant nevertheless.

97% of climate scientists believe in global warming

Nearly 70% of gun experts dismiss NRA's talking points

I can just hear the NRA's response now. I'm guessing it will be one (or all) of the following:

- "The only way to stop a bad guy with a survey is a good guy with a survey!"

- "More studies means less reading!"

- "Studies don't teach people; people teach people!"

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/04/gun-research-harvard-nra