Claim: The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence says guns are “rarely used successfully in self-defense.”
Verdict: False. According to an academic study by criminologist Gary Kleck of Florida State University, guns are used to protect life and property at least 760,000 times a year.
Brady Campaign Web Page reveal Gun control groups say the presence of guns in public spaces only “increases tensions and exacerbates conflicts” and has zeroed in on concealed carry.
The report denies that “concealed carry” provides Americans with a means to ensure their safety, arguing that “firearms are rarely used successfully for self-defense.”
The Brady camp’s claims are in direct contradiction to the academic research of Kleck, who introduced his findings to the public in the 1990s and demonstrated a minimum of 760,000 defensive gun uses (DGUs) per year.
On February 19, 2015, Breitbart News reported that Kleck reaffirmed his findings and revealed that a minimum of 760,000 DGUs per year is still viable and has not yet been disproved by empirical evidence. It was reported that.
Ironically, Kleck’s minimum annual DGU count of 760,000 is much lower than the figure published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which estimates it to be more than 2.5 million DGUs per year.
However, on December 15, 2022, Breitbart News noted that the CDC allegedly removed DGU information from its website following pressure from gun control activists.
Whether you look at Kleck’s academic work or the DGU information removed from the CDC website, the verdict is the same. The Brady camp’s claim that guns are “almost never successful in self-defense” is false.
WATCH — AWR Hawkins: Woman used Second Amendment for self-defense 13 times in two weeks
Ahawkins
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and also writes Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment for Breitbart News. He is also a writer and curator. He is a political analyst for Armed American Radio and a professional staff member for Pulsar Night Vision. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in 2010 and completed his Ph.D. Military history focusing on the Vietnam War (Brown Navy), the U.S. Navy since its inception, the Civil War, and early modern Europe. Beef is his favorite vegetable. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. To get Down Range, you can sign up at breitbart.com/downrange. Please contact us directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.
