The debate over firearms in America has always been quite heated. But there is no doubt that there is a lot of misinformation that citizens tend to believe in. In the following article, we will shed light on 43 such common myths that most Americans sadly believe in.
The government has passed several gun-control laws to make gun-related violence less common. However, these rules have faced discrimination from citizens who believe that owning a gun is their right.
More guns equate to less crime
Simply put, more guns equate to more deaths. A Harvard research confirmed the shocking relationship between gun possession and homicide. It confirmed that greater number of guns results in an increased homicide rate.
If an individual has gun in close proximity, it automatically increases the chances of crime. This has sadly been the case for many home-related shootings or in domestic abuse homicides. Of course, this isn’t just limited to homes but also neighborhoods and cities as well.
Stricter gun control laws will decrease mass shootings
Even though many officials agree with this approach, majority of the country does not believe in it. People who share this opinion tend to believe that making it difficult to own weapons will not have any effect on the increasing mass shootings. On the contrary, their argument is that the country and its people would be a lot more safer if the citizens were allowed to carry concealed weapons.
Gun bans lead to less crimes
The demand creates its own supply. Hence, just banning guns will not bring down the crime rate. It might help in the beginning, however, in the long run the idea does not seem promising. This is evident from the fact that most criminals do not source their guns from authorized retailers. So, the gun ban only tends to harm consumers who use firearms for recreational purposes. Most home-owned guns are used for self-defense purposes.
Gun-free zones are safe
Gun-free zones is an appreciative approach implemented to bring down the numbers of suicides, violent crimes, illegal firearm activity. In a nutshell it is a policy to make safer areas. However, if things are seen from a criminal’s perspective, it isn’t hard to claim that gun-free zones are just targets for shooters.
In fact, in the past a lot of USA shootings have occurred in a gun-free zone.
Most gun owners are responsible
Possessing a gun for self-defense but not taking extra care of it makes a gun owner irresponsible. So, this myth is partially correct.
Unfortunately, in most of the reported cases gun violence is due to sheer negligence at the end of firearms owners. Due to a large number of citizens owning a gun, it is impossible to decide which ones are responsible. But according to a research, a lot of times crimes are committed by stolen weapons. So, if the owners were careful these crimes could have been prevented.
A gun in the home makes it safer
It is a huge misconception to think that you are less safe if your home lacks a firearm. In fact, those who have guns in their homes put their own family members at a risk of self-inflicted injury. Especially because most of the times the guns are loaded and can be obtained by a third person.
A study has shown that 9 times as many people are victimized by a person with a gun than being protected by a gun.
Purchasing guns online means no background check
In most cases, no citizen can purchase a gun legally online and have it shipped to his home. However, the purchaser can pay for it online but in order to obtain the firearm it is compulsory to visit the gun store in person. The citizen has to fill forms like ATF Form 4473, which initiates the NICS background check process.
Criminals always find a way to get guns
While it is true that guns can be obtained via illegal routes, strict gun laws have still acted as a barrier. For example, since 1994, background check laws have stopped selling guns to people who are not legally fit to possess guns.
Gun laws do not entirely eradicate gun violence, but they do help in bringing down the rate by a significant margin.
Guns don’t kill people; people kill people
Citizens armed with firearms kill more people than those who are unarmed. Hence, it is a myth. The NRA popularized this slogan in hopes of advocating for gun laws in the USA.
People interpret this statement differently depending on their perspectives. Two-thirds of all homicides are committed by firearms. Despite this, many pro-gun citizens tend to believe that it is human nature to blame, not the guns.
Active shooter drills make people safer
There’s no concrete proof that active shooter drills for people make them safer. This applies more to the teacher and student body because gun violence in schools is rampant.
Preparing students for a problematic situation instills fear in them leading to anxiety and trauma. On the contrary, the best way to make education institutions safer is by making gun laws stricter.
Gun violence affects White & Black citizens equally
Black people are more affected by gun violence in the USA than any other community. This disproportionality stems from rampant racism in the country. According to an official study, Black citizens experience 12 times more gun homicides, 18 times more gun assault injuries, and three times more fatal police shootings compared to an average White citizen.
‘Shoot First’ laws provide everyone with equal self-defense rights
Unfortunately, due to the nature of the law, it is more unjust for minorities living in the USA. A research was conducted to weigh the severity of the law and the results debunked this myth. According to the data, when white shooters killed Black suspects, the homicides were considered to be lawful. On the other hand, when a Black person shot a white suspect, the law usually wasn’t in their favor.
Red Flag laws take guns from people without due process
Only judges can implement Red Flag laws. And to pass this decision they have to present concrete proof. Hence, it is a misconception that Red Flag laws take guns from people without due process. Moreover, the evidence issued by judges should have a specific standard of proof. The person against whom laws are being imposed should also be allowed to speak in his favor. And if the decision seems to be biased, the concerned citizen can file for reconsideration.
Every gun owner goes through a background check to buy a gun law
Yes, if an individual is buying a gun through a legal procedure, they will have to satisfy all necessary needs of a background check. However, this does not apply to all gun owners. As many are unlawful ones.
As stated by the Federal law, background checks are required through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, exclusively for guns sold through licensed firearm dealers. And this accounts for 78% of all gun sales in the United States.
Parents not owning guns don’t need to worry about their children possessing them
The federal Gun Control Act of 1968, makes it clear that handguns can only be sold to citizens over the age of 21 and long guns to citizens over 18 years of age. But it doesn’t take into account the unlawful practices through which the children can gain guns.
Hence, parents shouldn’t believe in this myth and keep their children under strict surveillance for possession of any weapons.
Arming teachers will keep our kids safer in schools
No, arming teachers will not make kids safer in school. In fact, several mass shootings have taken place in schools where armed personnel were present. In fact this approach will make institutions more dangerous by increasing the availability of guns in the premises.
Mostly the shooters are students themselves so it won’t be psychologically possible for a teacher to aim and shoot at the criminal. Moreover, they can not be expected to have the same level of expertise as a professional.
A young child is unable to pull a trigger
There have been innumerable cases of children under the age of 17 gaining access to guns and shooting either themselves or others accidentally. Hence, pulling a trigger for a child is not a difficult task if the firearm is in close proximity.
A study has shown that children of USA are far at more risk of shooting accidentally compared to any other developed country. The victims are usually family members living in homes.
Strict gun laws aren’t effective
In regions where strict gun laws do not exist, the crime rate is at an all time high. Firearms are used in 73% of homicides in states with strict gun laws and 75% in states with relaxed gun laws. So, the difference isn’t much but if looked at from ground-level it is making some form of change.
Federal law prohibits all domestic abusers from having guns
Federal law has highlighted some categories of people who are prohibited from possessing guns. The law is a bit complicated about domestic abusers. Only those domestic abusers against whom restraining orders were filed fall under this category. If they tend to buy firearms, they will fail the background check.
All gun owners are members of extremist groups
In a country where civilians own 393 million guns, it is difficult to generalize every owner as a part of extremist groups. However, it is clear that if an individual owns a gun they believe in owning a gun for self defense purposes. But this doesn’t make them an extremist.
Arming a victim with gun will protect them
No, supplying a victim with firearms will not be of much help. In fact, studies have shown that if a gun is present it has a high chance of contributing to homicides. Therefore, through this approach victims can not be saved from domestic violence.
Gun violence is exclusively an urban problem
Gun violence in America makes up most of the reported cases. However, rural America also suffers from severe gun-related issues. In reality, rural areas, especially in red states, have seen dangerously high numbers of gun violence, which are more concerning than urban areas.
More police presence will reduce gun violence
According to a national poll’s result, most citizens believed that increasing police’s presence will automatically bring down the crime rates. Despite the popular opinion, this does not proves to be true.
However, the issue is unfortunately now too deep rooted. According to the Biden administration, it has to be solved on the ground level. In efforts to bring down the number he has invested in programs which work for the strengthening of communities like job training, after-school activities, and a lot more.
Gun control advocates are anti-gun
No, gun control advocates are not anti-gun. They are against guns in a different sense. Such groups only demand an end to gun-related violence, which will come from restricted gun use. A lot of the gun control advocates are survivors or people whose family members have been affected in gun-related violence. Hence, their arguments have weight.
There’s no need for gun registration
This is partially correct. However, in cases where firearms involve machineguns, short–barreled rifles and shotguns, silencers, destructive devices, and firearms designated as “any other weapons,” then they have to be registered. If anyone proceeds to break this law, they can be heavily fined with up to $250,000.
Gun safety classes are not necessary
Unfortunately, most people do not enroll into a gun safety class prior to purchasing a firearm. Even though there are some State laws which require the citizens to take a safety class before purchasing firearms, these rules differ in regions. Hence, its common for gun owners to believe that there is no need for gun safety classes. But in the rise of recent events, if education was provided many cases could be prevented. It is simple; education leads to safety.
Gun control will not lead to a black market for firearms
Under the rules issued by Federal law, it becomes increasingly difficult for civilians with bad police records to get access to guns. In such cases, they resort to illegal ways to get access to guns. This results in an increase in buying from firearms in the black market. So, it is true that background checks have provided criminals with another route.
Gun laws have no impact on suicide rates
Certain state’s gun laws have helped in bringing down the suicide rates for children under the age of 18. In fact, areas in which stricter rules like mandatory waiting periods and safe storage laws were implemented saw fewer gun-related child suicides. But unfortunately, it did not help in solving the homicide problems.
According to the data collected, there were 6,735 kids who died by gun-related suicide and another 10,278 died by gun-related homicide between 2009 and 2020.
Gun control does not ignore the rights of hunters
With implementation of gun laws, there has been a considerable decrease in Target Shooting which is one of the most popular sports in the USA. And this decline in interest is mainly due to the rules & regulations about possessions of guns. Hence, in the future it is possible that the laws will leave a negative impact on the country’s hunting legacy.
The hunters are mainly concerned with the outlaw of semi-automatic firearms.
Mentally ill people commit most mass shootings
No, only a small number of mentally challenged people have committed mass shootings. The majority of them were committed by individuals who did not suffer from any such issues. Only 5% of mass shootings are linked with mental illness. The remaining reasons are either drug-related or “non-psychotic psychiatric or neurological illnesses.”
Defensive gun use benefits society
There’s no guarantee of defensive gun use benefiting the society. If guns were to be sold on the basis of self-defense, many purchasers can falsely buy them and use it to their own advantages.
In fact, defensive gun use is rare and occurs less often than criminal gun use. This myth comes from gun lobbyist movement which prefers to adopt more permissive gun laws than restricting the use of guns. Unfortunately, crimes increase with a surge in local gun purchases.
Gun use is the best way to prevent damage
Many gun users have this common misconception that if they have a gun under their possession it will ensure better security of their goods and lives. In fact, a person who is unarmed is more likely to walk away unaffected in life-threatening conditions than a person who will try to resist with a firearm.
Mental health has nothing to do with gun control
According to federal law, mentally ill people are not allowed to purchase guns or have firearms in their possession. Despite this, due to unlawful measures, they get access to guns, which results in drastic consequences.
Hence, the state and lawmakers are increasingly trying to make a difference to prevent shootings by mentally challenged people. There was an attempt to include mental health records in the NICS database as well.
Concealed carrying of guns leads to decrease crime
No, carrying concealed guns actually leads to an increase in the crime rate. Because it leads to more deaths by firearms. Most States of USA allow the citizens to carry concealed weapons in public given that they have a permit.
However, making it easier to possess firearms and not requiring permits will only result in violent activities like mass shootings and robberies.
Gun control laws are a violation of the Second Amendment
The gun control laws were carefully designed while keeping the American constitution in high regard. The Second Amendment protects an American citizen’s rights to ‘establish militias’ to defend themselves. However, it does not allow individuals to own guns.
Consequently, it is true that all gun control laws are constituional.
Firearms are always used in home invasions
On an average, 3,062 burglaries happen in the U.S. every day. And most of these robberies occur when the family isn’t at home. Hence, firearms are not commonly used in home invasions. But this does not completely rule out the possibility of gun use in thefts.
The U.S.A. does not have the highest gun ownership rates in the world
It is a known fact that USA has the highest gun ownership rates in the world. Even though there is a big number of citizens not owning firearms, this is balanced by other individuals owning multiple firearms.
A study confirmed that America has 120.5 civilian-owned firearms per 100 people, which is considered very high. Approximately, there are 393 million civilian-held firearms in the country (both legal and illegal).
In most mass shootings, the killer is unaware of its victims
A study found out that 70% of fatal mass shootings are deep rooted in domestic violence. More than 50% of perpetrators have had histories of killing at least one closely related member along with having a history of domestic violence.
Hence, if people with a dark past of domestic violence were prevented from owning firearms, the mass shootings would be much less in number than what they are in recent times.
Illegal guns primarily cause gun violence
This is merely a myth. For example, between 1982 and 2024, there were 100 mass shootings. And majority of these were caused by weapons which were owned legally by the criminals. There were only 16 such reported incidents in which the guns being used by the shooter were gained through illegal means.
So, illegal guns are not the major contributing factor of the gun violence.
Gun control will make criminals more dangerous
Research has shown that strict gun laws have decreased criminal activity. So, it is a misconception to believe that gun control makes criminals more dangerous. In fact, making guns less readily available will prevent citizens from acquiring firearms for unnecessary purposes.
Gun violence is due to poor urban planning
Attributing gun violence to poor urban planning is an oversimplification. This myth neglects other main factors like easy availability of firearms, less supervision, and gang activity. Hence, poor urban planning is not the prime contributing factor.
Socio-economic factors of communities are an underlying reason for firearm assaults, but there’s no reliable study that supports this statement.
Gun control affects minorities’ rights negatively
Gun control has helped USA’s minorities because, due to gun control, they are subjected to fewer criminal activities. Such groups include Hispanic, Black, and Native Americans.
Furthermore, research has shown that a Black person is ten times more at risk of dying by firearm violence than a white person. Consequently, when the rules & regulations are stricter, the homicide numbers decrease.
Gun violence is a result of media portrayal and video games
Gaming has a rather protective effect on children who play video games. Several studies have been conducted, but the results were inconsistent. However, it has been noticed that playing video games keeps young American citizens preoccupied. Hence, there is no correlation between gun violence and video games.
Well, that was all about 43 myths about firearms. Remember to bookmark this page for more information.
