Tom Diaz

Tom Diaz is senior policy analyst for the Violence Policy Center, an education foundation that conducts research on firearms violence. In the following viewpoint, Diaz argues that guns are used much more often to commit crime than to prevent it. He contends that gun manufacturers perpetuate the myth that guns are an effective and often-used means of self-defense in order to sell their products. Diaz also contends that gun magazines help gun makers sell guns by exaggerating the benefits of owning multiple firearms for self-defense.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the U.S. Justice Department, what percentage of victims of violent crime attempted to defend themselves with a firearm between 1987 and 1992?
2. What three flaws did the Police Foundation find in the argument that guns have an essential and virtuous...