Glen Otero

Glen Otero is an adjunct fellow at the Claremont Institute, a libertarian think thank in California. In the viewpoint that follows, he argues that the relationship between gun ownership and violent crime is not as clear-cut as gun control advocates often claim. Otero refutes several “myths” about guns and crime, such as the idea that gun availability contributes to crime, that other countries have lower crime rates because of gun control laws, and that few people use guns for self-defense. Finally, Otero disputes the evidence that gun control laws will reduce crime and concludes that antigun advocates have seriously misled the public on this issue.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What was the conclusion of the 1978 National Institute of Justice study that the author...