Daniel D. Polsby

In the following viewpoint Daniel D. Polsby argues against what he calls the “instrumentality theory”—the idea that the mass prevalence of guns in America accounts for the country’s high rates of lethal crimes relative to other countries. This theory has been embraced by gun control advocates, the federal government, and by major newspapers and television networks, he contends, but is not supported by the facts. Research indicates that guns are used lawfully for defense far more than they are used for crimes. Interspousal homicide rates have fallen in the United States, contrary to what one would predict with the instrumentality theory. Additional evidence against the theory, he argues, comes from the declining murder rates in states that have relaxed laws permitting people to carry...