Americans Are Buying Guns in Record Numbers. The Washington Post Isn't Pleased.

Social scientists have been trying for many years to blame homicides on the presence of guns. A favorite tool in this quest is the use of studies that show a correlation between gun ownership and crime. These studies are then reported as "evidence" that the presence of guns causes crime.

But there's always been a problem with this attempt at showing causality between guns and homicides: causality can just as plausibly go the other way. That is, in times and places where the local population feels they are in danger of being crime victims, people are more likely to purchase guns for protection. So, rather than saying "guns cause crime," we should be saying "crime causes guns."

New Gun Purchases Soar as Uncertainty and Violence Increase

We're likely seeing this phenomenon at work now.In recent months, according to the firearm industry's trade group National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Americans have purchased millions of guns:

The early part of 2020 has been unlike any other year for firearm purchases—particularly by first-time buyers—as new NSSF® research reveals millions of people chose to purchase their first gun during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source: Mises Institute
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