PHOENIX — To many gun owners, the question of whether to arm even
more people in a country that already has upwards of 300 million guns is
as calcified as a Sonoran Desert petroglyph. It’s written in stone,
among the fiercest of firearms advocates, that more guns equals fewer
deaths.
But before the Tucson tragedy fades into tired talking points, it’s
worth dissecting the crime scene once more to see how this idea fared in
actual battle.
First, one bit of throat-clearing: I’m a third-generation Westerner,
and grew up around guns, hunters of all possible fauna, and Second
Amendment enthusiasts who wore camouflage nine months out of the year.
Generally, I don’t have a problem with any of that.
