Most gun owning families store guns loaded, unlocked, or both. The presence of a gun in the home triples the risk of homicide in the house.

             Here are a few more facts about why it is dangerous for private citizens to own guns:.

             *In 1996, there were 10,744 murders with firearms in the United States.

             *In 1996, there were 9,390 murders with handguns in the United States.

             *In 1997, there were about 440,000 violent crimes committed with firearms in the United States.

             * In 1997, firearm injuries were the second leading cause of injury and death for all ages.

             * Guns were used in approximately 7 out of every 10 murders in the U.S. in 1997. .

             * Handgun buyers with prior misdemeanor convictions are many times more likely than those with no such history to be arrested for crimes after purchasing a handgun. .

             * In the early 1990's, 7% of armed career criminals obtained firearms from licensed gun shops.

             In contrast to the above reasons given for gun control there are many arguments on behalf of citizens maintaining the right to own guns. Some states are showing a drop in violent crimes since they have adopted right-to-carry laws. The Second Amendment of our constitution upholds the right to keep and bear arms. This amendment became part of the constitution to enable the people of our country to protect themselves. .

             A 1999 study by the Center to Prevent Handgun Violence shows that liberalizing concealed weapons laws may have an adverse effect on a state's crime rate. Between 1992 and 1997, the violent crime rate in states which kept strict concealed weapon laws fell by an average of 24.8%. The 29 states that use the NRA line that hidden handguns make them safer only saw a decline in violent crime rate of 11.4%. Nationally, violent crime declined by 19.4% in those five years. .

             Out of 1,800 prisoners surveyed, 81% agree that the "smart criminal" will attempt to find out if a potential victim is armed.