Strong Gun Laws Save Kids’ Lives
Studies confirm what common sense suggests: Stringent rules mean fewer deaths.
Framing the risk
Photographer: Loren Elliott/AFP/Getty Images
The National Rifle Association is mounting another round of information warfare, this time against a proposal in the House of Representatives to require background checks on all gun sales. As the talking points fly, it’s worth recalling the growing body of evidence that finds close correlation between more rigorous gun laws and greater public safety.
One of the more recent studies in this vein comes from researchers associated with Stanford University, who tested the relationship between state gun laws and firearm-related fatalities among children and teens. Firearm-related mortality is the second-leading cause of pediatric death in the United States.