Point Blank: Guns and Violence in America

By Gary Kleck

Book Overview

By 1990 there were approximately 200 million guns in private hands in the United States, and around half of American households contained a gun. Over 30,000 people a year are killed with guns in... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0202304191
• ISBN13: 9780202304199
• Release Date: January 1991
• Publisher: Aldine Transaction
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.97 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A former gun-phobe

What is striking is that Prof. Kleck actually began this series of studies to "prove" that guns in the hands of citizens doesn't reduce crime. Ya see, Kleck is a liberal Democrat. He is a member of the ACLU, Common Cause, Amnesty International and supports the typical liberal agendas. When he got done crunching the data he found results that shocked him. At a minimum, Americans use firearms 2.5 million times per year in direct, face to face defenses. And that is Kleck's admittedly conservative estimate. Additionally, only 1% of the time is the thug shot, and only 0.1% of all encountered thugs are killed. Remarkable restraint, I'd say. Good people just left alone.The bad news, Kleck received far fewer invitations to Florida State University cocktail parties. The good news, He won the Hindelang Award for the most significant work by a criminologist (in a whole bunch of years).I would suggest that most people who would consider buying "Point Blank" would be happier getting Klecks collaboration with Prof. Don Kates titled, "The Great Gun Debate." It covers the same issues in a more digestible, less academic manner, and should be about half the price.

Don't debate gun control without first reading this book.

A rigorous and dispassionate statistical examination of a topic more often distinguished by emotion than reason, Mr Kleck has created a book that everyone interested in the suject of gun control should read, and which every second amendment advocate should own.This comprehensive study starts with an examination of the ideological nature of arguement on the subject, and thoroughly examines the nature of gun ownership and use in the United States.Supporters of gun control have tried and failed to impugn the integrity of the author, who owes allegiance to no vested interest, and who reached his conclusuion that gun ownership has a more positive than negative effect on society in spite of his own early leanings.Thoroughly documented, Point Blank is a required reference book for anyone with the courage to set personal bias aside, and search for the truth.