Fact: In 1966, the city of Orlando responded to a wave of sexual assaults by offering firearms training classes to women. The number of rapes dropped by nearly 90%.

Fact: 60% of convicted felons admitted that they avoided committing crimes when they knew the victim was armed. 40% of convicted felons admitted that they avoided committing crimes when they thought the victim might be armed.33

Fact: Felons report that they avoid entering houses where people are at home because they fear being shot.34

Fact: 59% of the burglaries in Britain, which has tough gun control laws, are "hot burglaries."35 By contrast, the U.S., with laxer restrictions, has a "hot burglary" rate of only 13%.36

Fact: Washington D.C., has banned gun ownership and has a murder rate of 56.9 per 100,000. Across the river in Arlington, Virginia, gun ownership is not regulated, and the murder rate is a mere 1.6 per 100,000.37

Fact: 26% of all retail businesses report keeping a gun on the premises for crime control.38

Fact: In 1982, Kennesaw, GA passed a law requiring heads of households to keep at least one firearm in the house. The residential burglary rate dropped 89% the following year.39

Fact: A survey of felons revealed the following40:

- 74% of felons agreed that "one reason burglars avoid houses when people are at home is that they fear being shot during the crime."

- 57% of felons polled agreed, "criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police."