The bias against guns in Colombia has prompted a debate on new legislation that could extend the ban on firearms to include restrictions on non-lethal weapons for personal defense—but how effective has the 2012 ban been in controlling the violence?
Despite the gun-control restrictions, the Bogotá homicide rate increased between 2013 and 2014, from 16.7 murders per 100,000 inhabitants to 17.4. Regardless of the evidence, however, the Colombian government insists that gun control will decrease the number of murders.
The truth is, a society with armed citizens is not necessarily a violent one. Take New Hampshire, where gun ownership is at 30 percent but the murder rate is only between 1 and 2 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants.
The government’s agenda is based purely on ideology: Not allowing citizens to defend themselves only makes things easier for criminals.
