Letter: Consider facts on both sides of gun debate

I read the article by Burt Constable on the myth of guns as protection. He makes some points, but we should also look at the other side of the issue.

If you start with the FBI website, it will lead you to more websites with more information such as, guns prevent an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year, or 6,849 every day. Most often the gun is never fired. Every year 400,000 life threatening violent crimes are prevented, and 60% of felons admitted they avoided committing crimes when they knew the the victim was armed. Felons reported that they avoid entering houses where people are at home because they fear being shot.

The Center for Disease Control in a report ordered by President Obama in 2012 following the Sandy Hook Massacre, estimated that the number of crimes prevented by guns could be even higher- as many as 3 million annually, or some 8,200 every day.

Robert Chmela

Elgin