Pro-gun commentary is bunk
Before anyone rushes out to buy a concealed weapons permit after reading John R. Lott’s commentary (July 29) in The Bee, consider this: Mr. Lott is a long-time pro-gun advocate with strong ties to arms manufacturers and the NRA. His public forum is Fox News. His “research” findings of more guns equaling less crime has been widely debunked by a number of credible researchers.
The first thing students learn in evaluating the merits of an essay or editorial is to determine whether the source is credible and unbiased. The Bee should have done the same before running the Lott commentary.
When it comes to providing unbiased information on gun ownership, Mr. Lott is no more credible than Wayne LaPierre. In other words, look elsewhere for the facts on the impact of increased gun ownership on violent crime.
Tom Tyner, Clovis
This story was originally published August 3, 2015 at 8:15 AM with the headline "Pro-gun commentary is bunk."