Some people hand out free candy to study human behavior. This graduate student hands out free 20-gauge single-shot shotguns.
“Do more guns reduce crime or not?” wondered University of Houston graduate Kyle Coplen.
Coplen says it’s time to settle this debate once and for all — by passing out free firearms to people living in crime-ridden areas.
The Armed Citizen Project, Coplen’s study, will watch whether crime decreases in the newly armed citizens’ neighborhoods.
Coplen explained he specifically chose the shotguns because they are hardly ever used by criminals and meant for protection only. He also clarified that he’s not just passing out guns to anyone. Every person must have resided in their home for at least a year, undergo a background check and pass a safety and tactical course before receiving a gun.
“We’re not just tossing a bunch of shotguns into a community and walking away,” Coplen told Fox 26. “What we’re doing is finding residents who are interested in protecting themselves. We’re not forcing guns on anyone.”
Coplen said that gun control advocates and gun rights advocates both argue that implementing their positions will lead to a decrease in crime, but those in favor of harsher gun control generally win out when it comes to policy changes.
“Pro-gun activists have largely been content to simply fend off new potential gun control laws,” he said. “It is my opinion that gun rights activists must take the offensive, and actively encourage the increased presence of defensive weapons in society. Both sides believe that their policies will result in less crime, and it is about time that our side begins to act with the conviction and courage that it will take to win the debate.”
Coplen also hopes this year-long study will “reverse the flow of guns, to where they are flowing into a community, along with the necessary safety training and skills.”
