A Well Regulated Militia: The Battle Over Gun Conrol

Weir's analysis of gun control is objective and well documented. After tracing the history of militias-private citizens with arms who made themselves available to government in times of crisis-he argues that the continuing contest in the U.S. is predominantly an emotional one, with phony statistics presented by pro-gun and anti-gun advocates alike. But while the National Rifle Association and its allies are able to deluge legislators with letters and telegrams, they often come off sounding paranoid; the Handgun Control Inc. faction, on the other hand-Weir is a member of both groups-adopts a tone of reasonableness and so wins the public-relations battle. Weir's nation-by-nation and state-by-state survey, however, suggests that there is little correlation between gun ownership or gun control laws and murder rates. Crimes involving guns, he argues, are infrequent in stable societies where there is a fairly equitable distribution of wealth and ""a reasonable opportunity to advance socially and economically."" Weir's message is that the propaganda of both the pro- and the anti-gun advocates can be ignored if we concentrate on building a more equitable society. He is the author of In the Shadow of the Dope Fiend. (Mar.)