<p>By John R. Lott Jr.</p>
<p>People fear guns. Yet, while guns make it easier for bad things to happen, they also make it easier for people to protect themselves.</p>
<p>With the avalanche of horrific news stories about guns over the years, it's no wonder people find it hard to believe that, according to surveys (one I conducted for 2002 for my book, "The Bias Against Guns," and three earlier academic surveys by different researchers published in such journals as the Journal of Criminal Justice) there are about two million defensive gun uses (search) each year; guns are used defensively four times more frequently than they are to commit crimes.</p>