Gun ban statistics project

Now that the Gun Ban Statistics project is starting to get some coverage in the media, we need to decide on the direction it should take. Its original objective was simply to show that gun bans do not make people safer. However, this broad scope brings up some specific questions in practice.

chardson67 questioned an incident report saying that it did not involve the use of firearms. This is a fair comment. Should the statistics focus only on incidents that involve firearms?

I think that to only record gun related incidents, as the PNP seems to be doing, misses the bigger picture. In the wider context of keeping the public safe from violent crime, the firearm is the most effective tool that the individual can use for self-defense. By forbidding people from using this tool, they are more vulnerable to predators. After all, a firearm is not the only object that can cause harm, but it is the most practical tool that even the old and weak can use for self-defense.

Therefore, I suggest that our data should also include incidents where a firearm would have given the victim a chance, even if the offensive weapon was not another firearm.

What are your thoughts?