Jr. begins his latest book, The Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You've Heard About Gun Control Is Wrong, by stating that his "only objective is. . . to let the facts speak for themselves" (p. 13). Written for a lay audience, the book is in two parts. In the first, Lott provides largely anecdotal documentation of "biases against guns" by the media and government-sponsored research. In the second, Lott uses panel data on state crime rates to assess the effects of various firearms regulations on violence. Throughout, Lott stresses that firearms can serve to both increase and decrease violence, and purports to provide scientific answers to some of the most pressing questions. At first blush, the discussion of biases is persuasive, and the empirical results are intriguing. However, a more careful reading reveals that Lott distorts anecdotal evidence about biases, misrepresents the relevant empirical literature, and presents evidence that cannot be used to draw credible conclusions about the effects of gun laws on crime. Ultimately, the Bias Against Guns disappoints.
2. THE BIAS AGAINST GUNS
In Part I of The Bias Against Guns (Chapters 1-4) Lott lays out his evidence on biases by the media and government-supported research. In these chapters, we read about government research panels designed to influence elections, rabid scientists, biased reporting in major newspapers, and horrific violence. It's engaging reading. The evidence of bias, however, is largely fictitious. Lott repeatedly distorts and misrepresents material that he claims is evidence of bias.