Guns in the home protect families.
For decades, that has been an essential part of the National Rifle Association's mantra in defending firearms ownership, repeated at congressional hearings, in advertisements and on T-shirts.
Dr. Mark Rosenberg, who once headed research on firearm violence at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wondered if there was any evidence backing the N.R.A.'s assertion.
“So we looked at the question, does having a gun at home protect your family or not?” Dr. Rosenberg recalled.
He was amazed by the answer. The landmark study in 1993 showed that bringing a gun into the home puts everyone at much greater risk.
