You’ve probably heard this one before: “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” Maybe you’ve even heard it from loved ones at your own holiday table.
Myths about guns, gun violence, and gun safety laws in America are, unfortunately, widespread. And arguing with family and loved ones about these misconceptions may feel especially difficult. That’s why we developed Fork Over the Facts—a resource to help you debunk misinformation this holiday season.
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Knowing how to respond to these myths in the moment can be challenging, but having these difficult conversations is an important first step toward creating safer communities.
Take a few minutes this holiday season to learn how to combat misinformation. We can put an end to gun violence, one conversation at a time.
Thank you for being with us,
Everytown for Gun Safety
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Every day, 125 Americans are killed with guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. There are a lot of widespread myths and conflicting information about guns, gun violence, and gun safety laws in America. To set the record straight, we’ve developed a series of graphics to help you “fork over the facts” and dispel some of the most prominent myths about gun violence.
Help educate the people in your life about these important issues by sharing this information with your friends and family. Download and share these graphics on social media.
![Myth: Criminals will always find a way to get their hands on a gun. Fact: Laws like background checks stop gun sales to criminals every day. Since 1994, these laws have blocked more than 4 million gun sales to people who could not legally own guns. [source] EverytownResearch.org Connor Brooks, “Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2016-2017,” (US Bureau of Justice Statistics, February 2021); FBI: 2018-2020.](https://www.everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Fork-Over-the-Facts-111524A-07-640x640.png)
![Myth: Strong gun laws don't work. Look at Chicago. Fact: Chicago proves why we must push for strong federal gun laws. Many of the crime guns recovered in Chicago and in other cities in states with strong gun violence prevention laws can be traced back to states with weaker gun laws. [source] EverytownResearch.org Chicago Police Department,](https://www.everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Fork-Over-the-Facts-111524A-09-640x640.png)
![Myth: A small child cannot pull a trigger. Fact: Every year, hundreds of children age 17 and under gain access to a gun and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else—sometimes fatally. Nearly one in three of these shooters are ages five and younger. [source] EverytownResearch.org Everytown, “Preventable Tragedies: Unintentional Shootings by Children,” 2023.](https://www.everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Fork-Over-the-Facts-111524A-13-640x640.png)
![Myth: Arming teachers will keep our kids safer in schools. Fact: Arming teachers ignores research that shows the presence of a gun increases the risks posed to children and teachers. School safety experts and law enforcement oppose arming teachers. [source] EverytownResearch.org Everytown,](https://www.everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Fork-Over-the-Facts-111924A-640x640.png)
![Myth: Everyone already has to get a background check when buying a gun. Fact: Federal law only requires licensed dealers to perform background checks. That means that millions of guns are bought and sold by unlicensed sellers each year without one—often online or at gun shows. [source] EverytownResearch.org Miller, Hepburn, Azrael, “Firearm Acquisition Without Background Checks,” 2017; Everytown, “Unchecked,” 2021.](https://www.everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Fork-Over-the-Facts-111524A-12-640x640.png)
![Myth: Shoot First laws provide everyone an equal right to self-defense. Fact: Shoot First laws, which allow a person to use deadly force even when they can safely walk away, disproportionately impact Black Americans. In Shoot First states, homicides in which white shooters kill Black victims are deemed justifiable 5x more often than when the situation is reversed. [source] EverytownResearch.org Roman, “Race, Justifiable Homicide, and Stand Your Ground Laws,” 2013; Everytown, “A License to Kill: Shoot First Laws,” 2021.](https://www.everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Fork-Over-the-Facts-111524A-03-640x640.png)
![Myth: Having a gun for self-defense makes individuals and their families safer. Fact: Guns in the home increase the risk that anyone in the house, including children, will die by firearm suicide or unintentional injuries. And, domestic abusers with access to a gun are 5 times more likely to kill their female victims. [source] EverytownResearch.org Everytown, “Preventable Tragedies: Unintentional Shootings by Children,” 2024; Choi, DiNitto and Marti, “Youth firearm suicide: Precipitating/risk factors and gun access,” 2017; Campbell et al., “Risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships: results from a multisite case control study,” 2003.](https://www.everytown.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Fork-Over-the-Facts-111524A-06-640x640.png)