"This study helps resolve the long-standing debate about whether guns are
protective or perilous," says University of Pennsylvania epidemiology prof
Charles Branas. The Penn announcement is headlined "Gun Possession [is] of
questionable value in an Assault."


The Penn researchers carried out their study by randomly selecting 677
people in Philadelphia who had been shot in "assaults".

Random selection would presumably result in 2% or less of this group
having permits to legally carry firearms. Therefore, for those in the
sample that were armed, 98% or so were doing so illegally and
therefore of questionable competence with same. It is easy and
inexpensive to get a CCW in PA for residents who can pass a background
check.

I also note that there's no mention of what percentage of their
"control sample" who had not been shot were armed, or whether these
people frequented the same neighborhoods as those who were shot.

I hope these "medical researchers" aren't doing research on any
medical matters.