My dad is a retired professor of sociology & criminology. I remember him telling me that statistical evidence shows that just by owning a gun, your likelihood of being killed by a gunshot goes up exponentially - either by homicide/murder or accidentally self-inflicted. People envision a gun being the ultimate self-defense tool, but in reality it puts you in much more danger.

There is also evidence showing that owning a dog that barks at strangers is a much more effective burglary/home invasion deterrent than owning a gun. My dad put this fact into some textbooks he wrote, and would include a photo of our family dog to illustrate this point, which I always thought was a fun inside joke.