Executive Director of Armed Citizens Project Kyle Coplen is determined to figure out if more guns really lead to less crime. To do this, the organization is seeking to arm individuals in a few “mid to high crime” Houston neighborhoods to determine whether there’s a statistically significant relationship—or even a causal link—between an ‘increase in the presence of firearms and the level of crime.’

“We’re not just tossing a bunch of shotguns into a community and walking away,” Coplen told Fox 26.

Interested individuals must clear a background check, pass the organization’s safety, legal and tactical training and have lived in their current home for more than one year.  Participants will receive “one break action 20 gauge shotgun, that holds one shell at a time,” the website states, adding that this weapon is ideal because it’s inexpensive, easy to use and most importantly, “it is of little to no value to criminals.”

Gun-control advocates often argue that an increase in guns in an area will lead to an increase in crime, while gun-rights advocates often believe that fewer guns result in more crime.  While both sides often argue that their opponents policies will result in more crime, gun-control proponents have largely been the victors when it comes to policy implementation.  Pro-gun activists have largely been content to simply fend off new potential gun control laws.  It is my opinion that gun-rights activists must take the offensive, and actively encourage the increased presence of defensive weapons in society.  Both sides believe that their policies will result in less crime, and it is about time that our side begins to act with the conviction and courage that it will take to win the debate.