Re: some U.S. observations and notes

From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Wed Dec 26 2001 - 17:44:34 MST


Kai Becker wrote:
>
> Am Mittwoch, 26. Dezember 2001 03:52 schrieb James Rogers:
> > On 12/25/01 6:41 PM, "Kai Becker" <kmb@kai-m-becker.de> wrote:
> > > If the right to bear arms - especially concealed guns - is so important
> > > to have a low crime rate, why is the rate of violent crimes so much
> > > higher in the US than in other countries?
> >
> > You have obviously missed an important point. Widespread concealed carry
> > lowers the violent crime rate *relative to that population*.
>
> Ah, I see. This would mean, that US americans are about four times more
> violent and potential criminals than citizens of other western countries.

Subtract out the violence that grows out of our disasterous "War
on Drugs" and you might see very different numbers. In any
case, there is zero evidence that the existence of what little
true concealed carry there is in the US has any upward effect on
general violence and especially on armed crime. There is
evidence that in states with concealed carry quite a few types
of violent crime become more rare. There are also statistics
that very, very few people with concealed carry licenses ever
brandish a weapon when they shouldn't much less injure innocent
parties or even often need to shoot at perpretators of crimes.
But having the gun in the hand of the citizens has stopped many
crimes.

- samantha



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