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I don't think the statistics actually show that to be the case. "Unlawful killings" in England and Wales have actually dropped since the 1990's, as has Australia's rate. It's very difficult to compare things like "muggings" or "assaults" because the non-reportage rate in many US cities is so high. How many gang beatdowns do you think are actually reported to police in a place like Detroit or New Orleans or Gary, IN?
The presence or absence of guns is simply not the deciding factor when it comes to the "safety" of a given society. That has to do with things like social cohesion, law enforcement, and income mobility, and so on. If banning guns always meant that crime goes up, how would you explain cases like Japan, Singapore, or Hong Kong? Similarly, if relaxed weapons laws implied high crime, what about Luxembourg or Switzerland?
We even see this effect in the US. The state with the very highest murder rate is Louisiana, which has fairly relaxed firearms laws. Hawaii, one of the more restrictive, has one of the lowest. But then again, California's rate is above the national average despite somewhat tighter regulation, and Vermont is quite low despite loose regulation.
Guns aren't the deciding factor. The evidence simply doesn't show it. In the US, a lot of our murder rate is driven by the fact that we simply choose not to police certain urban areas in a manner that would control the activity of gangs or punish those who carry/use illegal firearms. Even states which advertise themselves as "tough on crime" usually have bleak segments of certain cities where crime and violence are common. Arizona has Sheriff Joe, but Maricopa County's murder rate is WAY above the US national average. Just as one example. That's because Maricopa has permitted a gang culture to flourish, and violence results from that.
Guns laws are a sideshow to those factors.
japan, are you joking?
take a look at their sucide rate. that alone unto itself equals out to our murder rate.
also different cultures have something to do with it as well. from what I understand, in japan a cop is allowed to beat a confession out of a suspect and have it remain legal in court. would you want that in the USA? I think not, and neither would I.
or at least to focus on the factors that are now contributing to the violence we see in the U.S. (drug prohibition, absence of family values, poverty, illegal immigration, etc.). I would be so happy if our "representatives" simply stopped introducing these bills into congress, voted down any bills that have already been proposed, and instead focused their time and efforts more productively.
Thank you. Instead of focusing on the LEGAL gun owner, enforce the laws that stop illegal gun owners committing crimes with guns. Then start to work on why these criminals shoot each other and us when we get in the way. This debate shouldn't even be happening. There are too many guns in the U.S. that are illegally possesed. Lock up the criminals that use them. End of problem. Leave the law abiding citizens alone.
True, but stop cutting plea deals and letting criminals avoid jail after committing a crime with a gun would help keep these guys off the street. Most of them are repeat offenders with long criminal records.
I don't think the statistics actually show that to be the case. "Unlawful killings" in England and Wales have actually dropped since the 1990's, as has Australia's rate. It's very difficult to compare things like "muggings" or "assaults" because the non-reportage rate in many US cities is so high. How many gang beatdowns do you think are actually reported to police in a place like Detroit or New Orleans or Gary, IN?
The presence or absence of guns is simply not the deciding factor when it comes to the "safety" of a given society. That has to do with things like social cohesion, law enforcement, and income mobility, and so on. If banning guns always meant that crime goes up, how would you explain cases like Japan, Singapore, or Hong Kong? Similarly, if relaxed weapons laws implied high crime, what about Luxembourg or Switzerland?
We even see this effect in the US. The state with the very highest murder rate is Louisiana, which has fairly relaxed firearms laws. Hawaii, one of the more restrictive, has one of the lowest. But then again, California's rate is above the national average despite somewhat tighter regulation, and Vermont is quite low despite loose regulation.
Guns aren't the deciding factor. The evidence simply doesn't show it. In the US, a lot of our murder rate is driven by the fact that we simply choose not to police certain urban areas in a manner that would control the activity of gangs or punish those who carry/use illegal firearms. Even states which advertise themselves as "tough on crime" usually have bleak segments of certain cities where crime and violence are common. Arizona has Sheriff Joe, but Maricopa County's murder rate is WAY above the US national average. Just as one example. That's because Maricopa has permitted a gang culture to flourish, and violence results from that.
Guns laws are a sideshow to those factors.
I agree very much with what seems to be your basic premise. That is, when considering crime rates, many factors have to be taken into account. With gun control laws of little consequence. Of course, I take it a step further by advancing that the same will increase the problem. Especially if the said area has a high crime rate to begin with.
Anyway, as to the crime rate in England, here is a link to an interesting article which seems to be directly on the point as to gun-related crimes in that country as related to gun control laws:
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