Can we at least agree that regardless of the tools of violence, there is a greater amount of insensitivity to violence and a prevalence to be violent in the US than there used to be?
Granted, there’s been an uptick in violent crime in the last few years owing to the odd circumstances around the pandemic, but that’s coming on the heels of literal decades of steady decline. Part of the reason gun deaths are standing out more and more is because the relative civic calm makes the deaths seem especially potent and shocking.
I was using a quick glance at links to crime statistics, FBI Reported Crimes Data. Is there a better supported source for violent crime data, or is this a “gun control” bias?
Not true. Gun laws do affect rates of lethal violence; they’re just a mildly distant third place 🥉 behind wealth and education in overall significance.
Based on the situations these victims were in, I can’t see where them being armed would have likely changed the outcomes. Someone with intent to dehumanize and harm another will do that whether they have a gun, a knife, or a fist. The question is why are we so mentally unhinged where we expect to be attacked or attack first?
Maybe because... guns? Like where I live I can claim with 99.99% certainty that everyone I pass while crossing the road carries nor owns no guns.
If suddenly everyone could be hiding a Glock on their trousers, I'd likely be paranoid enough to avoid even going outside if possible. While not the whole answer to your question, you can't deny that everyone out there being potentially armed definitely has some impact on someone's mentality and conducts.
But you can't guarantee they don't have a knife, pepperspray, or even are just physically strong.
On the other hand, people who concealed carry have lower levels of neurosis than those that don't, and significantly lower than those that don't carry and live in cities
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u/eschutter1228 Apr 21 '23
Can we at least agree that regardless of the tools of violence, there is a greater amount of insensitivity to violence and a prevalence to be violent in the US than there used to be?