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mrstickball on 22 December 2012
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A_C_E said:
mrstickball said:

The problem is....If there are states that have very loose gun laws, and very low crime rates, shouldn't that tell you that there are other significant factors at play in regards to the problem of violence in America?

There are states with very horrendous crime rates. There are states with very European crime rates. This is despite the fact that most have very similar gun laws. If this is the case, then it has to be another reason. If you can't see that, then I believe you're not trying to look at the situation properly.

If guns were banned, maybe Mr. Lanza would not have done what he did. But alternatively, what if such a ban provoked other would-be mass murders to do their deed, believing they wouldn't be caught? That should be a core issue - if access to firearms really yields more murder and violence.

I am trying to look at the situation from both sides but I don't agree with one side of it. And yes I do agree that if guns were banned it would lead to people being provoked to retaliate, not necessarily with murder but other things too. I'm sure it would be a core issue but I'm also sure a nation/government with centuries of civilization behind it can figure out how to combat an issue with a reasonable outcome. I mean is America so effed up to the point where if you banned an inanimate object then everyone would just kill each other?


If you read what I said earlier, there is a formula to solve the problems that America has. We have many areas that are incredibly low on crime, and is easily around very good European standards.

Do you know what the lowest crime states in the US all have in common?

Graduation rates.

The top 3 states in the US for murders and crime are the top 3 states in regards to graduation rates. Fleshing the rest of the top 10, its almost an identical match. As I said elsewhere, murders in America drop 50% among whites and 90% among blacks when they finish just 1 year of college education (after 1 year, there is almost no difference, regardless of race).

So what'd the effect be if every state had a ~90% graduation rate? Crime would likely drop by 50% nationwide, and we'd be lower than the UK in terms of crime.

America is violent because America is stupid. When you have a lot of people that can't get a good job and provide for their family, they turn to violence and crime. Was that the case with Mr. Lanza? Probably not. But it is the case for the vast majority of crimes. Even then, Mr. Lanza (as well as any mass shooter) is usually marginalized in society, which makes little difference between them and those that don't graduate and turn to crime.



Back from the dead, I'm afraid.