Quote:
Originally Posted by joe bloe
There would be far less crime if concealed carry was more common. If a thug has a reasonable expectation of getting shot, he's less likely to commit the crime. I think that's what's called common sense.
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Sounds like common sense but doesn't hold up when you look at statistics. I looked at a very reliable source of information concerning violent crime in the U.S. and states over time and matched that to the ease of obtaining a CHL.
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime
Violent crime rate from 2000 - 2011 in the U.S. per 100,000 people decreased
24% over that time period. I chose states which differed regarding concealed carry laws, and here are how much the violent crime rate went down in each state:
Arizona No laws restricting concealed carry -24%
Vermont No laws restricting concealed carry
+20%
Wyoming No laws restricting concealed carry -18%
Texas Requires a CHL - Easy to obtain -25%
Loisiana Requres a CHL - Easy to obtain -19%
Ohio Requires a CHL - Easy to obtain -8%
N.Y. Requires a CHL - Harder to obtain -28%
N.J Requires a CHL - Harder to obtain -20%
Cal. Requires a CHL - Harder to obtain -34%
Illinois No CHLs allowed -35%
So, at least regarding this one website, there is absolutely
NOTHING to indicate that allowing legally concealed handguns lowers the incident of violent crime. What I particularly found interesting was that in Illinois, one of the few states not allowing CHLs, the violent crime rate showed one of the highest decreases.
Feel free to cite other reliable sources of data to back up your "common sense" hypothesis.