On Jul 21, 12:06*pm, blake murphy > wrote:
> On Thu, 21 Jul 2011 10:00:58 -0400, George wrote:
> > On 7/20/2011 8:50 PM, Janet wrote:
> >> In article<be66d1df-6821-4f54-bf2d-
> >> >, says...
>
> >>> Going back to my cousin, who carried a gun all day long every work
> >>> day, while never having to shoot anyone: guns are deterrents. The
> >>> likelihood of citizens packing heat makes people think twice about
> >>> assaulting them.
>
> >> * *My cousin never carried a gun and has never been assaulted. By your
> >> logic this proves that criminals avoid assaulting unarmed people.
>
> >> * * Janet
>
> > No, his logic is that if riff-raff are aware that there is a possibility
> > that folks may be armed they will go off and do something else. So if
> > you are unarmed you benefit because of the probability that you could be.
>
> that must be why violent crime is rampant in the u.k. and practically
> unknown in well-armed regions of the u.s.
>

The rate of homicides committed by fists and feet in the US exceeds
the total rate for most industrialized countries. The US is an
exceptionally violent country.