Does Carrying A Pistol Make You Safer?

npr.org ^ | April 12, 2016 | John Burnett

[RC one]

[jagusafr]

But he article was surprisingly well balanced, a shock for NPR.

[Darteaus94025]

Fact 1: “...o many Americans are choosing to arm themselves...”

Fact 2: “...violent crime and property crime have been falling dramatically...”

NPR: “Puzzled”

...and always will be. When the world does not conform to Lieberal dogma, the world must be wrong.

[V_TWIN]

LOL

[CrazyIvan]

“It’s only puzzling if you are looking at the causality backwards.”

Saw the same thing in an Illinois paper. We’ve had CCW here for about two years.

“Even tho crime is down in Illinois more people applying for concealed carry permits”

Face palm.

[Resolute Conservative]

It makes me feel better. Constitutionality aside, the left is all about feelings, so hence if I feel better then it is good, just like queers feel good to be queer and that is applauded.

The difference is queers are not a threat to the powers to be and they want me unarmed.

[1Old Pro]

It's puzzling that so many Americans are choosing to arm themselves at a time when the FBI tells us violent crime and property crime have been falling dramatically for two decades.

People arming themselves has been rising dramatically for two decades. 2+2=4

[Blood of Tyrants]

Maybe he meant they get to soot every gun they see.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Maybe he meant they get to shoot every gun they see.

[Stentor]

Over a million Pennsylvanians say yes.

[Billthedrill]

People are arming themselves and crime is going down. Why, it just doesn't make sense!

So to my surprise the article actually tried to get an honest answer, and kudos to the author for that. And while I agree that most people who carry could use more training - myself included, and I've had a lot - the bottom line is that yes, there is a finite advantage to carry in terms of self-protection and that people who do are aware of the inconveniences and willing to accept them for that advantage. It isn't anything we haven't discussed at length on FR but this is a pleasant surprise from NPR.

[Envisioning]

Carrying a pistol makes those who would victimize me less safe.

Exactly....

[PROCON]

I too was pleasantly surprised by their fairness of reporting.

[Billthedrill]

...and I apologize for reading the article before commenting. Won’t happen again. :-(

[ThunderSleeps]

Depends on what exactly you mean by "safer." One way of looking at it - no. Bad things could still happen to you. Someone could decided to rob you, car-jack you, pull a home invasion... Being armed doesn't prevent that (thinking concealed carry here, not open carry). So in that light, no, being armed doesn't make you any safer.

However, *if* something does "go down" being armed gives you options for dealing with it. That definitely does make you safer in that you don't necessarily have to be at the mercy of a criminal.

[Dubh_Ghlase]

It would, except I lost mine in that tragic boating accident...darn it all!

[Stevenc131]

“It’s puzzling that so many Americans are choosing to arm themselves at a time when the FBI tells us violent crime and property crime have been falling dramatically for two decades.”

None so blind as those that will not see. I remember one story that said it was puzzling as to why there had been an increase in the prison population while the crime rate was falling.

[PATRIOT1876]

* It's puzzling that so many Americans are choosing to arm themselves at a time when the FBI tells us violent crime and property crime have been falling dramatically for two decades. *

Puzzling to a dullard at NPR perhaps.

The low crime is a result of Americans are choosing to arm themselves.

I bet the people at NPR were TERRIBLE at connect-the-dots when they were kids...

[b4its2late]

Mine’s headed in that direction....

[PATRIOT1876]

Next up from the geniuses at NPR:

“Would more Jews have survived in Germany from 1930’s and 40’s if they were armed?”

And if they do write this, they will either not have a clue or the article would be filled with Socialist lies.