Reply to Concealed Carry Reduces Crime

Alright, the last gun thread got shouted down, I can't let that go down like that. We're all adults here, we can discuss things in a mature, logical manner. This is a completely age-appropriate topic, we're talking about a exercising your natural, legal right to self-defense. Everyone likes the right to free speech, right? That's the first amendment, self-defense is the second. If all you can do is yell loudly, please stay away. Let's give this a shot again.

Thirty-nine states have passed shall-issue concealed carry permit laws, 3 do not require any permit to carry a gun. Every state has shown a decrease in crime rates after these right-to-carry laws became active. According to the FBI, states that do not allow concealed carry have a crime rate 11% higher than national averages. According to a study by the University of Chicago Law School, deaths and injuries from mass shootings dropped dramatically after carry laws were enacted. Average deaths dropped by 91% and injuries by 80%.
In Texas, a person with a concealed carry permit is 14 times less likely to commit a crime. In Florida, the percentage of gun crimes committed by permit holders is 0.02%. Washington, D.C.'s 1976 ban on the ownership of handguns (except those already registered in the District) was not linked to any reduction in gun crime. New York, despite it's ban on guns, has 20% of the country's armed robberies. It's a proven fact that an armed society is a polite society.

For you guys that aren't in the US, here's some facts and figures for you. Countries with the highest homicide rates have the strictest gun control laws. Australia and the UK, which have virtually banned guns, have the highest sexual assault, robbery and assault rates out of the top 17 industrialized countries. Violent crime rates are rising in both of those countries. In the UK, in the decade after banning handguns, criminal use of handguns has doubled. Criminals will always have guns, law-abiding citizens need ways to protect themselves. Because of the recent riots, sales of baseball bats in England have skyrocketed. Amazon showed sales increases of around 50,000% a couple days after the riots started. People are realizing that they are responsible for their own safety, not the government.

Carrying a gun is about taking responsibility for your safety into your own hands. Sure, you might have amazing hand-to-hand combat skills, but fists vs. crowbar is probably a rigged fight. For those of you who vehemently oppose carrying guns, what's your plan for defending yourself from a violent encounter? Give the attacker what they want and hope they don't hurt you? You have a 25% chance of being injured if you do nothing, 40% chance if you defend yourself with a knife, and a 6% chance if you pull a gun. Get yourself a gat.

Last story: Car thefts dropped after the introduction of Lojack. Criminals couldn't tell which cars had it, and which didn't. Because they didn't know, they couldn't count on getting away with the crime. The people who bought Lojack, in essence were protecting the people that didn't have it. It's the same thing with concealed carry. If criminals aren't sure if their victim is armed, they are less likely to attack them. This has been proven in a survey of convicted criminals. Concealed carry users provide a service to the rest of society by creating uncertainty in criminals.

I have references for all these stats if anyone really wants them. Let the debate begin!