Does the right to bear arms increase or decrease crime rates?”
There is no real consensus on whether the right to bear arms increases or decreases the overall crime rate. Proponents of either side of the gun issue are very good at finding statistics to justify their pre-concieved notions. In truth, it really varies; gun ownership is one of many, many variables in overall crime rates. It is not nearly as important to an area’s crime rates as, for example, rates of drug abuse, economic conditions, or educational opportunities. Interestingly, Canada is a much better-armed country than the United States, but has a much lower crime rate. No one really thinks that this is due to the rate of gun ownership, but, instead, is caused by other cultural factors and differences. Lastly, although the rate of crime is not overly affected by the right to bear arms overall, certain types of crimes are more prevalent. With guns being more easily available, violent crimes with gun use are more common. A gun kept in an American household will most likely never be used
