If every law abiding citizen carried a gun or weapon, would we see less violence?

Question

The irony of a peaceful democracy is that it seems like it must be enforced by bloodshed. So if everyone was armed, would murder, terrorist, and school shootings stop or at least decrease?

Answer 1

Do you think the "wild west" was peaceful? That's what that idea sounds like to me. Kinda loony.

Answer 2

Yes, it has been proven in states that allow you to carry.

I do feel that if someone is to own a weapon, they should be trained in the handling and storing of such weapon.

Other then that lets arm America.

Answer 3

Of Course.

To many people think the West was wild, because of TV.

But there was hardly any crime in the old west at all.

Thats based on looking at Police and jail records from the time.

When almost every man, has a weapon, and in the case of the old west, was a veteran of the Civil War.

Not to many people were dumb enough to commit any crimes.

And has been pointed out above, crime dropped in every state that has passed a concealed carry law, while going up in those states that haven't.

Answer 4

The answer is 'YES'. People who commit crimes do so because they think they can get away with it and know that if they get caught, jail time is an opportunity to 'get clean', 'bulk up' and learn new criminal skills while serving as a 'Guest of the State'. Now, if every law abiding citizen carried a gun, the chances of getting shot and killed over pocket change goes through the roof! Let's see: get a job and work for a living or risk death? Even the dumbest of the dumb will choose the job. There will still be criminals, but they will be very bad and very few.....

Answer 5

Strong U.N. could cause some terrorism to decrease. Reason once effective U.N. could be place to go for people wronged else where in world. More citizens involved in respected well armed well trained U.N. might contribute creating even more.  Even with tasers used by police more deaths the result often used unecessarily.  Peacekeeper citizens could prevent war by just being Peacekeepers from U.N. To other violence say this only foolish people offer violence to others. More death extra guns result

Answer 6

No.  The crimes will continue, but if there is an armed citizenry the criminals will use greater force to overcome them resulting in greater bloodshed.

Answer 7

I like your idea, and I think it could work. I however believe in capital punishment. If "public hanging" was in existence, I think it  would decrease to. Don't give these criminals 3 meals a day, t.v. a gym to workout in, "hang them" from the public tree, and just maybe some of this violence would end

Answer 8

Yes.

Criminals are less apt to try to commit a crime against you if you can defend yourself. It really is that simple.

Answer 9

The murder rate in the "wild west" was lower than it is today.  

An armed society is a polite society.

Answer 10

Countries where people are not armed to the teeth do not exactly outdo the US in violent crime now do they?

Answer 11

I'm assuming there would likely be an age limit to prevent those who are too young from carrying firearms, otherwise school shootings would be likely to increase alarmingly.

I suspect there would be more murders initially, terrorist acts would be unaffected, and if teachers and other adults who work in schools were armed then junior high school students would have good reason to be fearful. Eventually, things would stabilize, but it would be hard to say at what cost. Am I to take it that possession of firearms would be mandatory? What would happen to someone who refused to own and/or carry a gun?

Whenever you have a situation where you have more guns, you will have more shooting; the big question is who would be doing the shooting and why?

Like prohibition of alcohol, I think what you are suggesting would be a bad social experiment, and one bound to fail.

Answer 12

Does go down as states Permit CCW, crime rates drop. But trained,licensed,law abiding citizens don't scare me.   Just criminals with them ! # 1 got it 1st

Answer 13

Try this perspective:

If you were a criminal and you knew one person had a weapon and could kill you... but another did not... which would you choose?

The statistics prove that criminals are a little more "selective" in their prey if they think they can and will fight back.