: Don: Not necessarly. In a society where people rarely engage in violence, guns are probably irrelevent to the violent crime rate. Bingo!
:If the violent crime rate is high, however, private arms can reduce it, at least that is the suggestion of studies like that done by John Lott.
So, its a sollution that at best tackles symptoms rather than causes.
: Don: I think violent crime rates are more due to culture than to economics. The US violent crime rate was higher in the affluent 20's and 60's than in the 30's.
Culture is very closely linked to economics (especially crime culture)- poor people are much more likely to perpetrate crimes, and also to be the victims of crimes. Culture is the means through which economics translates into crime.
As for Crime rates- the 60's saw a lot of rioting, and the 20's had prohibition, both factors which may accentuate the crime stats. But also, affluence is uneven, so when the rich are getting richer, the poor get more millitant.
