I wonder if the reasons for some of those statistics might be because it might be harder for someone who shouldn't have a gun to acquire one, instead of being because other people with guns defend against the 'bad guys' with guns. That is to say, the presence of a legal method to acquire guns diminishes the black market in an area, and so long as the screening methods catch at least some (not all, sadly/obviously, but some) of the people who shouldn't have guns, then it would be more difficult (though not impossible) for those people to get guns anyway, as there would be less black market demand for them.
Also, could some of it possibly be psychological? I'm just speculating here, but if someone owns an illegal gun, then they are already breaking the law, and it might be easier to make a mental leap to doing other illegal things, but if the gun was legally acquired, that boost wouldn't be there.
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Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber." --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.
Also, could some of it possibly be psychological? I'm just speculating here, but if someone owns an illegal gun, then they are already breaking the law, and it might be easier to make a mental leap to doing other illegal things, but if the gun was legally acquired, that boost wouldn't be there.
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Stand between the Silver Crystal and the Golden Sea.
"Youngsters these days just have no appreciation for the magnificence of the legendary cucumber." --Krityan Elder, Tales of Vesperia.