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Originally Posted by nezmot
Concealed carry might be a good way to reduce violent crime where guns have already saturated the populace - but in the UK, we are a long way from reaching this state of affairs. I might dig out the various crime figures to compare between one country and another, but of course there are many other factors that effect crime figures other than the availability of deadly weaponry, so I wonder how much it would actually prove.
Sorry for taking us off topic, but I just wanted to counter ziadel's suggestion that arming people is the answer.
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From what I've heard about the UK, fighting back leads courts to blame the victim. Concealed carry, even of knives or batons, would have little success. Deadly force is not viewed kindly by the legal system.
From what I've heard from dozens of Britons, the biggest problem is the public apathy toward fellow citizens. I've heard dozens of stories from people who had to stand alone against mobs of thugs while onlookers and passerby paid no attention. One man was attacked on a bus by three teen girls who spit on him, burned him with cigarettes and lighters, and threatened to stab him simply because he asked them to stop smoking. The rest of the passengers did nothing and ignored the confrontation. Many people who have been attacked said that they were afraid that they would be prosecuted for attacking minors, even in self-defense.
Draconian laws with few safeguards against abuse will do little to help. An attitude change is what needs to happen. I don't want to sound like I'm picking on another country's culture, but it sounds to me like the apathy and lack of concern for others is worse in the UK than in major US cities infamous for the same.