ratbastid

... divided by the number of people who went to malls over the last four years = your odds of being involved in anything like this are Damn Near Zero.

This is my point. Scary stories like this make people feel unsafe, which makes people carry guns. (Which, be clear, I'm NOT saying is a bad thing. This is NOT, Crompsin, yet another here-we-go-again anti-gun rant. Really.) I just think that a rational view of the actual crime statistics would have people feel much more confident, in general.

Here's a great example: New York City. What do you think when I say that, in this context. Crime, right? Muggings, rape, etc. Law and Order episodes come to mind, all of that. Well, guess what? NYC was the city with the 614th highest crime rate in the country in 2007 (the latest year I could find). Top 500 US cities ranked by overall crime rate? NYC's not on the list. For that matter, in the first quarter of 2009, the crime rate there has dropped by nearly 14%. "Should" you still carry there? Maybe. I'm not telling you not to. But if your head is full of "Walking in NYC = being constantly at risk", then... I just don't want to have to be you, is all.