We're often told that the lack of gun control in the United States is why our violent crime rates are so high. Anti-gun voices tend to compare those rates to Europe as if that comparison is the least bit relevant.
As we've noted repeatedly, if you look at our non-gun homicide rate, we still have a higher homicide rate than those same nations' total homicide rates.
And that matters.
Plus, they're often cherry-picking countries to compare us to. Take South Africa, for example. While it's a developing nation versus a developed nation, they also have pretty extensive gun control laws--the thing we're told we need to have in order to suddenly become safe. How well have those gun control laws worked?
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world, eclipsed only by Honduras and a handful of Caribbean island states. Furthermore, South African police crime data shows that South Africans experience above average levels of robbery, assault and rape.
The 2022/23 Victims of Crime survey, which surveyed a representative sample of 42,746 South Africans, showed that the population had been feeling acutely unsafe. Only 37% indicated that they felt safe at night in their communities. Public trust in the police has also fallen, declining from 38% in 2015 to 27% in 2021.
Illegal guns play a significant role in the high levels of violent crime in the country.
I seriously considered running that first paragraphy with South Africa's name removed and the United States' name put in place instead just to make a point. Anti-gunners would have agreed with the modified verison without even a thought given to how it sounded a bit extreme.
Regardless, we can see that their own version of anti-gunner is ready to blame guns rather than violent criminals.
Let's remember, though, that you can't get a gun without a license in South Africa. You also have a maximum number of four guns and 200 rounds of ammo unless you're part of a registered gun club.
Oh, and you need a permit just to possess ammunition.
Despite all of this, South Africa remains a violent, dangerous place.
"Well, yeah. It's Africa."
Yes, South Africa isn't exactly Canada or Japan when it comes to development status, but it is one of the most developed nations on the continent. It also has the highest violent crime rates in Africa.
See, this idea that gun control works is popular with some people, but it's a luxury belief. The attempt to compare the US to Europe with regard to violent crime rates is simply cherry-picking premised on the idea that Europe and the US are so closely akin as to be practically inseperable.
Yet Europe is a very different place, one that the elites in this country have long been fascinated by and desperate to get approval from. They're willing to ape anything that comes from there simply because it comes from there.
But South Africa has followed Europe in many ways regarding gun laws--though, to be fair, the restriction aren't nearly as bad in South Africa as in Europe--and what has it done for them? Nothing at all.
The luxury belief that the police can save the day, that you won't need to defend yourself is being pushed there just as here, despite all the evidence showing good and well that it's nonsense.
Gun control hasn't made the situation in South Africa better. It samn sure wouldn't improve things here, either.
Then again, those pushing for gun control are typically deluding themselves into thinking it can't happen to them, especially if we just pass a few more laws.
Of course, the moment those laws pass, there will be others. There will always be others, much like how anti-gunners in other nations keep pushing for more and more restrictions.
Funny, that.
