Social Capital accounts for 82% of variation in homicide

[gejohnston]

4. I disagree with him one one thing

Kawachi points out that it is impossible to prove whether one factor caused the other, but the most reasonable interpretation is that people who don’t trust their neighbors are more likely to think guns will provide security. In this way the number of guns and the number of homicides both stem from the same root, suggesting that guns don’t cause murders anymore than cars cause fatal accidents.

Most Americans buy guns for the same reasons most Canadians and Norwegians do, target shooting and hunting. Also, if you look at percentage of households with guns, we are slightly behind Finland and not that different than Canada and Norway. Where the large number per person comes in is simply, we have too much shit. It applies to TVs, floor space in McMansions, as it does guns. The thinking is the same.
I grew up where everyone had guns, and left the doors unlocked. Guns were unloaded and properly stored.

Another point he misses is that the vast majority of our murders are gang related. People with criminal records killing other people with criminal records. Most of these are concentrated in a few areas in a few cities. That is why Minnesota has the same if not slightly lower murder rate than Manitoba and El Paso has murder rate that is half to Vancouver's.