Reply #3: Another lame attempt to apply a dubious proxy measure to prove causation from correlation

[slackmaster]

Maybe people whose life situations make them more likely to become crime victims are more likely to carry guns for protection.

Nobody has ever claimed that a gun guarantees safety. The best way to stay safe is always to stay away from trouble.

The Astute Reader(TM) will note that the following two statements actually mean very different things:

"Carrying a gun increases risk of getting shot and killed"

"People who carry guns are far likelier to get shot – and killed – than those who are unarmed"

The first implies causation. The second does not.