Reply #34: This is confusing correlation with causation

[Taverner]

The hypothesis makes sense, but there is one reason that's not being talked about. People who buy guys do so for a reason. That reason could be anything from "protect my family" to "kill people who look at me funny." This shows then that those who own and carry guns, do it for reasons other than just looking cool. So someone might carry guns because they live in a bad neighborhood - which is the underlying cause of the danger. Some might carry guns because they like to shoot things - which might mean that they like to brandish weapons for intimidation.