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Culture War Roundup for the week of May 8, 2023

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Results from the NCVS find that guns are used by victims in less than 1% of crimes in which there is personal contact between the perpetrator and victim, and about 1% in cases of robbery and (non-sexual) assault. There were no reported cases of self-defense gun use in the more than 300 cases of sexual

...Is this not straightforward survivorship bias? A woman who presents a firearm to a would-be rapist very likely doesn't have an actual crime to report. Likewise for a host of other crimes, from muggings to assaults to murder.

More generally, every crime successfully completed is an instance where lawful self-defense would deliver a likely-superior outcome. If self-defense rates are really this low, why aren't we trying to improve them?

woman who presents a firearm to a would-be rapist very likely doesn't have an actual crime to report. Likewise for a host of other crimes, from muggings to assaults to murder.

Presumably they have an attempted rape/mugging/etc. to report to the survey?

More generally, every crime successfully completed is an instance where lawful self-defense would deliver a likely-superior outcome

Is it? Maybe I'm just too soy but if an armed mugger demanded my wallet etc. I'd rather give in than take my chances trying to defend myself, a lot of tail risk involved there, not to say that people shouldn't defend themselves though.

If self-defense rates are really this low, why aren't we trying to improve them?

Well I guess we can but the point is that increasing gun usage doesn't seem like it would actually achieve that goal.