Quote Originally Posted by mcatdog
Quote Originally Posted by gabe
the fact that you think this is quantifiable shows how little you understand the issue
This, also, if it were quantifiable it wouldn't even matter because people have a right to self-defense. You don't lose that right just because some other assholes are irreponsible with it. That's the idea behind rights, trying to quantify a cost-benefit analysis is irrelevant. It's the same reason we don't let the police torture criminals, even if doing so would make them give up information that would save lives. The criminal has rights that take priority over the benefit to society that would come from torturing him.

In other words, even if it could be proven that gun control would save lives -- and I agree with you that it's impossible to prove -- I would still not support it.
from the robbers perspective it is a simple cost-benefit analysis. most of them probably arent aware of it, but in fact they are comparing their expected gain with the possible loss, which could be jail or, in this case, being shot to death. a robbers ev decreases immensly, once being killed becomes a real possibility.