Nice job not answering the question. If you're being raped or mugged, would you rather A) wait until it's over to call the police who may or may not do anything or B) defend yourself with a gun before you are raped or mugged? There is a third answer C) have physical/martial training to fight your way out of it, but never bring a fist to a gun or knife fight.
A gun is not a "solution to crime" as you said. In the hands of a potential victim, it is a "preventative from the crime ever happening".
I can see why anti-rape self-defense is a popular rhetoric as gun ownership has indeed prevented crimes, and not being raped is a very good thing. Unfortunately, it's also used often as an emotional sales tactic, causing people who shouldn't be in possession of a gun to be in possession of one, resulting in unnecessary injury and death.
Coupled with the fact that even if you arm every single person capable with a gun, there's still going to be crime, you have to consider a balance. Some countries are doing very well without them.
causing people who shouldn't be in possession of a gun to be in possession of one, resulting in unnecessary injury and death.
Figures on injuries are iffy in the US, for example the degree involved, but death is binary and since 1980 accidental deaths from firearms have gone from 800 to 500 a year, at the same time both the number of people in the US have increased by 50% and percentage armed have increased by even more. The latter probably due to the nationwide sweep of "shall issue" or better concealed carry regimes in states, now covering 42 states and ~75% of the nation's people.
One of the reasons this is a red hot issue it that it's the only failure of the Left's in its culture war on the Right, and it's a very big failure.
I leave thousands of dollars of firearms out on a bench feet behind me at the shooting range every time I go. So do countless other shooters. I've never personally witnessed a crime at a shooting range or even read of one. Why do you think that is if not for the 100% guarantee that everyone is armed at the range?
Meanwhile a local elementary school is shot up… or a cinema… or a place of worship… or a high school… or another high school… or a concert…
If only those toddlers had firearms. Or those concert goers who were fired upon from 100s of yards away from an elevated position.
These things ONLY happen where guns are not controlled properly. Surely even if you believe in your 2nd amendment rights, you can see that there is a heavy price to pay to have that right. Pretending there isn’t is denying reality. Also pretending that right would stand a chance against the US military moving against the government or people is laughable. But logic is out the window on this topic… no one is going to change anyone’s mind here.
A gun is not a "solution to crime" as you said. In the hands of a potential victim, it is a "preventative from the crime ever happening".