What can we do to make Americans safer?

[MicroBalrog]

It seems to me that the obvious answer has been missed:

Violence rate are falling because America is doing it fairly right.

Somewhere in the 1980's someone figured out the answer:

Most heinous crimes - by no means all, but most - are not committed by regular people. They're committed by scumbags. And most of the time you can identify the scumbags early on when they commit 'lesser' crimes. Punish them for the 'lesser' crimes, lock them away. Establish restrictions on their movements when they come back out of prison.

The bans on felons possessing firearms, for example, for all the moral and Constitutional criticism, serve this purpose: establish any excuse possible to return the scumbags to prison. Because whatever the argument about deterrence, here's what we do know: If Joe the Convenience Store Robber is given another ten-year prison term, that's ten years he won't be robbing any convenience stores.

Somewhere in the 1980's someone figured out the answer:

Arm the good guys. Make Joe the Convenience Store Robber switch to, say, stealing cars. Still annoying and bad for society, but at least nobody gets shot. I hardly need to explain to this crowd why this is good.

Somewhere in the 1980's someone figured out the answer:

Hire more cops. When Joe the Convenience Store Robber is statistically more likely to get caught, he's less likely to do it.

We know the solutions to the main issues of life. They're not new. Our ancestors knew them in a rough form, and we are now only elaborating on them in a more scientific manner:

1. Bad people do bad things. Isolate bad people from society and they will not be able to do the bad things to us.
2. Bad people are afraid of the police. Police catch them. Hire police.
3. Bad people are not the same as good people. Arm the good people. Bad people get shot or scared.

These things were known to people in 15th century Italy and 10th century France. Today, we can elaborate on them in criminology institutes, but in grand detail, crime and violence are a solved problem.

[Tallpine]

I'll take #3

Ammo is cheaper than police and prisons.

 

[Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas]

Music does influence culture.

I demand to know how this influenced culture. 

[Regolith]

I demand to know how this influenced culture. 

Well, it did result in a more-annoying-than-usual episode of Family Guy.  Which might have caused somewhere to do....something. Possibly even violent. To their TV, anyway.

[TommyGunn]

I demand to know how this influenced culture. 

Well, it did result in a more-annoying-than-usual episode of Family Guy.  Which might have caused somewhere to do....something. Possibly even violent. To their TV, anyway.

That was an evil thing to do ... reminding me of that episode ...

[Nick1911]

Micro;

Usually you and I see eye to eye.  But, I'm having a real hard time following you on this.

See, even the "good" people commit crimes with startling regularity.  Things like driving infractions, cheating on taxes (including not reporting internet purchases on tax
forms, I bet every single member of this forum is guilty of that one.  Tax evasions is a felony, is it not?), software and media piracy, gambling, smoking marijuana, etc.

Thing is, I don't really believe in this line between good people and bad people.  The only difference between me and some guy in jail for one of a huge number of things is that he got caught.

[MicroBalrog]

Here's what I mean.

I mean we do not need to contrive some magical new social solution to violent crime.

Violent crime is a solved problem.

Regular Joe is cosmically unlikely to flip out and beat me to death with a brick.  Gang-banger Joe with the previous violence convictions is the one to be worried about.

[TommyGunn]

Micro;

Usually you and I see eye to eye.  But, I'm having a real hard time following you on this.

See, even the "good" people commit crimes with startling regularity.  Things like driving infractions, cheating on taxes (including not reporting internet purchases on tax
forms, I bet every single member of this forum is guilty of that one.  Tax evasions is a felony, is it not?), software and media piracy, gambling, smoking marijuana, etc.

Thing is, I don't really believe in this line between good people and bad people.  The only difference between me and some guy in jail for one of a huge number of things is that he got caught.

Your argument tends to conflate criminals with non criminals.
You might start by recognizing the difference between "malum in se" laws and "malum prohibitum" type laws.
Yes, we all "cheat" on laws to an extent.  This morning I did a "rolling stop" at an intersection instead of a full stop.  Technically I am a criminal.  
However, I am not a murderer, rapist, thief, pillager, or anything that could be defined under "malum in se."
There certainly IS a difference between "good" people and "bad" people.  Unless you think the scuzz who, just ten minutes ago, raped and slaughtered your wife stands on par with Mother Theresa, if only, maybe, because "he hasn't been caught yet.
Yes, tax evasions are felonies ... or atleast serious crimes.  Do I support tax evaders?  No.  OTOH I don't get as "offended" at them as I do murderers, mainly because (A.) murder actually deprives someone of the most important thing they have; their life, and (B.) [and I admit I am being a bit jaded or cynical here] because tax laws are made by a group of some of the most corrupt jackwagons on the face of this planet, in order to "spread wealth around" and get votes.  These people (and you know who I mean) will whine to the cows come home about the "rich paying their 'fair share,'" when they already pay much of the tax burden and the lower half of income earners pay little to no tax.  They have a misbegotten concept of how to improve the economy (really think things are getting better??) and stuff laws down our throats so we can "find out what's in them" (re: Nancy Pelosi and the mammoth health care bill).  Now this doesn't justify us breaking any law.... but when I hear about some sorry shlum getting pinched because he didn't pay a $15,000 tax bill, I don't get all "offended" I just think that was a sorry -- assed mistake, he should have simply paid it, written off the $$$$ and gotten on with his life.  A serial murderer, OTOH, does fry my sensibilities.  
SOME crimes really DO make you a bad  person ---- even an EVIL person.  The rapist, the murderer.  Those ARE evil people.  There's just no conflating those people with tax cheats IMHO.
The guy who doesn't pay taxes on an internet purchase?  Technically he's a criminal, but that is malum prohibitum.  
Can the government get all wound up about it?   With so many doing it, I'd like to see how they could either enforce it, or imprison everyone who does it.  Again, like the income tax, this is a way for kongress to express its control over the people.  It's a "sword of Damocles" over our heads....not being used right now .... but how about the future, when they might need to tighten the ''thumb-screws?"

[longeyes]

Violent crime is a solved problem.

More likely, big picture, it's just being transferred from the individual to the State.  Without the internal strictures of a proper moral foundation--which is anathema to the liberal mind--the answer to crime is the external suppression of a police state.

Slowly but surely everything we think, say, and do is being criminalized by those for whom power and control are the one true religion.