Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics

Are Concealed Pistol owners safer than the general populace? I did the checking for my own state. These numbers are available for verification from my home state of Michigan in an annual report by the Michigan State Police http://michigan.gov/msp/0,1607,7-123-1591_3503_4654-77621--,00.html

Please feel free to double check my numbers.

The dates run from July 1 of the previous year to June 30 of the year noted.

2002:
Permits Issued: 53,000
Permits Revoked: 55
2003:
Permits Issued: 27,499
Permits Revoked: 52
2004:
Permits Issued: 31,121
Permits Revoked: 119
2005:
Permits Issued: 54,677
Permits Revoked: 121
2006:
Permits Issued: 36,754
Permits Revoked: 108

Total:
Issued 203,051
Revoked 455
Murders/Homicide during this time by CPL holders: 4

This means that 1/5 of one percent have their CPL revoked (0.22%).
They have a murder rate of 1.97/100,000 population.
The national average is 5.6/100,000 population and the Michigan average of 6.4/100,000.

Michigan CPL holders are 2.8 times less likely to commit murder/homicide than the national average and 3.2 times less likely to commit murder/homicide than the Michigan average. 0.22% have their license revoked showing that they follow the rules and laws set out for them.

Where is the evil that these guns and licenses are to provoke? Where is the blood in the streets? With 203,051 licensed civilians carrying firearms, why aren't we having old west shootouts in the streets every day?

Perhaps, just perhaps, the training, background check, and education the CPL holders have to experience means that it is most good, upstanding citizens that have these licenses. Perhaps, just perhaps, it is the character of the individual and not the presence of a weapon that decide if a crime will occur
.