> If a given place has a higher level of homicide, doesn’t it logically follow that more people there resort to violence as a means to solve problems? Correlat

> If a given place has a higher level of homicide, doesn’t it logically follow that more people there resort to violence as a means to solve problems? Correlation is not causation, and definitely not logic. A high homicide rate is not indicative of a trend in problem solving, it is indicative of a safety issue. Specially, a high homicide rate is often the result of warfare. In the absence of conflict with a different nation, usually this means gang warfare. In that case, homicide is sometimes a business tactic, and sometimes tribal. In some societies, human life isn't as valuable, or there is a precedent for settling disputes with violence, or insignificant problems are dealt with harshly, and so homicide sometimes is a problem solving tool. But it's also sometimes a cultural quirk. My example is Baltimore, Maryland. Often the city with the highest murder rate, this is a result of gang disputes and the drug trade. The people are friendly and neighborly, and it's got a similar culture to a liberal Southern city.