4 ms·

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_intentional_homicide_rate https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_terr...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_intentional_homicide_rate https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_terr... California and Texas have similar homicide rates: 4.3 vs 4.9. Both numbers are low in the sense that homicide isn't something you should be afraid of in either state, unless you are in a specifically risky place or situation. And regarding your anecdotes, it's doubtful to me that a law would prevent many of those people from carrying a gun. Maybe some, but nothing that would show much signal in aggregate data.

oliwarner 5y ago
That's where the similarities end though. CA has a much poorer population at the bottom end, the price of living is 70% higher, multiple-point higher unemployment, less space, lower education outcomes, etc, etc, etc. CA's problems are not TX's problems.
- chmod600 5y ago
  The facts you posted are interesting; thank you. But I don't follow your point. Why would the parent "Get the F Out" of Texas if the murder rate is both low and comparable to the most obvious alternative?
  - oliwarner 5y ago
    Okay, maybe I didn't get your point. You introduced CA into this, but igetspam didn't say GTFOTX-and-go-to-CA. I see that you're using it because lots of people do look at the two states as two options for setting up shop. I guess I was really pointing out that parts of CA has much bigger problems that make it ill-advised to compare state-for-state. Maybe that's unfair but they're both pretty colossal states. And there are other options. Portland, Seattle, etc.
    - chmod600 5y ago
      I should have put it as "Texas is in the middle of the pack in the US". But there are at least a couple ways that could be challenged as well: (a) middle of a list of states is not the same as having equal populations above and below; (b) it raises the question of whether the U.S. murder rate is a reasonable benchmark. On HN, really anything is subject to some kind of challenge. I like comparing the two states because they are both big (and therefore not as subject to cherry-picking) and have fairly different governing philosophies. At the end of the day, you don't choose a state based on minimizing your chances of lightning strikes. You stop climbing trees in the middle of a thunderstorm and you forget about it. Maybe you'd choose specific cities or areas, but state is kind of ridiculous.

oliwarner 5y ago

That's where the similarities end though. CA has a much poorer population at the bottom end, the price of living is 70% higher, multiple-point higher unemployment, less space, lower education outcomes, etc, etc, etc. CA's problems are not TX's problems.

chmod600 5y ago
The facts you posted are interesting; thank you. But I don't follow your point. Why would the parent "Get the F Out" of Texas if the murder rate is both low and comparable to the most obvious alternative?
- oliwarner 5y ago
  Okay, maybe I didn't get your point. You introduced CA into this, but igetspam didn't say GTFOTX-and-go-to-CA. I see that you're using it because lots of people do look at the two states as two options for setting up shop. I guess I was really pointing out that parts of CA has much bigger problems that make it ill-advised to compare state-for-state. Maybe that's unfair but they're both pretty colossal states. And there are other options. Portland, Seattle, etc.
  - chmod600 5y ago
    I should have put it as "Texas is in the middle of the pack in the US". But there are at least a couple ways that could be challenged as well: (a) middle of a list of states is not the same as having equal populations above and below; (b) it raises the question of whether the U.S. murder rate is a reasonable benchmark. On HN, really anything is subject to some kind of challenge. I like comparing the two states because they are both big (and therefore not as subject to cherry-picking) and have fairly different governing philosophies. At the end of the day, you don't choose a state based on minimizing your chances of lightning strikes. You stop climbing trees in the middle of a thunderstorm and you forget about it. Maybe you'd choose specific cities or areas, but state is kind of ridiculous.