Much of America's current crime is a direct result of prior racist mistreatment of black people. And, of course, America's government-run schools are a disaster. With so much crime, police are simply unable to protect all people at all times. If the government in Japan failed to supply clean drinking water, people would find their own water. In the United States, where the government cannot provide personal security, people provide their own.
Firearms are an option that many people choose for security.
On the whole, firearms in the hands of law-abiding people make America safer than it would otherwise be. According to criminologist Gary Kleck of Florida State University, Americans use firearms over two million times a year to defend themselves against criminal attack. About half of all American homes contain a gun, and the prevalence of guns in American households plays a major role in reducing burglary. An American burglar's chance of getting shot is about equal to his chance of getting caught and going to jail. In countries such as Great Britain, Canada, or Australia, where people are not allowed to own guns for protection, the burglary rate is much higher than in the United States.