Gun violence - the solution is following the research

Finished reading Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of America's Gun Violence by Jes Ludwig of the University of Chicago and I am once again awed by the power of good economic research. I may have had some biases before starting the book, but I had an open mind to learn about one of the worst problems in America. 

Ludwig also presents his case and evidence without any political bias. He wants to get to the heart of the issue, and, as with many economic problems, the obvious is not always right. Most of our views on many topics are, at best, only partially correct and do not serve as the only answer. Ludwig presents all sides of the argument about why there is gun violence and what possible solutions there are, but the main driver is behavioral economics. Gun violence is not about rationality but often irrational or, as Kahneman says, system 1 reactionary thinking. You put guns in the hands of people that have different reactions to situations not based on rational but on react, fight or flight thinking, and there will be a problem with tragic results. He makes a strong argument that many current models cannot explain why two neighborhoods that are adjacent and have similar demographics can have very different gun violence statistics. The only explanation is behavioral and social interaction between individuals. The poverty argument cannot explain gun violence - there are too many contradictory facts, and the idea of "bad people" does not explain the majority of violence, nor can using jails be the solution. 

For something inherently political, this book is well-written, thoughtful, and shows the power of good research that is able to separate common opinions from real facts.