In the frontiers, for sure, but even that was overstated for the sake of sensationalism. When everyone is carrying guns, and don't worry too much about being arrested for legitimate self-defense, bad guys tend to exercise a great deal of self-restraint.
I'm pretty GD sure the frontiers never held a candle to the slums of Philly, New York and Boston.
Travis
You have a point, but that would clear out pretty fast, I bet, if folks in those places could carry and weren't worried about the cops if they had to shoot someone in self defense. What we have is a system whereby the bad guys are made to feel safe from all but the police, and since the police cannot be everywhere, or even close to it, crime tends to run rampant in such places. The crooks rule the streets.
