We’re relieved the Maine Legislature now seems likely to table a bill that would allow people to carry guns into the State House.

The arrest last week of a gun-wielding legislator at a Waterville doughnut shop may have brought a few legislators to their senses.

“Hey,” they probably thought, “he could have been waving that thing at us!”

A legislative committee will, instead, take time to study the larger issue of State House security, including the use of metal detectors, which have already been purchased but are not being used.

Maine, like many rural states, has a long history of private gun ownership. Thousands of Maine families own guns, collect guns and use them for hunting and target-shooting.

But saying there are certain places guns should not be carried — like schools, workplaces and the state Legislature — makes sense.

We have taken particular issue with one narrow argument that seems to have gained popularity in recent years: that we are all in such danger we will be more safe if more people carry guns.

Statistics show this is just plain false, and we got more evidence of that last week.

First, as a nation, we are in the midst of a major crime “bust,” according to the latest federal crime statistics. The number of violent crimes in the U.S. dropped again last year and we are at the lowest rate in 40 years.

Your chances of being murdered or robbed in the U.S. are now less than half what they were 20 years ago.

What we are suffering from is an explosion of media and entertainment coverage of violent crime.

A segment of the TV show “Law & Order” can be found somewhere on the TV dial any time, night or day. And those shows are only rivaled in popularity by various versions of the “CSI” crime drama series.

Then there are the news shows that recreate and re-enact old crimes, some of which happened decades ago.

It’s no wonder Americans think everyday life is much more dangerous than it really is.

Together, they give us a sense of violent crime danger that, frankly, is just not realistic unless you happen to live in a low-income housing project in Chicago.

What’s more, in a safe country, Maine is about the safest place to be.

The violent crime rate in Maine in 2010 was one offense per 1,000 people. The national average was 4.3 per thousand.

And here’s the real clincher: Most violent crimes are not random. An overwhelming number are between people who know each other.

A Dover-Foxcroft man is accused of shooting his brother to death on May 1 in a dispute over an ATV.

That’s your typical violent crime in Maine — relatives, spouses, acquaintances, friends hurting one another. Stranger on stranger violent crime — the type for which one might justify carrying a gun — is nearly nonexistent here.

We argue that people should concentrate on real threats rather than illusory ones.

Want to stay alive?

Wear a seat belt. Stop smoking. Drink in moderation. Eat your vegetables. Develop a positive outlook.

No, none of those measures are as dramatic as “packing heat,” but they are far more likely to keep you and your family safe and healthy.

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The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and editorial board.