staga... actually I would say that rape and assault and burglary are a little more than "law obeying" in severity...   Americans probly still cheat on their taxes... jaywalk and speed in their cars as much as ever.  I heard that disregarding seatbelt laws is up...  
I would say that Americans do not obey laws but that they are less violent except for murder..  I would consider burglary, assault and rape and suicide to be indications of sick society much more than murder.   Murder involves so few people that it is hardly an indication of a society... Is 2 per hundred thousand all that much worse than 5 per hundred thousand?  
as for murder... the article states that it is up for a few months 2% after falling 5%... it is really a lowering of the rate.   
concealed carry laws seem to be making us a less violent society... an armed society is a polite society.
lazs