Madness

[ColinEssex]

In America there are on average 82 people killed every day by the gun. That's a Jumbo jet full every 4 days or so.

If a Jumbo jet crashed every 4 days in the USA, what would the US aviation authority do? Continue to allow Jumbo's to fly or not?

Every 42 days there are the same number of people killed by the gun that were killed in the twin towers falling over. See what a fuss the USA made about that.

Yet nothing is done to control the murder of all these people - that's the joy of living in the USA? So people like Kenny can wander round like a modern day Wyatt Earp?

Just what is the attraction? I can't see it.

Col

 

[Rich]

Just what is the attraction?

Col

Tourism ?

 

[David Eagar]

To quote Prof H.G.Nelson (the world's greatest social commentator)
"Guns should not only be every American's right to carry, it should be MANDATORY!"

 

[georgedwilkinson]

Even in the US the right to own and drive a car is regulated, owning a gun has nothing like the same control, there's no comparison between the two, you're just clutching a straws

Owning a gun in America is much more difficult than owning a car. The regulations vary (as do the regulations for car ownership), but it can be difficult to buy a gun here. Not so with buying a car.

There is no similarity between the two except both are dangerous to the owner and the public and that danger is partially relieved through education, training, and practice. A bad person can turn either into a weapon (indeed, can turn anything into a weapon) to kill or harm people.

I don't own a gun (don't want one). I own 2 cars and will probably own many more over the years.

 

[georgedwilkinson]

To quote Prof H.G.Nelson (the world's greatest social commentator)
"Guns should not only be every American's right to carry, it should be MANDATORY!"

I would consider that a breach of my rights. I don't want one and don't want to be near anybody who has one, though I fully support their right to own one (far away from me).

 

[Rich]

I would consider that a breach of my rights. I don't want one and don't want to be near anybody who has one, though I fully support their right to own one (far away from me).

Well gee that's odd because those who own and use a gun in Iraq are called terrorists by your government

 

[ColinEssex]

Owning a gun in America is much more difficult than owning a car.

Owning a gun seems easy in America, there is one poster here who keeps it on top the wardrobe - how difficult is that?
Also, I heard you can buy them over the counter in Wal-Mart by merely proving your age - how difficult is that?

So buying one and owning one are hardly challenging. I think it's great when Americans here say they are deeply religious yet also own weaponry capable of blowing a mans brains out. Doesn't quite sit right to me.

Is there anybody who is brave enough on these forums to admit they have shot someone? (like an intruder?) Most won't even admit they have a gun - they make out it's horrible. . . . . . . yeah right.

I know Ken has a super-adrenalin rush when he blasts an innocent deer - the thought of watching it die in agony must be a dream, then I guess strap it to the bonnet (hood) of the car and parade it home - it's like a sacrificial ritual.

Col

 

[georgedwilkinson]

Well gee that's odd because those who own and use a gun in Iraq are called terrorists by your government

I'm sure there's a point in there somewhere.

I'm also not sure I agree with your premise (since I don't have the facts), though it's irrelevant and I don't really care (thus, I'm not gonna look it up).

 

[Rabbie]

It seems from the fact that the Supreme Court only ruled 5-4 on this that there is room for doubt if the constitution actually does mean that that citizens have the right to have arms in their own homes. The 2nd amendment makes clear that the right to bear arms is related to the need for a militia. There is nothing in the amendment that gives citizens the right to use arms. They merely have the right to keepthem and to bear them.

It seems as an outside observer that too many children are killed in accidents because the guns are not kept securely. Perhaps nowadays people should have to excercise a little common sense in where they store their weapons.

 

[Rabbie]

I know Ken has a super-adrenalin rush when he blasts an innocent deer - the thought of watching it die in agony must be a dream, then I guess strap it to the bonnet (hood) of the car and parade it home - it's like a sacrificial ritual.

Col

Do we actually know that Ken is a bad shot. Perhaps he kills each deer with a clean shot resulting in an instantaneous death. I feel we shouldn't criticise fellow forum members without knowing the full facts.

 

[statsman]

How many driving related deaths will it take before you sell your car and walk to work?

The primary function of an automobile is to get you from point A to point B.

The primary function of a handgun is to kill people. So called recreational target shooters are only honing their skills for that glorious day when a burglar breaks in and they can blow him away. Pity it turned out to be your teenaged child who stayed out past his curfew. But then that's a small price to pay for the right to bear arms.

As stated earlier, guns are part of the American culture. How we stop this is a difficult question. So many criminals have guns, the general public feels they must be armed for their own protection. Perhaps a federal law that required a mandatory 20 year sentence (in addition to what you got in state court) for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony would be a start.

 

[KenHigg]

The primary function of an automobile is to get you from point A to point B.

The primary function of a handgun is to kill people. So called recreational target shooters are only honing their skills for that glorious day when a burglar breaks in and they can blow him away. Pity it turned out to be your teenaged child who stayed out past his curfew. But then that's a small price to pay for the right to bear arms.

As stated earlier, guns are part of the American culture. How we stop this is a difficult question. So many criminals have guns, the general public feels they must be armed for their own protection. Perhaps a federal law that required a mandatory 20 year sentence (in addition to what you got in state court) for the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony would be a start.

a. 'The primary function of a handgun is to kill people.' - Maybe in Canada - ?

b. 'How we stop this is a difficult question.' - We? I thought you lived in Canada?

 

[dan-cat]

Taking away guns does nothing to address the underlying problem, i.e. people that kill with them. That being we are not teaching our children how to be responsible with whatever we have access to. We wake up one morning watch the news and someone gets injured with fireworks, so we say lets make a rule to ban fireworks. The next morning we see where someone gets injured with a gun, so we make a rule to ban guns. I knew a boy scout leader that actually banned his kids from playing with sticks because one of his boys got an eye injury from playing with them. Soon we are living with blanket rules that give no consideration to a person’s competency. My daughter thought when she turned 16 she was going to jump in a car and buzz down the road just because that was the law. Think again. So now with all these rules nobody has to attempt to be a competent, thinking, hard working individual, just go by the rules. Eventually the rules will have us all participating in life on the level of the least competent person(s) in the group, we'll all be restricted by the abilities of the lowest common denominator.

But what happens when some-one has been deprived of such an ideal upbringing and guns are still freely available?

Gun availability <> good upbringing.

 

[KenHigg]

But what happens when some-one has been deprived of such an ideal upbringing and guns are still freely available?

Gun availability <> good upbringing.

I guess you're correct. If most people are going to raise screw-offs then we should ban guns.

 

[Rich]

I'm sure there's a point in there somewhere.

Why am I not surprised that you can't see it

 

[Rich]

I guess you're correct. If most people are going to raise screw-offs then we should ban guns.

Isn't it odd that if Americans kill Americans they simply hide behind the constitution yet if anyone else does it and in a foreign country they are just terrorists

 

[georgedwilkinson]

Why am I not surprised that you can't see it

Oh, I saw what you think the point was. I'm just not sure why you think I (or anyone else) think it's relevant to whether I support another American's right to own a gun in America, not that it really matters that much.

 

[ColinEssex]

This is a pointless discussion. Americans (but not all) will continue to carry guns until the cows come home, it will never change.

They will happily kill anything that moves and call it recreational sport or even worse killing for food like some barbaric stoneage thug.

It seems supermarkets don't exist in the southern states, which is why they resort to this barbaric killing method purely to satisfy their bloodlust. Then they've got the cheek to go to church on sunday and pretend to be religious and an upstanding christian.

That's Yanks (and Confederates) for you.

Col

 

[ColinEssex]

I feel we shouldn't criticise fellow forum members without knowing the full facts.

Rich and I get criticised. It's usually an American misinterpreting or not understanding, so they lash out in the only way they have been brought up - they say we're anti-American etc etc etc.

Fortunately I think this is still a UK site - I was told recently if it was American I would have been banned ages ago.
That's American democracy for you. If you disagree with what Americans say, they'll wipe you out so the problem is eliminated. That's how the CIA work I understand.

Col

 

[statsman]

a. 'The primary function of a handgun is to kill people.' - Maybe in Canada - ?

OK, other than for ballast, what other use does a hand gun have? Please avoid the yawner about target shooters. There are a minimal number of actual target shooters in the US. You can tell who they are because they keep their pistols locked up at the range.