Shootings in US schools

[KenHigg]

Your media certainly plays a part. The notion, from the answers I received elsewhere, that turnaround in obtaining a gun can be as little as an hour gives it that feel that you can almost walk in off the street and buy one.

Then kids go to school with them, or the fear is there at least, hence the detectors. And you can carry them in cars, I believe. My friend just came back from seven months driving across the US; I'll ask him for more information.

OK... I'll give you that - Our media stinks, it's not perfect, far from it. But doesn't all of our media leave a lot to be desired? And I applaud you for intending to ask what your friend experiences first hand in the US instead of basing your opinion of us from what you see in the media. But even that shouldn't be taken as a blanket 'Here's how things are in the US'. Heck, I live here and don't feel like I can speak to the attitudes and feelings of people on the west coast, up north, etc. How can someone making a one time trip through here have an accurate pulse on the issues...

(Sorry, I gigged you on the 'frickin' thing... I suppose I was a bit over reactive... )

 

[KenHigg]

The butcher doesn't have to stalk the cow to start with

Ask the cow if he feels like he's being stalked

 

[Rich]

. I suppose I was a bit over reactive... )

That's to be expected, after all you're American

 

[KenHigg]

I laid that one out for you Kenneth, and you followed it like a lamb to slaughter

Glad I haven't lost the knack - I was beginning to think you had me sussed for a while.

Col

Yeah, you are the witty one today aren't you
(You keep on believing that Col ol' boy, we'll keep humoring you as your dotage sets in...)

 

[ColinEssex]

Yeah, you are the witty one today aren't you
(You keep on believing that Col ol' boy, we'll keep humoring you as your dotage sets in...)

I think its set in already, it is my birthday week remember

Col

 

[KenHigg]

I think its set in already, it is my birthday week remember

Col

Oh yeah sorry to remind you...

BTW, How's the garden?

 

[ColinEssex]

Whilst I sometimes question the motivation of some individual hunters, If you eat meat you cannot complain about a deer being shot. especially when compared to you roast chicken, and the life it has had...

I don't strap a leg of pork to the bonnet of my car and proudly drive round the streets with it, showing it off as a trophy.

Col

 

[ColinEssex]

BTW, How's the garden?

A bit untidy I'm afraid. Now that autumn is here there's alot of cutting back and tidying and sweeping to do. Oddly though, as we've had such mild weather, we have some lovely roses just coming out in bud.

I'm leaving shortly (time owed to me) and I'll have a bash at it this afternoon.


Col

 

[Rich]

I'm leaving shortly (time owed to me) and I'll have a bash at it this afternoon.


Col

Don't bother, it's raining

 

[ColinEssex]

Don't bother, it's raining

not here

Col

 

[msp]

I don't strap a leg of pork to the bonnet of my car and proudly drive round the streets with it, showing it off as a trophy.

Col

I have a friend who shoots in the UK, he gets the odd deer, (They need to cull a few now and again). He uses the meat, now and again I get a bit. He does not run around with it as a trophy. There is not even a stag head in his house!!!! I see no problem with what he does, although I know people who find it disgusting

 

[Rich]

not here

Col

Trust me, it's on the way

 

[ColinEssex]

I have a friend who shoots in the UK, he gets the odd deer, (They need to cull a few now and again). He uses the meat, now and again I get a bit. He does not run around with it as a trophy. There is not even a stag head in his house!!!! I see no problem with what he does, although I know people who find it disgusting

Its an American thing. Its all to do with the macho Rambo-esque, bullet-belts-over-the-shoulder, sneaking round like they're in the Vietnam jungle, then blasting something image. As long as they kill or wound something they're happy.

As I said its marginally better than murdering children, and the satisfaction of taking an innocent life is still the same I suppose.

Col

 

[ColinEssex]

Trust me, it's on the way

just popped out for a fag and its spitting

Col

 

[Mile-O]

just popped out for a fag and its spitting

Don't say that in Alabama.

 

[Kraj]

Police
Military
Sportsmen
Gangs
Farmers
Hunters

I find it interesting that when asked about potential gun control solutions, the first people addressed on this list are hunters. While hunting accidents do happen, and people who otherwise are not engaged in criminal activity do go on shooting sprees, those events are responsible for a tiny minority of gun violence in this country. Again, the vast majority of gun violence comes from gangs. Hunters and sportsmen aren't the problem - and frankly the NRA wack-o's usually are in this catageory - so why are they the first to come under fire (so to speak )?

 

[jsanders]

As for hunters, however, I would expect them to hand their rifles into some sort of designated safehouse (forest rangers?) when finished their week away, rather than take them home.

Of all of the groups owning guns, hunters are probably the least likely to use them in a committment of a crime.

 

[Mile-O]

And that, my friend, is why I included them in my shortlist of people allowed to handle guns.

 

[KenHigg]

Don't say that in Alabama.

Or Georgia

 

[KenHigg]

... Again, the vast majority of gun violence comes from gangs. Hunters and sportsmen aren't the problem - and frankly the NRA wack-o's usually are in this catageory - so why are they the first to come under fire (so to speak )?

I think there are several misperceptions going on here.

1. A lot of folks assume that if you're a hunter you must be a NRA member. I'm not a lot of my hunting friends are not.

2. If you are a NRA member, you must be a frenzied gun freak. Not so (IMHO). I'm guessing, from the NRA members I know, that most are easy going folks that simply like to hunt and/or shoot guns. It's just that it's the extremist ('frickin idiots' ) that make the headlines, etc...