General News There's almost one gun per person in the USA.

Yeah, we probably can. Any of those countries I've named would face worldwide sanctions that would crash their economies if they used a nuclear weapon in an attack. Especially Israel, Pakistan and India if they caused the USA and the UK to have to step in to protect them. World politics is a bit more pragmatic than meets the eye.

And I did not even mention guns in my original reply. I just had to correct the absurdity that slowing down the production of firearms would automatically result in nuclear warfare. In fact, many countries are starting to already move away from infantry armed with assault weapons, and are turning to targeted airstrikes and drones.

 

I can't understand that logic at all either! :bang:

 

I'm very sympathetic to your concerns about violence. I feel that there would be a lot less violence if there were a more sustained focus on eliminating racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic violence.

So that's where I am going to focus my efforts.

 

In 1996, a former Boy Scout leader killed 19 first graders and one teacher at the Dunblaine Primary School in Dunblaine, Scotland. Later that year, the House of Commons banned handguns over 22 caliber, and a mass shooting has yet to occur again in the UK. Meanwhile in the United States, mass shootings happen over and over again because we refuse to do anything about it.

 

Still my question is out there. How does a defenseless person defend themselves against a gunman if they don't have a gun to carry. Sure pepper spray is not gonna help the situation or anything else for that matter. You want gun control but what is put in place so especially the defenseless can defend themselves. Not everyone can throw good punches and kick a gun out of the way. If I die defenseless i won't ever talk to you again!

 

Guns aren't the problem Crazy people are the problem. A gun is a inanimate thing that is neither good nor evil. People don't complain about the police carrying guns. Why? Because it is a tool in the hands of someone (supposedly) responsible. Then when Ferguson Missouri happened it wasn't the gun it was the jackass holding it. When something like Charleston happens we don't blame the jackass we say it's because he had a gun.

Crazy people are going to go crazy and kill people whether they have a gun or not. On 9-11-01, 19 hijackers killed a total of 2977 people without firing a single shot. I know that this is an extreme case but it does prove that if you take away guns crazies will just find another way.

 

Like drugs, like prositution, like any other crime people are gonna do it no matter what sometimes. I want to see solutions on how the defenseless can protect themselves in public from a gunman if some gun ban were to talk place.

 

You're assuming here that attackers can only possibly want your death. Which only happens in a very small minority of cases (I realise we're having this discussion in the aftemath of just such a case, but in the annual gun death statistics, this is only a fraction of a percent).
It's far more likely the attacker wants somethng, be it valuables, information, or for you to remain quiet while he robs the banks.
So in the vast amount of cases, you literally should just give the attacker what he wants. Material posessions can never trump the value of a life, and should be refunded by insurance.

And even in other cases, a gun is often counterproductive. I don't think that in cases like Charleston, one can accurately defend oneself from inside. If you're in a church and a madman comes in and starts shooting, you're unlikely to take him out without accidentally hitting innocent bystanders.

I'm not suggesting we surrender our lives to madmen, here. And I'll admit that I don't have the solution to violence (when I work it out, look for me at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony )
But... guns, by themselves, cannot be the answer. Training in proper assessment of dangerous situations is.

Well, they're part. I'm just not sure if they're the exact cause. Take guns away, and not the belief that violence can solve crimes, and you'll still end up with a lot of violent deaths.
For example, the US also has more stabbings and non-gun-related violent crimes than most other countries.

If you ask me, from talking to both Americans and Europeans, I am seeing a difference in how necessary guns are tbelieved to be.
Americans just seem to believe guns are needed far more than Europeans do. Without changing that attitude, I don't think it's easy or possible to lower gun ownership or gun-related deaths.

 

^

Maybe it's just because I'm Canadian, but I always thought the "but I need to defend myself and family from firearm-bearing psychos" excuse kinda weak. Fighting gunfire with gunfire. okay then.

take this with a grain of salt. I'm sure there are many a difference between our two countries and my opinion is most likely just a product of that.

---------- Post added 20th Jun 2015 at 06:05 PM ----------

So guns are okay because you don't know a murderer. :|

 

Filip Of course i know that if a gunmen is asking for your personal property you need to give it up but I am talking in particular about a gunmen who simply wants you dead. If your defenseless and your life is very likely at risk you should be able to shoot them. Even if a eventual death is unlikely i believe every responsible gun owner in any city, town or state should own a gun to a protect themselves. I rather take comfort in knowing that my life might be saved with a gun than anything else.

 

Dano, needless to say, a Canadian, Brit, Scotsman, Australian or European simply does not think like you do. We do not NEED a gun to defend ourselves. How often does a gunman walk into a house and shoot someone? Once every 20 yrs? unless you live in Chicago or NY perhaps. Honestly, your premise seems downright ludicrous to the rest of the world.

Your chances of getting shot when you have a gun in the house goes WAY UP, not way down. A child gets hold of it by mistake, a domestic dispute escalates, suicide by shooting, etc.

Look to the rest of the world and learn, but you won't, so we can't help you. Americans will keep shooting Americans. You need guns because of a fear mentality and everyone is my enemy mentality which simply does not exist in other democratic countries.

You need a gun as much as you need a hole in the head. Period. If Sandy Hook didn't teach you guys what needs to be done, nothing will.

I've discussed this with two American friends, who insist beliefs about guns in the US stem from American history and amendment rights, so I'll never understand. Personally, I think it's due to being brainwashed from childhood on. Why else would a whole country with millions and millions of intelligent and kind people allow these shootings to continue in their midst?

 

The ammosexuals don't want to admit that they have a secret love affair with their rifles. They don't care that more guns isn't the solution. They hide behind the centuries old 2nd amendment.




This Cyanide and Happiness short pretty much sums up the NRA.
[YOUTUBE]45glq7huJJc[/YOUTUBE]

 

I don't support guns... but they are kind of needed where I live.
Cougars and other predators attack the animals on our farm and we need to defend against them.

But on the other hand, I had a bit of a meltdown once and attempted to use them against my family. Yeah, guns need to be kept away from children. And even after having said meltdown the guns still weren't moved to a secure locations.

Isn't it a requirement for parents of mentally unstable children to keep guns out of their reach? There's a large cabinet full of various shotguns and rifles in my house. Right in the open with no lock on it. There are also bullets scattered around the house. Once when I was little my grandfather was shooting at groundhogs from inside the house and when he ran out of bullets I just pulled out a handful from my pockets and gave them to him.

Not sure about the legality of all this

 

Yes, Pierrot, I understand the need for guns on farms to protect your herds and for hunting purposes. Definitely. I grew up on a farm. If you want to do target shooting at a gun range for fun, OK. Other than that, there is no need for guns except those carried by police and soldiers on the battle field (in my Canadian opinion).

 

Well i believe in gun safety, gun background checks, and that a senseless murder can happen anytime too so I cannot move from my pro gun position whatsoever in that respect. Agree to disagree i guess. I guess what I am saying a gun owner should have the ability to use and carry a gun in any circumstance at the same time make sure violent criminals don't get them. But also you have people who like drugs no matter what bans you put in place they will find a way to get their hands on one.

 

Well, that's kinda scary. O.O

 

Until people can demonstrate that they'll be used reasonably, I think we need very strict background-checks, testing, permits, waiting periods and to clamp down on gun shows. Also, I'm in support of programs where the local, state and federal government pay people to turn in illegal weapons, to reduce their numbers, and to aggressively round them up: Stop the 'war on drugs', and go after illegal weapons. (Which, at certain tangents, are linked)

The number and volume of mass shootings in this country is a tragedy and an embarrassment; if freedoms like this are abused to such an extent, I think we need to take a long hard look at the dangerous mixture of a culture of violence, and all-too-easy access to firearms.

I've lived in Baltimore 20 years, in some very borderline areas, and never once felt the need to own a gun, even here. I can see where some may feel threatened if they are a minority in a small town or what not, but I think there's a good degree of senseless, psychologically dysfunctional paranoia among many gun-owners. (And especially the mainly white folks at the nutty NRA)

 

Guns or not, mentally unstable and disturbed people will always find a way to create violence and do deadly deeds, just with different tools and efficiency.

I don't necessarily believe in the notion that "Guns kill people" because I know quite a few gun-owners and none of them have, or ever will use their gun unless it's a have to life and death situation, which is quite rare. I also don't think mass gun control would solve much of the problem. People will still find a way to break the law, and find weapons through even more dangerous and illegal means if they're (for lack of a better term) insane enough to go through with harming others lethally.

I do however believe, that giving people more background checks; and also giving a more thorough test to people who are trying to get their licenses to own guns, would and may likely reduce the impact of what violence revolving around gun-related crimes to be committed around the country.

But then again, I'm only 16 years old. >_< So what do I know.