I don't get this gun culture

Post Reply New Topic

The problem is you're not comparing apples to apples. People with guns don't walk around with them in our hands raised in front of us, and people with knives don't walk around with them ready to stab people either. You recognize that for a knife wielder, but when you think about someone with a gun you've already fast-forwarded through to the point that they're ready to shoot you. When you start from the same starting point, it takes roughly the same amount of time to get from that starting point to where they're killing someone in most cases.



I've been to the UK, and I've been other places in the world, and the big societal difference seems to be that in other parts of the world people assume that if you have a gun you are a criminal. There are places here where that holds true as well - I was detained at gunpoint in New York City and nearly arrested just because I was wearing an empty holster on my belt. It seems to me that the places where gun laws are more strict is where people develop this attitude.

When I'm in an area that allows me to carry, people tend not to care. I think people either assume I'm an off-duty police officer, or they just don't care at all.

Do you think the people from the unsafe areas stay in those safe areas?

Frankly, I think a lot of us just like shooting targets because it's fun.

To the extent that it's political, remember a few things: A lot of Americans came here to escape state violence. The German immigrants often got on a boat when one of their sons was nearing draft age. (Would you have wanted to your sons to fight for Marshal Blucher?) The Irish came for obvious reasons. We also have a lot of religious minorities, including descendants of some of the earliest settlers.

I didnt feel like sitting through the whole Youtube video so I found one news report (there are others). Just from that it appears that his elevator doesn't go all the way to the top and I don't think that .22 pistol took control of his mind.
I don't know where this "siege mentality" thing you're talking about comes from. I certainly don't have that mentality.


http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/jake-evans-tells-911-shot-killed-mother-sister-article-1.1176304

Some people are pretty immature and stupid about guns, which is an issue. But guns aren't a problem when people respect them as dangerous killing machines. I am not an anti gun person or a pro gun person. Ideally it would be nice to live in a world with no guns or weapons due to there being no need for them, but that is not the sort of world we live in.

I do not own a gun, I have shot a gun with some cousins out in northern minnesota at targets which where a string of christmas lights that didn't work so very small and from a distance and I actually did quite well...and I thought it was fun but I still do not want a gun. And even in a peaceful area where one does not need to carry a gun on them I could see why people in such areas still might own them as perhaps they hunt or go to legal shooting ranges also though even if you think an area is 'peaceful' sometimes its dangerous to assume something bad couldn't happen like when the shooting happened at my school a lot of peoples reactions where 'I never thought this could happen in a small town like this'... I also don't have an issue with hunting provided they are hunting to get fresh meat not to be like 'I shot a bigger elk than you did!! !! !! !! !! !!!11111111' and don't even use the meat and just take dismembered animal heads to hang up to brag about I do disagree with that.

I think there should be realistic regulations on guns but in some situations they can be useful to have...perhaps if someone had a gun they where licensed to have in my school perhaps the ass with the gun could have been taken down before killing anyone. But schools are gun free zones....not saying everyone should be carrying around guns at school but in that situation it might have helped. People might say well duh call the cops, well the cops were too late.

What school?

Should have been in the news a while back in 2006, perhaps Platte canyon highschool in Bailey colorado rings a bell....can look it up if you want but I cant go into any more detail about the exact events right now, due to PTSD from the incident and having already been feeling a bit anxious today.

My Lord! The twins of terror are in disunity!

What are you even talking about? IIRC, I've defended BIC from a series of unfair attacks in one thread, same as I do for anyone who's being mischaracterized, seeing as how it's a pet peeve of mine. Then again, mischaracterizing seems to be your hobby, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised.

http://www.wrongplanet.net/postp6027766.html

Does it sound a little selfish to simply transfer the risk to other people AND making them facing deadlier criminals?

Well to be entirely honest I am not so sure I'd prefer to be killed by someone so some other person I don't even know is spared...on account of not being selfish. Though I don't have gun, which means more likely I'd be the other target chosen then again don't see what anyone would want from my house that they would bother with a violent robbery so not much of a target I suppose.

^^
I mean emotionally it is natural to be selfish. But as an argument? I don't see how any non-gun owner (70%+ of Americans do not own a gun) would agree with that policy.

Just seemed to me you two had been thick as thieves.

A naive viewpoint.

First, culture is the way to solve a lot of problems, but it take a generation or longer to see the results. The forces promoting rampant crime in America have been at work for some time, and the efforts to change the culture are weak at best. Until then, the deterrence of force is what you have to work with.

Second, culture IS NOT going to work on everyone. Most criminals are cowards. They seek out crimes of opportunity. They want low risk. Heck, many of them would rather steal your lawn mower and pawn it for quick money than go out and work an eight-hour job for a paycheck. Other criminals want to do violent things, and the only real solution is 150 grains of lead going 1,500 fps into their forehead.

Add in that law enforcement cannot be everywhere, rarely is where they are needed when they are needed, and are even to evade even if they are trying to proactively stop crime from happening, and you are the only person truly able to protect yourself and your family when the time arises.

There is a joke that goes, "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away." It's simply the truth. The best 911 response times won't help you in the here and now, and even 5 minutes (considered exceptional) is an eternity if your life is in peril.

Yeah! Get back in line with the clueless and cowardly like the rest. How dare you think to improve your life. Not THAT line dummy.....that's for rich people......get over in the serf line where you belong.

No thanks.