Gun control discussion

[phesina]

Yeah, isn't that something, Randi.

People who are opposed to gun control say the criminals and bad people will always be able to get guns but the good people won't have any means of defense then.

By that logic, in countries like Denmark and Canada and England where the people can't all arm themselves for self-protection, the criminals in those countries will still have guns. So... why aren't the gun violence and death rates in those countries much worse than in the U.S.?

[Edwina's Secretary]

Amen! The gun-homicide rate per capita in the US is 30 times that of Britain and Australia. And by far - those people getting killed are NOT the bad guys breaking into your home.

[Jessika]

In countries where they have gun bans, etc, crimes for other weapons, ie knives, are actually higher.

http://sob.apotheon.org/?p=1323

In or about 2006, there were about 60 million (actually closer to 58M, but we'll use the rounded-up number to be kind to hopolophobes) people in the UK as a whole, including Scotland.

In England and Wales alone — discounting Scotland — there were over 163 thousand knife crimes.

By the end of 2006, there were more than 300 million people in the US as a whole.

In the US as a whole, there were fewer than 400 thousand gun crimes.

In the UK, based on these numbers, there was one knife crime commited for every 374 people (rounded down).

In the US, based on these numbers, there was one gun crime committed for every 750 people — less than half a gun crime per 374 people (about 0.4987 gun crimes per 374 people, actually).

That means that, based on these statistics, you are more than twice as likely to be a victim of knife crime in the UK as you are to be a victim of gun crime in the US.

Interesting read.

[Edwina's Secretary]

In countries where they have gun bans, etc, crimes for other weapons, ie knives, are actually higher.

http://sob.apotheon.org/?p=1323



Interesting read.

Interesting - except it leaves out something. How many of the victims of knife crimes died?

[phesina]

How many people have gone on mad knifing rampages in movie theaters, at worship services?

[Karen]

Interesting - except it leaves out something. How many of the victims of knife crimes died?

It's not like everyone who is a gun violence victim dies, either. Witness the U.S. Olympian Bryshon Nelson, shot twice in the legs who survived and ran in the Olympics.

It's hard to get statistics that show a whole picture, as everyone stating them seems to have one agenda or another.

[Edwina's Secretary]

It's not like everyone who is a gun violence victim dies, either. Witness the U.S. Olympian Bryshon Nelson, shot twice in the legs who survived and ran in the Olympics.

It's hard to get statistics that show a whole picture, as everyone stating them seems to have one agenda or another.

I agree with you Karen...comparing knife crimes to gun homicides isn't valid. But I can tell you, to phesina's point, I will take my odds in a movie theater with a crazed knife wielder over my odds in a movie theater with a crazed gun wielder! Or shopping mall...or house of worship, or grade school, or college lecture hall, etc. etc.

[catlady1945]

[QUOTE=Karen;2432319]It's not like everyone who is a gun violence victim dies, either. Witness the U.S. Olympian Bryshon Nelson, shot twice in the legs who survived and ran in the Olympics.[/QUOTE}

I'm sorry - what??

[Edwina's Secretary]

Here is my question.

I grew up "out in the country." Could not see the neighbors. Just the buffalo on the next farm. Went away to college. Lived alone from the time I graduated college until I met my husband. Over 20 years. During that time I lived alone. Including two years in Guadalajara Mexico and over 12 years in the city of Chicago. I traveled all over - 44 of the United States, Europe, Mexico and South America...even Egypt. Sometimes alone...other times with female friends.

Never...not once...did I ever think..."if only I had a gun!!!"

I had my purse stolen once. My own stupidity and not something I would be willing to shoot someone over. And... my insurance covered it.

So...why the fear?

Now...why don't we all go and say something nice about today's dog/cat/pet?

[phesina]

In countries where they have gun bans, etc, crimes for other weapons, ie knives, are actually higher.

http://sob.apotheon.org/?p=1323



Interesting read.

Are the rates of people being knifed in those countries as high as those of people being shot in this country?

[Edwina's Secretary]

All gun control does is punish law-abiding citizens

I am a law-abiding citizen. I do not feel at all punished by sensible gun laws. Indeed...I feel punished by the lack of sensible gun laws.

And I am not afraid of criminals breaking into my house. I am just not. I am afraid of people running around with concealed weapons. Very afraid.

So there you have it...I am firmly committed to gun control.

Isn't it a wonderful country where people can agree to disagree...well...most of them anyway!

[Alysser]

Now if we are talking about sensible gun laws...like registration and background checks - of course I am all for that! That's like allowing people to drive without a road test or license and no car registration.

[Jessika]

Are the rates of people being knifed in those countries as high as those of people being shot in this country?

They are not, but as I clearly stated in my post, crimes committed with other types of weapons in countries where they have gun bans are much higher than (sometimes higher even than gun crimes committed in countries without a ban).

Now if we are talking about sensible gun laws...like registration and background checks - of course I am all for that! That's like allowing people to drive without a road test or license and no car registration.

This is a no-brainer here. I'm not against this (though I do know some people who are against registration, but I am not one of them). I'm all for being a responsible gun owner. But still - stricter gun control will not keep guns out of criminals' hands.