Gun control discussion

[Edwina's Secretary]

And my point remains the same.

It's not the tool that should be feared, it's just an inanimate object.

It's the person using it who should be feared.

I agree! Someone has suggested that people are afraid of guns...I suppose some are. Some people are afraid of heights as well. Or public speaking.

I will say what I AM afraid of - people who have guns. Especially people who feel the need to take their guns out in public. And even more afraid of people who feel the need to own military style guns. That does not mean I cower in my home afraid to go in public places. It just means I do what I can to avoid these people. There is a reason you hear "armed and dangerous."

Quite the contrary. If you figure the statistical probabilities of death from firearms (# of firearms vs number of deaths annually) vs the number of deaths by vehicle (again, use the same calculation) the motor vehicle is far, far more likely to kill when operated as designed. There are more firearms than vehicles in the United States, and far more vehicular deaths, be they homicides (vehicular homicide is a fairly common charge) or other incidents. In a vehicular homicide, the vehicle performed as designed, and someone died, therefore the end conclusion using your logic is the same, vehicles MUST be banned.

Sorry LH - your argument is still fallacious. To make your stretch you would have to compare the exposure to guns that result in death and the exposure to vehicles that result in death. You have not even taken inot consideration the number of guns vcs the number of vehcules. I think your "fairly common charge of vehicular homicide" hyperbole. How do you define "fairly common"? Once a day?

About 25% of adults in the US own guns. As there are about 250,000 vehicles in the US - there is a huge difference in exposure. Quibble with the numbers if you like - it doesn't take much thinking to recognize that comparing the number of deaths by gun to deaths by vehicle is invalid.

It is a good stretch...but still a stretch. You have apples, oranges and peaches - and all you have produced is fruit salad.

So why can't I sue the manufacturer of a gun if it kills someone?

[Lady's Human]

250,000 vehicles in the US? That's an very poor estimate, as is the 25% of adults owning firearms.

according to the census bureau, in 2006 there were 48,000 deaths in motor vehicle accidents.

In that same year there were 13000 homicides involving firearms.

You can parse, twist and adjust statistics however you care to, but the end result is the same. you are far, far more likely to be killed by a motor vehicle than a firearm.

[Karen]

This thread is beginning to remind me of a saying from Grandma Paterson: "Two stubborn beaks of equal strength can stretch a worm to any length!" And, she'd point out, still be hungry while doing so!

[pomtzu]

This thread is beginning to remind me of a saying from Grandma Paterson: "Two stubborn beaks of equal strength can stretch a worm to any length!" And, she'd point out, still be hungry while doing so!

The worm eventually has to break.......... Who wins, the beak with the bigger length - kinda like with the wishbone?

[chocolatepuppy]

My dad had a rifle rack in his truck, until he put on the brakes one day and was hit in the head with a gun.

That guns in trucks can be a hazard too.

--------------------------

My truck is champagne colored.

Never fear Richard,if I ever have a concealed weapon permit, it won't be a rifle in my truck.

Should coffee be banned too? Was the mug full of coffee when the attack started? If it was, he could have actually aspirated some and choked to death on it, and those sharp force injuries about the head could very well be secondary.

What if I drink tea, not coffee? Is the mug just as dangerous?

And my point remains the same.

It's not the tool that should be feared, it's just an inanimate object.

It's the person using it who should be feared.

Amen!

[pomtzu]

What if I drink tea, not coffee? Is the mug just as dangerous?

Didn't your mother teach you to use a teacup???

[Karen]

Didn't your mother teach you to use a teacup???

In my case, I know how to use a teacup, sure, and own many, but a mug hold much more, and keeps its temperature better!

[chocolatepuppy]

Didn't your mother teach you to use a teacup???

Ha ha! I never use a teacup, I prefer mugs!

[Edwina's Secretary]

250,000 vehicles in the US? That's an very poor estimate, as is the 25% of adults owning firearms.

according to the census bureau, in 2006 there were 48,000 deaths in motor vehicle accidents.

In that same year there were 13000 homicides involving firearms.

You can parse, twist and adjust statistics however you care to, but the end result is the same. you are far, far more likely to be killed by a motor vehicle than a firearm.

Well duh! If there are far, far more motor vehicles than guns that stands to reason. But it doesn't mean vehicles are more dangerous than guns. It just means there are more of them. If you want to make this argument you have to look at vehicle deaths to number of vehicles as compared to gun deaths to number of guns.

You would tear me to pieces if I made such a sloppy argument...You can do better than that!