All this talk about guns

[Crazy Diamond]

DD went to the US a few months back to visit a friend. She is a bit of an extrovert, talks loudly, waves her arms about, that kind of thing. They were in a bar (in Michigan) and she was being her usual self, and her American friend kept on telling her to be a bit quieter. Well, they'd met in Italy and DD couldn't understand why all of a sudden her friend was being bothered by something like this.

 

She got this sobering answer: "Here, people start gesticulating and shouting, other people get worried, because that person may well be carrying a gun and could start shooting any moment." She added that in the not particularly crowded bar where they were, it was likely that at least 3/4 of the people sitting there would be carrying a gun of some sort.

 

DD found that terrifying. As do I. As for the old chestnut that "guns don't kill people, people kill people", that's BS. Unarmed people may want to kill people, but it takes someone with a weapon to actually do it. (Generally speaking)

 

Fact is, as long as you have harsh gun control, you have fewer chances of illicit guns changing hands, so the general population is less at risk. Long may it last.

[duckwaddler]

DD went to the US a few months back to visit a friend. She is a bit of an extrovert, talks loudly, waves her arms about, that kind of thing. They were in a bar (in Michigan) and she was being her usual self, and her American friend kept on telling her to be a bit quieter. Well, they'd met in Italy and DD couldn't understand why all of a sudden her friend was being bothered by something like this.

 

She got this sobering answer: "Here, people start gesticulating and shouting, other people get worried, because that person may well be carrying a gun and could start shooting any moment." She added that in the not particularly crowded bar where they were, it was likely that at least 3/4 of the people sitting there would be carrying a gun of some sort.

 

DD found that terrifying. As do I. As for the old chestnut that "guns don't kill people, people kill people", that's BS. Unarmed people may want to kill people, but it takes someone with a weapon to actually do it. (Generally speaking)

 

Fact is, as long as you have harsh gun control, you have fewer chances of illicit guns changing hands, so the general population is less at risk. Long may it last.

 

I'd have been out of there like greased lightening

[labrat]

i learned to shoot in america and it was intresting how many of them owned guns, even the cook at camp had one in an ankle holster

[Consumer dude]

Is it illegal to even have a toy gun in the UK..

[labrat]

not by a long shot

 

air rifles are fine, so are air pistols

 

if your in a gun club its easy to get a liscence

 

crossbows fine.

 

easy to build a potato cannon, even a semi automatic one + easy to modify

[Consumer dude]

hmm, still wouldn't like to wave a toy gun around in the street..

[LaughingGirl]

not by a long shot

 

air rifles are fine, so are air pistols

 

if your in a gun club its easy to get a liscence

 

crossbows fine.

 

easy to build a potato cannon, even a semi automatic one + easy to modify

 

Labrat will be conducting a demonstration later, on how to build a flame thrower using nothing but two loo roll tubes, some sticky back plastic and a bucket full of papier mache.

 

*Please insert generic "Do not try this at home" warning here*

 

 

 

[labrat]

doubt it laughing girl - last flamethower i built was when i was 11, and lost all my hair on one side and set fire to the garage

[Guest]

elementary school shooting, at least 27 dead of which 20 children (aged between 5-10)!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20730717

Edited December 14, 2012 by Ford

[SOD'EM]

Terrible (but all too common event). There are too many innocents taken by idiots with guns. On the plus side though, most people killed by them are the dregs of society.

[LaughingGirl]

Completely heart-breaking. I cannot even begin to understand what was going on in this young mans mind.

[Guest]

.. I cannot even begin to understand what was going on in this young mans mind.

 

maybe he was on a similar wavelengh as sodems odd view #60! ie re

On the plus side though, most people killed by them are the dregs of society.

Edited December 14, 2012 by Ford

[SOD'EM]

maybe he was on a similar wavelengh as sodems odd view #60! ie re

 

Where you got that from, I don't know.

 

Most victims of shootings are targeted for a reason. These people were shot for no apparent reason. That in itself is terrible.

 

There are plenty of shootings around my city now (far too many). But fortunately, there have been no innocent victims. That's all I was saying.

 

 

I'm not condoning this persons actions in any way.

[Guest]

ok. no worries, your post was a bit ambiguous. thought you were talking about the victims of such US shootings, and not crim on crim shootings which i now presume you mean. ie you say 'most' shooting victims here. (ie apart from the innocent victims!)

Edited December 15, 2012 by Ford

[Crazy Diamond]

How many more victims before their precious 2nd amendment rights are curbed at last? Oh, hang on, never, it's a vote loser, any presidential candidate taking a slightly less than 100% pro-gun stance in the US never gets anywhere. The gun lobby is all powerful in the US.

 

Sorry, the line "guns dont' kill people, people kill people" is getting harder and harder to swallow at each new massacre, not that I ever saw it as so much sanctimonious babble before anyway.

[Surfer01]

I lived in a society where gun ownership was almost mandatory due to acts of terrorism on a daily basis. Our children were taught properly on how to handle various guns from a revolver through to an automatic weapon like the Uzi sub machine gun. It was a necessity in order to protect lives.

In the 14 years of the bush war, I can only recollect one incident where a husband shot MIL, wife and someone else but the incident was related to a divorce. Our kids knew that they had to follow procedures when handling weapons and the danger associated with the weapon.

It is very difficult to understand why in a gun society we have these mass murders unless the kids have been influenced by TV, video games, etc. There is proof of this happening!

[Nystagmite]

Apparently, this shooting has killed twice as many as Columbine did.

 

Something really needs to be done about this.

 

My heart goes out to the poor families who have had to identify their loved ones. That really is sad.

[labrat]

apparently he didnt legally own the guns they were his mothers - who he killed first..

[labrat]

i love the way i comment on a gun thread then it dies - its like i have a reputation or something

[Crazy Diamond]

Well, there's not much to reply to... he didn't own the guns, his mum did and he killed her first, what can one say to that?

 

If his mum hadn't been shot, does anyone think she'd still be defending her right to have weapons in her home?

[estellyn]

I lived in a society where gun ownership was almost mandatory due to acts of terrorism on a daily basis. Our children were taught properly on how to handle various guns from a revolver through to an automatic weapon like the Uzi sub machine gun. It was a necessity in order to protect lives.

In the 14 years of the bush war, I can only recollect one incident where a husband shot MIL, wife and someone else but the incident was related to a divorce. Our kids knew that they had to follow procedures when handling weapons and the danger associated with the weapon.

It is very difficult to understand why in a gun society we have these mass murders unless the kids have been influenced by TV, video games, etc. There is proof of this happening!

 

It's not about computer games. People who are violent are attracted to violent games, but games do not cause violence (otherwise countries with high levels of gaming like Japan and South Korea would have the most violence, which they don't). Its about the culture of fear and hate that is promoted in the US (watch Bowling for Columbine - I'm not a big Michael Moore fan, but he made some good points in this film). I also suspect that the culture of alienation of anyone 'different' - particularly in high school age children contributes to mental health problems that come with these sort of 'breakdowns'.