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NYC vs. London: Why Banning Guns Doesn't Work
Firearms, WEAPONS
The liberal left loves to yell and scream about gun control, using every opportunity they can to try and push their agenda. The recent shooting in Parkland, Florida is no exception, with gun control advocates gathering and pushing children to center stage in an effort to further their position. According to their narrative, all we have to do is eliminate guns and *poof* violence will disappear.
As I've said many times before, what leftists really want isn't a repeal of our Second Amendment rights, but rather a repeal of the laws of physics which make it possible for firearms to work. They seem to think that they can pass enough laws that they will actually manage to stop violence from happening. But in order to do this, they have to ignore many of the causes of violence and focus on one inanimate object as the cause of that violence… guns.
This, of course, fits with the liberal idea that human beings are inherently good, one of the many fantasies that they love to spout off. But anyone who has raised children should know better. Children are savages and must be taught how to behave. Left alone, their savage nature comes forth. They are selfish, mean-spirited, abusive to one another and there is nothing more self-centered in the world than a baby. It is the job of parents to teach those children how to behave, something that modern society has largely forgotten how to do.
While guns are the tool of choice in many violent crimes, the crime isn't perpetrated by the gun, but rather by a person; often one with serious psychological issues. Probably one whose parents didn't raise them well. Eliminating guns, even if it were possible, wouldn't eliminate this violence, but then, their real goal, regardless of what they say, is to eliminate guns, not eliminate violence.
These political hacks, following the Democrat philosophy of not letting any good crisis go to waste, are taking full advantage of the Parkland shooting. While they would want us to believe that the March for Our Lives was a youth inspired and run series of events, the money trail proves otherwise. All the typical left-wing players are involved; not only in funding this movement, but in organizing it. The leftwing media is falling into line as well, giving an impressive amount of time to David Hogg and other youth who have been put forward as spokesmen for this movement.
If March for Our Lives was really about safety, then we would have seen all aspects of school shootings discussed in an open forum. But all that was talked about was gun control and how evil Republicans are. In case anyone missed it, this was a paid political event.
An honest and open conversation about school safety would have to include discussing what happened a few weeks later at the Maryland shooting, where an armed resource officer in the school stopped another active shooter after they had only been able to wound two students. In that case, only the shooter himself died in the confrontation. If we're interested in school safety, we should be analyzing what went right in that situation, not demonizing the NRA for what went wrong in Parkland.
The same honest and open conversation would talk about the multiple failures of law enforcement which allowed the Parkland shooter to be so successful. If law enforcement can't properly enforce the laws which are currently on the books, what makes anyone think that writing more laws will improve the situation?
Of course, David Hogg, like the other students who have spoken at these rallies and on television, have all been indoctrinated into leftist ideology in the leftist indoctrination center known as public schools. While there are actually some students in our school systems who are not anti-gun, the vast majority have bought the ideology pushed on them by their teachers.
Actually, a number of Parkland students who are pro-Second Amendment have come forth with some rather bold statements of how they and their families are being used as political props. One such student, Patrick Petty, is asking the left to quit using his sister's name to push their agenda, stating, "She DID NOT and WOULD NOT support it."
Of course, the ideological argument that eliminating guns will eliminate violence is based on a series of lies. The first lie that gun control is about eliminating violence. There have been enough statements made by politicians on the left, showing that they don't really believe that the gun-control measures that they are pushing for will actually stop any crime. What they're doing is trying to chip away at our Second Amendment rights, so that they can eventually eliminate them altogether.
They won't tell us that; but that doesn't eliminate the reality of the situation. On those rare occasions when the gun-control crows lets their guard down, they actually state that they are after much more than what they are asking for; specifically they are out to ban guns in the United States.
One such example actually happened at the March for Our Lives event. One of the speakers said, "When they give us that inch, the bump stock ban, we will take a mile." That's their general attitude, even though they are rarely honest enough to say so.
Does Gun Control Work? No.
But let's just suppose the left is right for a moment. Would eliminating guns really work? The only way we could really know the answer to that question is to look at examples of where private gun ownership has been eliminated and see the effects that those gun bans have had on crime rates and the ability to eliminate violence.
I'd like to start with our neighbor to the south, Mexico. Compared to the countries which the gun-grabbers like to hold up as an example, Mexico has had a much longer history of strict gun laws. While the right to keep and bear arms is part of the Mexican Constitution of 1857, it was changed in the revised constitution of 1917. Since then, Mexican gun laws have only gotten stricter, to the point where today, it is extremely difficult to buy guns privately in Mexico, requiring several visits to the capital to gain a license, which allows you to buy guns in the one and only gun store in Mexico.
So, has this stopped gun violence in Mexico? By no means. The cartel wars of the last two decades have been the bloodiest of Mexico's history, with over 160,000 people killed. Even private citizens who own illegal firearms have no right to protect themselves from these murderous criminals, putting them in the position of choosing between imprisonment (for at least 20 years) or allowing family members to be killed.
Clearly, Mexican citizens have not benefited from being disarmed. But how about the countries that liberals like to hold up as an example, Australia and England? How are things working out there?
According to statistics from the Australian government, the sweeping legislation to eliminate all semi-automatic firearms and buy back guns from the public for destruction did not work. The Australian gun homicide rate had already been declining before those measures were put in place and the rate of decline hasn't changed at all. The only real difference it made was in the rate of accidental deaths.
But Australia is a much more recent example, one might argue, perhaps there hasn't been enough time for the results to fully be appreciated. Well then, I guess we need to look at England, which has worked to keep guns out of the hands of citizens since 1920.
This effort has happened in stages, with each stage being more and more restrictive. But none of them have stopped gun violence or any other type of violence for that matter. The Firearms Act of 1920 or its follow-up the Firearms Act of 1037 didn't stop Michael Ryan from killing 16 people in 1987. His rifles were lawfully owned, but he used them for criminal intent.
Leftists in the British Parliament reacted to this by increasing the legal limitations to owning firearms in the Firearms Act of 1988. This one "banned the possession of high-powered self-loading rifles and burst-firing weapons," as well as increasing the requirements to receive a permit to own a shotgun.
If laws would have solved the problem, that should have done it for England. But in 1996, Thomas Hamilton walked into an elementary school and killed 16 small children and their teacher, before killing himself. He brought two rifles and four handguns with him in that attack, all of which he had obtained legally.
Once again, leftist knee-jerk reactions in Parliament caused a further restriction on gun ownership; this time making it essentially illegal to own a handgun, while turning the process of getting a permit to own a long gun for hunting into a nightmare.
Technically, you can still own a gun in England, much like you can in Mexico. Hunting and sport shooting are still carried out in England, even though that only accounts for a small percentage of the population. But you can't use a gun for self-defense, without expecting to go to jail for it. Apparently the criminals rights are greater than that of law-abiding citizens.
So, what has been the result of all this? Twelve years after the passing of the latest firearms legislation, the Daily Mail Online reported in 2009 that Britain was "the most violent country in Europe." Yes, gun-related violence had dropped, as the left loves to cite; but overall violence had increased. While their violent crime rate has dropped since then, that's not a great testimony to the efficacy of firearm restrictions.
But it's the latest news out of the UK that is the most surprising. For the first time in history, the murder rate in London has managed to overtake the city of New York!
This flies in contrast to the claims of leftists who support gun control. For both February and March of 2018, the city of London has been experiencing an increase in homicides. These killings have not been accomplished with guns, but rather with knives. If gun control were the solution to violent crime, then this could not have happened.
London and New York City make a good parallel for a number of reasons. To start with, they are nearly identical sized cities. On top of that, while New York City isn't a capital, they are both major metropolitan areas, which are important business centers, financial centers and ports for their nations. It would be hard to argue any comparison between the two cities as being invalid.
While it might be easier to kill someone with a gun than a knife, it is also easier to defend yourself from an attack with a gun. Using a knife as a defensive weapon is difficult and requires considerable training. While it takes training to use a gun effectively, the skills are easier to learn and don't require the degree of strength that using a knife as an effective weapon does. That's why guns are called "the great equalizer."
The media has been quick to forget, if they ever bothered to learn, that the very same day that Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 students at Sandy Hook, a Chinese man entered a school in China and killed the exact same number of children with a knife. If guns were the problem, that Chinese man couldn't have committed that crime.
But reality defies the gun-control narrative, over and over again. Guns are not the problem. The problem is in people's hearts and minds. If we want to get rid of violent crime, that's where we have to start. As many others have said before, all we will accomplish by taking guns away from law-abiding citizens is to ensure that criminals won't have any opposition. We will turn the entire country into a gun-free zone.
When that happens, we can expect the same sort of violence that has been happening in Mexico. We won't see a reduction in violent crime, or even a reduction in gun-related violent crime. Rather, what we'll see is that honest law-abiding citizens will no longer be able to defend themselves. That seems to be the lesson that England needs to be learning from the killings going on over there right now.
Written by Bill White
Bill White is the author of Conquering the Coming Collapse, and a former Army officer, manufacturing engineer and business manager. More recently, he left the business world to work as a cross-cultural missionary on the Mexico border. Bill has been a survivalist since the 1970s, when the nation was in the latter days of the Cold War. He had determined to head into the Colorado Rockies, should Washington ever decide to push the button. While those days have passed, the knowledge Bill gained during that time hasn't. He now works to educate others on the risks that exist in our society and how to prepare to meet them. You can send Bill a message at editor [at] survivopedia.com.
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Vicki Gibson | April 3, 2018
The public does not need assault weapons, or other kinds of instruments designed to KILL PEOPLE WITH…! PERIOD!! This is such a stinted argument placed here it is silly! Germany and other Europe countries have had REDUCED crime with guns..and so has Canada for that matter. We have had gun restrictions that make far more sense than what is being proposed in the US. Come on people and get a reality grip here! You all panic over your human rights, when in actuality your lack of gun restrictions is exactly what has created gun killings among the poor…which was the plan by the government. GET RID OF THE POOR>>>LET THEM SHOOT THEMSELVES in street wars! Like good going guys…a typical 'free' plan of eradication of others, eh? Oh, too strong for you? Maybe you need to take a reality check and a close look at what you are really supporting instead of the hype crap that gun agencies would slop onto your kitchen table. Keep eating it up guys, Hot lead tastes great! Hope you don't mind your kid being buried over it…freedom to kill others don't you know. I and others feel the US has become the home of the very very stupid!
Necrophage | April 3, 2018
You didn't actually read the article, did you? The numbers show that the murder rate in the UK is increasing in spite of the restrictions you cite, but the best you can do is blather on about your favorite conspiracy. The government's own statistics also show that all violent crime per capita is decreasing in the US, and has been for decades. But don't let the facts get in the way of your media-fed delusion. You sheep deserve whatever you get.
Joe Harper | April 3, 2018
Vicki, You must be a left wing liberal who thinks you have the solution for the shootings. Remember, Guns do not kill people, people kill people. You could lock up all guns and the murder rate would probably go up since no one would have a good way to defend themselves. The so called assault weapons are not the military weapon you think they are. A 22 semi automatic standard rifle looks fairly safe, but if you change the stock and add a pistol grip somehow it becomes an assault weapon. Of the guns I own they have never just got up and killed someone or for the matter they have never discharged by themselves..We never had these problems when I was in grade school. We did not have the PC police and social media to worry about. We carried knives and sometimes our BB guns to school with out any problems. If you could eliminate the news media form the media circus when some thing happens, it just gives the deranged ones something to envy and how to get attention. Some school shootings have happened in Kentucky and the Governor does not allow the broadcast of such nonsense. All of the news 24/7 on multi stations just feed fuel to the flame of potential violence.
hadenufyet | April 3, 2018
Vicki , I totally agree with one particular point you've made "…the US has become the home of the very very stupid!" They are known as "leftists. progressives, liberals, and (often incorrectly) democrats. You, my dear, are most definitely part of that demographic. Pull your head out and get the facts: http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/gun-facts/
Gilbert Forbes | April 3, 2018
Yes. Vicky and you are one of them. You're probably not Stupid, but you are blind. I don't expect this comment to reach you, but I will make it anyway. Perhaps it may sow a seed of common sense. I hope it does but know that stinking thinking has poisoned the soil of your mind and I don't hold much hope for it to sprout and flourish. I am told that there nearly 900,000,000 guns in private hands in the U.S. Yet out of that massive number the number of killings like Las Vegas, Parkland, Boulder, Columbine, etc., only a handful guns are employed in the distruction of life in a given year. If guns were the problem, I would think that a much higher percentage would kill people. Ah, but guns don't kill people do they? People kill people and, rarely, a gun is used for that purpose. I say rarely because, if you care to research it, you'll find that hammers are used to kill more people than guns every year. Why are you not campaigning to ban hammers, or protest for more hammer control.. I know you're thinking that I'm being silly or Stupid (to use your word), but I'm not. All people who see guns as the problem are failing to recognize the mental state of the person squeezing the trigger. That's where your efforts should be invested. Not trying to get the tool banned, but crying for better detection and treatment of the mental conditions that lead to violence. Violence is precisely what you really are frightened of and you're using a tangible tool as the target when you need to be aiming elsewhere.
Your comments about killings among the "poor" are, once again, off base. You can't blame guns for the preponderance of violence in black and Hispanic communities. I agree, it is abhorrent. Your focus on guns as the cause iisn't even close. The real problem is the abandonment of a value system thatshould be used to raise children to become good citizens. The basis of family and sound parenting has been ignored or in some cases purposely discarded to the detriment of those communities. In black communities the majority of children are born out of wedlock. Many of those children grow up in a single parent home, never knowing their fathers. The mothers in this situation are often overwhelmed by the responsibility for them or are incapable of assuming it because of their age (teens). Many of them have been raised by uncaring or absent parents themselves.
Armin | April 5, 2018
You make some really good points, Gil, and you sound like a thinking person. Your comment about mental illness is very telling and the real problem in society today. For whatever reason, mental illness seems to be on the rise and not only in the US but worldwide. I can't even really say what's causing it but has to be more than just one factor. And I would tend to think hard drug use is a very real part of the problem. I also believe you're spot on when talking about poor parenting skills. Where are children supposed to learn correct ways of thinking and acting? From their peers. No.
I want to make a response to your comment about the need for weapons in the hands of private citizens. When the Second Ammendment was conceived, one of the premises was that tyranny could not get a foothold in a country where there was an armed citizenry. This has been shown to be perfectly valid in my lifetime. Germany, Italy, China, and Russia and many countries in Africa and South America were taken over by dictators because the people couldn't defend themselves. You'll probably think I'm being stupid; that it couldn't happen here. Please don't delude yourself. As long as countries are governed by men (or women) there's always a chance of a dictator coming to power.
The old saying, Gil. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And democracy is a fiction. A true democracy only works if each and every one of its citizens is responsible in all that they say and do and we haven't reached that point yet. Instead overwhelming greed and corruption are widespread and we are constantly being goaded by the ceaseless input of the ever present media to always want more and compete more with each other. If instead all people had a solid foundation of goodness and at least some kind of belief even in the ten commandments as a commonality to help build a better world through co-operation with each other rather than constantly competing with each for dwindling resources this would be a much different and better world. People don't even need to believe in any kind of god. That's not really that important but most of us need at least some kind of guidelines for right living. And the ten commandments are very good for that. How many people are even aware of them these days? Or for that matter care? If you strip away all the blah-blah from the ten commandments what they really come down to is firstly respect for yourself and respect for others. Respect others for who and what they are and leave their "stuff" and their wives alone. I know I'm going to get a lot of flak for the next comments but I'm going to say them anyways because I AM entitled to my opinion. I see the current state of the US as being very comparable to the last days of the Roman Empire. They were both in a state of decline. They were both very strong militarily. For the most part the citizens were only interested in bread and circuses and the more debased and crude the better. Widespread drug use. Deep-rooted corruption and greed in both business and government For the most part a dumbed-down, programmed and hypnotized citizenry through the use of soft metals like aluminum. In the Roman era it was their use of lead pipes. Today it's aluminum cookware. Has the same result. An abysmal educational system. Constant "entertainment" input from the Jew-owned media. Put all these together and the ordinary person doesn't have much of a chance. Today it's all about control. Both subtle and gross. Cattle and sheep are much easier to control than an educated and thinking populace. And THAT possibility scares the crap out of the so-called ruling elite.
Cry Havoc | April 3, 2018
Vickie, you state we are in a panic over losing our rights. We believe that our rights come to each man and woman from God. The Bill of Rights, simply codified these inalienable rights to prevent an overreaching government from taking them. Next you state, our lack of gun restrictions have created mass killings. I maintain that since every mass shooting except ONE has occurred in a victim disarmament zones aka " gun free" zones, then it is government creation of areas where the people have been denied their natural right of self defense, That draw mass murderers like a moth to the flame. (Criminals,terrorists and crazies prefer unarmed victims) And lastly, you say "we don't need weapons designed to kill." That is PRECISELY why they are necessary. If you do a little honest research as to the Founding Fathers original intent, the "militia" ( citizens armed with weapons of warfare) were a failsafe, to ensure our ability to defend the rest of the contract ie, the Constitution. The ratification debates, and the Federalist papers are a good place to start. Finally, concerning what Europeans think, there are only two kinds of people in Europe, those whose A$$ We saved, and those whose A$$ We kicked. If you are in either of those groups, please go pour yourself a nice hot cup of shut the hell up.
You make some very good points, "Cry Havoc" and I agree with most of what you say. Love your choice of username, I don't know what it says about me but one of my favourite poems.
"Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial."
Yeah, someone beat me to "dogs of war" I am a civilian now, but still believe in the brilliance of the Constitution. I also believe that the Oath I took to uphold and defend it, being an oath before God, did not end upon receipt of my DD214.There are many other veterans who feel the same way. Our numbers are legion.
Then you just need to surreptitiously organize to become a force to be reckoned with if indeed your numbers are legion.
kfilly | April 3, 2018
You are pretty naive. The Founding Fathers stated the purpose of the Second Amendment. You should read what they wrote and said about the matter. All able bodied are the militia, they should be armed as well as the military. (Our Founders hated standing armies as they feared it would be for imperialism , i.e. Middle East, and could be turned against the people). All people have the God given or natural born right, if you prefer to be able to defend themselves. This right to self defense might include a foreign invasion or to protect themselves from their very own government. You should look up the term democide. It was a word created in the 20th Century that means mass murder by your very own government. I believe over 200 million people trusted their governments for protection, before being exterminated by their government. You think that cannot happen here. Our government has already committed serious abuses against its citizens. How many disarmed Native Americans died on the Trail of Tears? The federal government also committed the largest shooting in US history. That event was called Wounded Knee when roughly 300 disarmed women and children were shot by the government. How many Japanese Americans ended up in internment camps during World War 2? You are right. It obviously cannot happen here.
There was a quote by Admiral Yamamoto. He said, "America could not be invaded because their would be a rifle behind every blade of grass." He was not referring to the US military.
I am not bought or indoctrinated by the gun lobby. I know history. History repeats because people are STUPID, and they repeat mistakes of others. You did not learn and trust your fascist warmongering government to protect you. Um, no thanks as every level of government failed before the Florida high school shooting. Benjamin Franklin also had something to say, "Those who give up Liberty for perceived safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." You want to give up liberty. Which gun control lobby fed you propaganda? Which branch of the deep state run MSM told you guns ownership is evil? On that last subject, how is it that pretty much every news outlet has the same attitude? Do not tell me they are enlightened.
Define what an assault weapon is. I know you can't as it is a made up term. An assault rifle has a selectable rate of fire (single shot, 3 round burst, fully automatic). The average public citizen cannot buy an assault rifle.
One last thing. Rifles of all types are responsible for less than 500 deaths each year. Hands and feet kill far more people each year. The FBI keeps track of all causes of murder. If you are trying to save the children. An average of 11 children die each day in traffic accidents. Let's ban cars.
Your government creates the poor. Do you understand how your banking system works? Probably not as most Americans are clueless. We are a socialist country and have been since the Privately owned Federal Reserve was created in 1913 (Karl Marx's banking system).
Henry Ford said, "It is well enough the average citizen of the nation does not understand the banking system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before morning," yes, your banking system is stealing every Americans' wealth and transferring it to the global 1%. The Federal Reserve is a collection of private banks that loan money (backed by nothing to the government). Guess who pays for that? You the tax slave, Since your money is an instrument if debt (what the term note means in banking terms), every dollar created is loaned to the government. Here is the catch, there is no way to pay back the interest which means we always have to increase our debt. This has happened since Nixon temporarily took us off the Gold standard. Most in this country are brainwashed into thinking they are free. Ha, ha, that is the funniest thing I heard all day.
You seem to know a little more than most, Kfilly, and I'm glad there are still some people like you left. Gives me some hope for the future. Most people don't know that the FED was created in secret on Jekyll Island by a group of the most corrupt financiers of the time. And it was a designed to keep the people of the United States in perpetual debt. I believe it works by something called the Mandrake mechanism and hopefully some will be interested enough to look that up. Most still think it's a government institution. It's privately owned. Look at your "greenback". It says federal reserve note on it. Compared to the value of the 1913 dollar the US dollar today is virtually worthless. Sooner or later they will have no choice but to bring in some kind of "correction" to fix the whole corrupt, failing financial system. I don't know what form that will take or when it will happen. But it will happen. It has to. I think your last comment is very telling. We all believe we're free and we live in some kind of democracy. That's the greatest fiction and lie perpetrated on us all. All central banks are private institutions and we're all debt slaves from the moment we're born to the day we die. Maybe the movie "The Matrix" was trying to tell us something through allegory. How many listened? Critical thinking is all but a lost art these days. Bread and circuses. Bread and circuses.
jon | April 3, 2018
what assault weapons do you speak of ? the AR-15?NOPE not and assault weapon it is only semiautomatic and the "ar" in it you say? It stands for Armalite Rifle as in the company who designed it ARMALITE RIFLE COMPANY!
The EU has an increase in knife killing sprees and other homicides using cars ,bombs ,etc.
Canada is not a resonable example as its smaller population than the US makes for a lot of difference AND 1 in five accused of homicide were mentally or developmentally ill according to http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54879-eng.htm
cause of deaths shooting and stabbing are generally the same but shooting is growing I do admit but if fluctuates as proven by chart 4 of the same site
Gang related homicides have been increasing as of 2016 according to chart 3 of the site
THERFORE THE PROBLEM IS NOT GUNS BUT RATHER MENTAL ILLNESSES AND DEVELOPMENTAL PROBLEMS
I would tend to agree with you, Jon. It's not the relatively sane person with a gun that's driving up the murder rates unless they're put into a life or death situation. I don't know how easy it is to acquire a gun in the US but I've "heard" fairly easy and I don't know if there is a mandatory psych evaluation before someone can own a gun. There should be. It seems there are a lot of "troubled" people out there these days. This is an article from The Atlantic,. Don't know if it's true. Would take a lot of digging to confirm and I don't have the time. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/10/why-more-americans-suffer-from-mental-disorders-than-anyone-else/246035/ This is the gist of the article. You can read the whole thing yourself if you're interested. Title is; Why More Americans Suffer From Mental Disorders Than Anyone Else. That mental health disorders are pervasive in the United States is no secret. Americans suffer from all sorts of psychological issues, and the evidence indicates that they're not going anywhere despite (or because of?) an increasing number of treatment options. There are the mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, and the less severe dysthymia (low grade depression); anxiety disorders like generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, agoraphobia, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD); substance abuse; and impulse control disorder (like attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder). Research shows that while we're seeking treatment more, rates have not dropped much, if at all, in recent years. For depression alone, about one in 10 people in America has suffered from it in the last year. Twice that number will be affected over the course of a lifetime.
But how does the U.S. compare to other nations? The World Health Organization (WHO) has spent a good amount of time and resources determining how rates of mental health disorders fluctuate across the globe. It is no small task. The methods of data collection must maintain consistency across widely disparate cultures and languages, not to mention groups' varying willingness to talk about mental health problems in the first place. The WHO has come up with vast catalogues of mental health data, which they are constantly updating. See how the U.S. compares to other countries: And it goes on from there if you want to read it yourself. Don't know what's going on in the States to cause it.
Thank you for the link to StatsCan, Jon. Mental illness is a big part of it. Has to be. Even one homicide per year in a country is one too many.
I love your passion, Vicki and I'll only try to be constructive in my criticism so don't go "postal" on me. Ok? You make some really good points. There is absolutely no need for people to own assault weapons. That should be a no-brainer for everyone. A semi-automatic should be quite enough for most situations. You assume that a weapon like a gun is designed to kill people. Your argument is predicated on a faulty premise. Any kind of weapon like that is not designed to kill people it is just designed and built to damage or kill. Hopefully that person will choose to use it for legitimate hunting purposes. A gun by itself is not to kill people. What a person chooses do with that weapon determines its purpose. And to drag out an old and dusty truism from the closet; It's not guns that kill people. It's people that kill people. And I would tend to think the reason that gun related crimes are down in Germany and other European countries including Britain are that guns are EXTREMELY difficult to acquire in those places and have been for quite some time and they take crime very seriously over there. So the people in general have become used to not owing guns. And some of the security procedures have probably been tightened up due to the large influx of refugees and the latest round of terrorist attacks. Right now it would be much more difficult to get a gun in Europe. Now it's "just" rapes and edged weapons crimes. Yeah, right! And I also think there is a different mentality in Europe. I believe for the most part Europeans are far more law abiding. It's just ingrained in them. Except the Brits. They're just plain nuts. LOL! And I also think they don't have the same magnitude or degree of criminal infiltration that there is in North America. North America, especially Canada, seems to be very easy on criminals. Some of our prisons are more like 5 star hotels than prisons. A prison should be a very UNPLEASANT place for people to end up in. There should be a very definite limit to compassion when dealing with criminals. And now we are the criminals if we try to defend our homes against those that wish to do us harm?! What kind of a cockamamie system is that? I'll state here and now for the record, and damn the idiotic liberal laws and their supporters, If a criminal tries to invade my home with the intent of doing me serious harm I WILL shoot the son of a bitch. Make no mistake about it. Screw that faggot Trudeau and his deeply flawed Liberal policies. I will of, course, first try to wound that person. I am not a killer. But if that person is intent on continuing to come after me I will do whatever is necessary to stop them. But many people are also right about gun ownership in the States, Vicki. It was made a right under the constitution so that the people would have a last resort chance of reining in an out of control government but that of course would mean civil war and most these days don't have the stomach for it. But the vets are pissed. Bread and circuses, Vicki. Bread and circuses. I take exception when you say that lack of gun restrictions is the problem. Think of Switzerland. Very low crime rate and it's mandatory for every household to have a at least one gun. They are RESPONSIBLE gun owners. I don't think it's lack of gun restrictions other than being able to own a hand gun. That's just ludicrous. It's not the wild west anymore or is it? LOL! The application process is flawed and gun ownership has no real accountability. The gun culture is deeply ingrained in the American people and they believe it's their right to carry guns. Their constitution says so. But the real problem is easy access to guns by the mentally unstable and generally irresponsible gun usage by the masses. They forget that a gun is not a toy but use it like it is. There is no reason for people to be carrying hand guns although having had to drive through some of the worst parts of Detroit I wonder. Hand guns should be absolutely restricted to police and security personnel. I've also heard that about the ruling elite but don't know if it's true. If they would like nothing better than for most of us to kill each other leaving a nominal population of about half a billion. Save them the effort and expense. But it wouldn't really last unless people learn to stop screwing like rabbits. Guns are not a bad thing, They're a tool like anything else in the right hands,Vicki, if used properly and responsibly but the problem is the nut jobs with guns. A psych evaluation should be part and parcel of the process for owning a gun. And gun ownership should not be a right but a privilege. Something like a driver's licence. Three strikes and you're out type of thing. I'm not saying you're allowed 3 murders before a mandatory lifetime ban! LOL! The dumbing down seems to be happening all over the world, Vicki, but seems to be more prevalent in the US than anywhere else. Are the elite so afraid of the American people? But one thing I am pretty sure of is that the elite are scared shitless of most of us because there are soooooo many more if us than them and if we managed to overcome our differences and organize against them we could topple this whole corrupt system in an instant. And this current system does need to go down and be replaced by a system of the people and for the people. We have been screwed by those in power much too long and the time is ripe for change. And those in power know that. Their time of reckoning is coming. Think of the song "Strange Fruit" by Billie Holiday and that's where most of the so-called elite need to end up.
Andre | April 4, 2018
The public does need assault weapons, or other kinds of instruments designed to PROTECT.
Peter Clark | April 4, 2018
European countries have reduced 'gun' crimes it is true, they just use bombs and motor vehicles. I guess the government should ban cars, trucks, gun powder kitchen knives, forks and whatever else that can be used as a weapon. It is hard to fathom why anyone would allow the government to take away their means of self protection. It is nearly impossible to legislate human behavior. If someone has the urge to kill another person, they will find the means to do so. The people who have shot up schools and concerts, have either acquired their weapons legally, or they have stolen them. I guess if you are wanting to kill someone, the crime of theft of a firearm is not going to cause them to lose any sleep. The thought that only the government should have weapons is what drove the Asians to inventing martial arts. Things like nunchuks and the three section staff were actually farming implements, yet they were turned into weapons. Also, the yo-yo (great toy isn't it) was originally a weapon. Given Man's penchant for hurting, maiming and killing his fellow man, there is no way to stop the violence except by moral education which is considerably lacking in this day and age. People need to start taking responsibility for their actions. If you get an 'F' in a class, it probably isn't anyone's fault but your own. Didn't get the job? Maybe you weren't prepared. People need to realize that you can't win all the time. You have to accept the fact that you will lose at something sometime in your life and you have to be ready to learn from that experience. If it is important to you, grow up, move on and try again, don't take it out on all the people that didn't have anything to do with your failure.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Andre, and I can respect that but on this one point we'll never agree. As far as I'm concerned the so-called assault weapons are designed for one thing and that is to kill others as efficiently as possible. Do you really need a weapon that can spew out a thousand or more rounds a minute? And then you're trying to rationalize to me that assault weapons are only designed for protection or defense? Against what? You expecting a zombie apocalypse? LOL! Just remember that the phrase assault weapon has the word "ass" in it and as far as I'm concerned that's what the people are that own one of these weapons of mass destruction. The word overkill comes to mind.
Hmm, tell us please, where in the US can a mere civilian legally purchase so-called assault weapons that can spew out a thousand or more rounds a minute…?
I'm glad you replied, Andre, because I'm going through all this trouble that I can debate with people and learn in the process. I may be wrong in my assumptions and I don't know that much about the application process to get a gun in the US as I live in Canada. Up here the requirements to own a long gun are quite stringent and it's almost impossible for the ordinary person, other than the criminal element, to acquire a hand gun. For that matter what does the normal person even need a hand gun for? But in the US is it not relatively easy for the "mere civilian" or collector to purchase almost any gun that they might want? And according to Wikipedia, which is by no means the definitive source of anything, but a good general source of knowledge; it says that most assault rifles have a cyclic rate of fire anywhere from 600-900 rpm. 1000 to 1100 rpm in some cases. Submachine guns and machine pistols 900 to 1200 rpm. And machine guns obviously higher but for the purposes of this discussion we'll limit it to assault rifles and submachine guns. 600 to 900 rpm sounds pretty close to my ballpark of 1000 rpm. Apparently, today, the term assault rifle is used to define firearms sharing the same basic characteristics as the StG 44. Examples include the stg44, AK-47. M-16. Are these guns not fairly easy to acquire in the US? What about things like the Uzi, Mac 10. Mac 11, FN P90? Are they also not relatively easy to get in the United States for the average "Joe" or collector? And all of these have a cyclic fire rate of pretty close to a thousand rounds per minute. If I'm wrong in my assumptions, Andre, then please correct me as I'm not familiar with all that happens in the US.
Mere civilians are not allowed automatic 'assault' weapons. Only semi-automatics (each new shot requires a trigger pull).
BTW: It is much easier to kill a group of people in the street by using a truck or car, than by using a gun. (Look at what happened in Nice, France).
However I agree that mentally ill people do not have (2nd ammendment) rights to own/use a gun, a car or whatever tool that may endanger themselves or others.
Mahatma Muhjesbude | April 5, 2018
Victoria, obviously your abject ignorance is only transcended by your extreme Obsessive Compulsive anti-Constitutional Disorder, your intransigent Marxist brainwashing, depraved emotional content, and hatred for a country founded in liberty and equality for all?
Not to mention the fact that you comment like one of those perverted far leftist trolls who reads two lines of the article and makes moronic pre-programmed control freak scripted agenda statements in response. Or was it always a reading comprehension issue in your misguided childhood? Perhaps a bit of lingering long term ADHA disorder that causes your inability to read carefully and absorb reality content?
You are, however, correct about the pandemic of systemic social stupidity so pervasive in today's world. And remains the essence of a self-destructive communicable mind disease passed around by carriers like you.
You should focus on a little introspection concerning that if you want to help ameliorate the problem. But remember, sometimes you just can't fix stupid, not even with duct tape.
For the hope of your future salvation here is a conundrum worth pondering for your enlightenment practice even though it might be painful for your limited cognitive capacity to exercise what's left of your brain, so take it slowly at first with this simple question…
If guns kill people, how is it that anybody leaves a gun show alive?
Mark Von Spitzock | April 5, 2018
You take a position that other places are to your liking , well go to the place you like..Leave the majority that is happy with our freedoms. Admiral Yamamotto was asked about invading the continental United states during Pearl Harbour and he said NO because behind every blade of grass is a gun. If the citizens are disarmed any country will be able to just walk in and take over. I am too old to learn Chinese or Russian language.
So you toddle off to Germany or take a walk to Canada if you can not afford a steerage ticket on a freighter and enjoy the surroundings that you adore!
A weapon can be on a table and will not hurt anybody, it can lay there for life times and not go off . It is the people that have no respect that are the problem. We should be schooling our children early about guns and the power of destruction the gun has. Teach them how to respect it and how to use it responsibly. It is a great invention that has saved millions and millions of lives.not only from reptiles and animals but from ideologies and the people who hold them. Search for your place that makes you happy and go there. Leave the rest of us alone because we disagree with you. Tha'ts it we agree to disagree. Is that so Bad!
Rmc | April 6, 2018
Vicky seems your opinions have once again woken us to a new level of defense of our rights as U.S. citizens. Personally you have done more damage by sounding the alarm ever grouping we the gun holders to a much tighter force against you the grabbers, you dolts on the left don't get it, WE THE GUN HOLDERS WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED, by you or any other government, you have reason to fear, if not by the act of criminals, then by us, we will never go down as you hope. So Talk, scream, whatever makes you feel empowered, your preaching to the choir. Lastly, judging by your lack of responses to so many responses to your rant, I'd guess you really have no intelligent words to counter, just parroting the lefts tripe,
Me.... | April 8, 2018
@ Vicki G …. Those Criminals that wish to harm someone will do so with or without guns. They don't obey those NO GUN ZONE signs so why would those INTENT on harming other people obey your new restrictions? Those wanting to harm or kill others would just switch to another "tool" such as a knife, car, or truck, ball bat , gasoline, etc, etc,… so in the end, your restrictions will impact the good people more that do need guns to protect themselves in everyday situations that we rarely hear about on the news. More info here> http://americangunfacts.com/
RLABruce | April 8, 2018
Vicky, How is a 100-pound woman supposed to defend herself against a 200-pound rapist/murderer? Do you WANT women to be defenseless? The criminals will always have weapons; if law-abiding citizens aren't allowed any, that pretty well makes it open season for the thugs to assault people, don't you think?
If you are sincere about not wanting firearms, try this: post a sign in your yard assuring criminals that your home is a "gun-free zone." They will take everything you have, and you made yourself completely helpless to do a thing about it!
Steven HIghtower | April 3, 2018
Bill make perfect sense of our current situation. Just as you can't get blood from a stone, seems you can't get a liberal to see the truth.
Like nobody here saw what was coming. What did they expect when they mixed a horde of Muslim savages with an unarmed and docile native population? It is only going to get much, much worse.
True, Germany and other European countries have reduced 'GUN" crimes, but people can still get cars and trucks and drive them though crowds of defense people. I don't see anyone clamoring for more restrictive driver's licenses, or the elimination of motor vehicles. Even without fire arms, people will still find a way to kill others if that is their intent. As for me, I will go armed every where I can so that I may protect myself and my family. Hope fully Ms. Gibson will never experience a need to defend herself or her family form an attacker armed or otherwise.
Paul Revere | April 3, 2018
Ms. Vicki, I also lived in the US and in Europe, in Germany, Denamrk, and the UK as well as traveled extensively in France. The last 4 are 3rd World countries anywhere mass emigration has played out. And the only reason gun crimes are not more prevalent are because knive and fist fights are the main weapon of choise.
If you live in a bubble and are not aware that crime has went up 200% in some of this countries,
BQuad | April 3, 2018
It's not about guns….it's about control
Yup. I agree. Control of US by THEM. What most don't realize is that THEY are deathly afraid of US because of our numbers. God help them if we ever realize we can overcome THEM if we organize.
B Wolf | April 3, 2018
Having been a repeated victim of violence as a young man by a large group of young men and later as an adult (raped by several males), I can say I would have preferred to be armed with a weapon to even the odds rather than spend months recovering from being beating within an inch of my life by a mob of racist or gay bastards.
I'll take a gun, please and thank you.
I feel so badly for you. That's the problem, isn't it? Doesn't take much for some people to turn into animals. This veneer of civilization we wear seems to be quite thin and can be doffed quite easily of we so choose.
Steve Kasunic | April 3, 2018
Poor poor Vicki Gibson, totally clueless! Dear Vicki, Chicago is the city with the toughest gun control laws in the country and it is RUN SOLELY BY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS. It is they who don't care about the thugs killing each other daily and NO AMOUNT OF LAWS RESTRICTING GUNS HAS HELPED THEM, AS CRIMINALS BY DEFINITION DON'T CARE IF THEY BREAK THE LAWS! The MOB and criminals love gun control laws because the honest people have no way to protect themselves legally. Who is going to want to take the chance to rob or hurt someone they know is probably armed? Not too many people. If some teachers in schools are armed, this makes them much less of a soft target. Did you even read the article? How a whole bunch of students were saved by an ARMED resource officer after the active shooter only injured 2 students. Success! A gun is a great equalizer. You do know that where conceal carry laws are enacted, predatory crime goes down considerably?. Why is it that liberals always embrace solutions that are simpleton knee jerk reactions that are always doomed to fail? Even in spite of evidence to the contrary? Can't you put any critical thinking skills into use? Again, did you even read the article? The same day as Sandy Hook a man in China Killed 20 children with a knife. Are you going to ban knives too?? Good luck with that. What if they run people over with a car? Are you willing to give up your SUV? My guess is no…Sometimes you have to think with your brain and not just out of control emotions. That won't solve anything.
hcool | April 3, 2018
Is there anyone who really believes that a gun ban will work any better than the alcohol ban (prohibition) or the ban on drugs (drug war)? The U.S. has always had guns and never had a major problem until the last 40 years. It is the rotting of society not guns. Bombs are illegal to but that has not stopped them! Lets face it…..anyone who will kill people they don't even know including women and children is just an evil person who does not need to live among civilized people.
I totally agree with you, Hcool. All prohibition and the so-called drug war did was to drive it underground. The same thing will happen with the gun ban and then the situation will be exacerbated and make a bad situation even worse.
J | April 3, 2018
The Chinese stabbing the day off SandyHook did not actually kill anyone, though the point is still valid that stabbings are frequently fatal and certainly alarming. You might want to adjust the language of that point to read "injured 24" instead of "killed the exact same number"
You could use the Chinese Subway stabbings as an example instead.
I don't exactly know why but for some reason even in Canada the knife crimes seem to be on the rise. Not a good trend.
ANON E MOOSE | April 3, 2018
Vicki –
you have the freedom of speech because our founding fathers did have guns and decided to proctect their rights and the rights of those who have inherited this great country from them.
freedom of speech, however, unfortunately does not prevent, cure or eliminate ignorance
if you are not happy here, you have the freedom to leave.
ray | April 3, 2018
The one main reason that Imperial japan did not invade the U S,was because they knew that many Americans, in there homes were armed.
Hey guys. This is a very dicey subject so firstly I'm going to bore you with some stats. Unfortunately these are mostly from 2014/15 and if you guys want to do your own research please be my guest. It's way too much info to post in its totality here. The important part of Bill's article to me was the conclusion and his summation was excellent. How do we look at world murder rates? # per 100k of population or total number of people killed in a country per year? I would tend to think that # per 100k of population would provide a more even playing field. But also the # of people killed in a year is also very telling. Surprisingly El Salvador had the highest murder rate per 100k of pop. at 108.64 in 2015. Brazil #1 in 2015, 55,574; then India, 41,623; then Mexico, 20,762; then South Africa, 18,673; then Nigeria, 17,843; then Venezuela, 17,778, then Russia, 16,232, then the US., 15,696; then Pakistan, 13,846; then Colombia, 12,782; then Democratic Republic of the Congo, 10,322; then China, 10,083; then The Philippines, 9,756. This is obviously for illustrative purposes only and I don't know what % is gun deaths and what % is other. There are 219 countries and I'm NOT putting the stats down for every country.. Our brains would melt. This is enough to give us an idea. So what is the commonality here? Or is there even one? Brazil surprised me. Most people killed in 2015. Why? Are the Brazilians (Portuguese) particularly violent? And who is being killed? Is it mostly the indigenous people because of the clear-cutting of the Amazon? India surprised me. In all their religious literature they're always embracing concepts like peace and love and non-violence. So what gives in India? Mexico is a non-brainer. Drug wars. South Africa is an interesting one. What's going on there? Continuing race wars? In a lot of the African countries the wars are continuing so I can understand Nigeria. I think the high numbers in Venezuela can be attributed to their economic meltdown. I don't have stats before 2015. Would be good for a comparison. Russia I can understand. A fairly poor population. Corrupt communist country ruled by the Russian mafia. And the Russians do seem to like their vodka a little too much. I'm going to love to see what happens in Canada when marijuana is legalized even though they say pot makes you "mellow". A wonderful social experiment. I'm really glad I have nothing to do with drugs. The US I can also understand. Undercurrent of stress and violence. Easy access to guns. Widespread drug use. Mix those three and you have high murder rate. Pakistan is surprising. Not sure what's going on there. Colombia speaks for itself. Drugs. Cartel. I think there's still a war going on in the Congo so their numbers don't surprise me. But China is something of a puzzle. They killed 10,000 of their .own. Curious. But because of their population very low murder rate. 0.74. And from what I've heard about the Philippines very serious drug problem. And it seems to me that a lot of these places that have such a high murder rate you have crime, poverty, corruption, combination of either alcohol and drugs although you could count alcohol as one of the most insidious drugs. Now to put this all into perspective and make a case for RESPONSIBLE gun ownership, in Switzerland it's MANDATORY for every household to own at least one gun after compulsory military service for males lasting close to a year. Military service is voluntary for females. I'm not sure about the details for Swiss military service. If there is a Swiss person reading this I would not mind them letting us know the details. And this system makes perfect sense to me regarding responsible gun ownership. First you are trained in the proper use of a weapon and then you are required to keep at least one in your home. If criminals know that all of the population is armed then it would give them pause before embarking on the crime. Switzerland's murder rate is not zero but in 2015 it was 0.69 per 100k of pop. and a total of 57. Not bad for a country of approx. 8.5 million people. Not everyone should be able to acquire a gun nilly-willy without proper instruction and practice in its use. And I think that's one of the biggest problems in the current US system. Irresponsible gun ownership. Apparently anyone of legal age can go into something like their local Walmart and pick up a weapon. Please correct me if I'm wrong. The system needs to be changed. There's no reason for the average person to carry a hand gun. If a so-called law-abiding citizen wants to acquire a weapon then they should be required to go through a period of instruction AND psychological evaluation until they can show competence and responsibility in it's use. And only long guns should be available for sale. But that's not REALLY the problem, Just part of it. The real problem is the criminal element acquiring illegal weapons through the black market. No amount of legislation is going to stop that and in fact if the general citizenry is disarmed through legislation I would bet dollars to donuts crime would increase and in lock step with it so the murder rate. Disarm the general population and you make them sitting ducks for the criminals. The government needs to grow a pair and engage the military to go after all the criminal factions in the United States. They could do it if they were determined enough. But firstly the system has to change. RESPONSIBLE and knowledgeable long gun ownership is the answer. Ban hand guns for all except security and police forces and make them almost impossible to acquire for the "average" person. And make illegal hand gun ownership EXTREMELY punitive.
Hey Armin, you could go and live in your delusional anti-gun utopia right now! There are quite a few interesting countries that already subscribe to your gun/crime control methodology suggestions? The Delta flight from NY to Iran, for instance, leaves tomorrow??? You should be on it to avoid the rush. Take Victoria with you. I'll pitch in for the ticket?
To answer your query about Pakistan or India, it's because of holy wars. Brazil is a combination of drugs and socialist economic collapse. Venezuela is really bad economically and guns are in state gun confiscation mode, that obviously doesn't prevent violence but makes it easier for the police state to loot and pillage.the unarmed citizens. South Africa is an interesting fulfillment of a previous prophecy. The current Black political leadership just made some egregious law that literally steals land from white owners. Some land owners are fighting back. It's basically a race issue. exacerbated by an economic one.
But all these nations have the kind of gun control your comment seems to approve of for America.. So Go for it! If you think you are so smart that you don't need to study history to learn why the visionary Founders set up the Constitution the way they did, then you should at least visit a couple of these countries to at learn the truth the hard way before making so many igno-imbecilic suggestions.
I appreciate the info about countries like Brazil and such but you really seem to have some serious anger management issues. I was hoping that my comments would have spawned some useful debate but your degree of vitriol is unwanted and inappropriate and speaks to a mental instability. From the looks of it you could be an extremist Muslim troll. You are an extremely ignorant person attacking others from behind your keyboard. That takes real courage. Must make a very small person like you feel like a real man. Why don't YOU go back to the Asian country from where you crawled out from under that rock? If you would have actually taken the time to read what I had posted you would have realized I am not at all adverse to gun ownership by responsible and informed people. What I am adverse to is hand gun ownership by the ordinary person. There is absolutely no need for that. Most hand guns are not effective in a hunting situation but are very good in being used to kill other people and that's their only function. The system works very well in Switzerland because the people owning the guns (rifles) for the most part are responsible and well-versed in their operation. And the criminals know this. If everyone is armed then the criminals are less likely to attack you. That should be obvious even to someone like you. I am all for the 2nd amendment but the intentions of the founders of the constitution have been subverted. And for too long it has been much too easy for everyone to acquire almost any type of gun they wanted. Do you want the drug addict next door owning the latest assault rifle? Or the psychopath down the street? Or the vet coming back with a serious case of PTSD? I don't know about you but I don't The real problem is with the application process to acquire a weapon. It's horribly flawed. There really should be a psych evaluation before you can own a gun. And because of the reality of the modern era a gun licence SHOULD be a privilege, not a right. You need to demonstrate competence and responsibility before you're allowed to own any kind of firearm. Kfilly mentioned that there are only 500 deaths per year from all types of rifles but they didn't mention handguns. If this is so and there were almost 16,000 homicides in the US back in 2015 then there is a very dangerous undercurrent of fear, hate and anger in society generally speaking. And by the way, it's ADHD, not ADHA. And people living in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. The splinters are really painful.
How could your comments 'spawn' (as in space alien monsters, LO L!) any useful debate when all you do is puke out inane contradictions of reality within a skewed context of specious equivocation points, like we should have "some rights but not all gun rights, as your comment above egregiously states that gun ownership should be a privilege, not a right?
I reply to that despicable statement with the query what are you , Fucking NUTS? (quite likely yes, in retrospect analysis to your disjointed confluence of self contradictions and gross stupidity) or just a two-bit shill for the totalitarian gun grabbers currently at full throttle balls to the wall treason now that they are getting away with exploiting children for their perverted gun grabbing agenda? Or probably both?
Look dude, don't worry about my 'anger'. It's managed quite professionally. If you knew who you were really dissing you'd be having Hershey squirts in your pee pee panties while your trembling fingers attempted to continue your asinine statements.
Sowhy don't you forget about 'spawning' any of your extreme leftist agenda debate and save some face here and go back to you trite little bottom feeding scavenger world of typo-trollingomewhere else?
Otherwise you'll continue to remove all doubt as to how abjectly ignorant and pitifully puerile you really are with your statements.
Because first of all, There IS No 'debate'–except in the midget control freak mentalities of treasonous Tyrannists like yourself and your cognitively deceased girlfriend Victoria– about the 2nd Amendment.
There never was, and there should not ever be any discussion about it. It is an absolute inalienable natural right guaranteed by the Supreme Constitutional Law of the Land. Period! No Debating it, except for people like you with their specious agenda purpose, as you are obviously displaying.
All gun control laws, are, in fact, Illegal fiat mandates that should be prosecuted in violation of anti-Constitutional laws if any of our prostitute politicians fraudulently passing for representatives had any Patriotism left in their souls.
The 2nd/A and subsequent historic analysis removed any doubt from it's primary message that your gun rights 'SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED'.
That means absolutely no exceptions, compromise, equivocation, concessions, stipulations, or any other qualifiers. including people with mental issues and PTSD Vets. Because your mind, notwithstanding (obviously) your repeated exemplification of a substandard I.Q, cannot grasp the reality that mental illness IS NOT A CRIME, you dolt! And neither is PTSD. It's something these poor people get for trying to defend your rights to talk like an idiot who just had a full frontal lobotomy. Until you do something wrong with a weapon, there should be absolutely no restrictions according to your natural born and Constitutionally protected right.
Only sanctimonious self-aggrandizing holier-than-thou social deviants like you and your sweetheart here think otherwise in their delusional mind prisons?
But you have NO right to say who should or should not have their rights. Remember that, you totalitarian control freak dumbshit.
The 'real problem' is not any firearm application process because there should NOT be any 'application process'. This is a blatant Constitutional infringement. Anybody who thinks there should be an application process is by default in favor of gun registration also because this is the precursor, which amounts to supporting totalitarianism. So this proves that you are also, among a plethora of other clearly flawed personality characteristics, an extreme leftist anti-American conspirator.
Put another way, it is simply none of your Fucking Business who you would want or not want to have a weapon.
But listen up, before you get too 'high' on your superiority complex. I guarantee you I can do a forensic analysis on your life passed and currently which would provide, by current social conventional opinion standards, that YOU shouldn't be allowed to have weapons, and be restricted in some ways due to 'mental' or flawed emotional content issues.
This, as you so easily fell into, is one of the traps the Tyrannists will eventually use to gain total control of gun ownership. The testing of psychological competence for weapon ownership. The slick anti-gun schemers know that by today's psychological analysis structure and highly subjective diagnosis criteria almost everybody can be disqualified from 'safely' possessing a weapon within the vast umbrella of qualifiers. Smoking pot even once in your life already disqualifies you on the ATF form 4473 from completing a new gun purchase if you read it closely?
And that's what's really causing the 'dangerous undercurrent of fear and anger' and splitting society into factions like it did before the Civil War, thanks to unconscious ignoramuses like you spreading your despotic totalitarian ideas.
So it's really You, my short sighted and unknowledgeable young friend, who should be worried about glass houses.
You're about as transparent as a cheap pair of Victoria Secret underwear.
You're a funny guy, Mahatma Muhjesbude. Fanatical Muslim building bombs in his basement that Homeland Security might be interested in? Specious equivocation? Really? You make me laugh. And I couldn't give a darn who you are or who you think you are. It's very easy to threaten someone from behind a keyboard and the more you do it the smaller everyone realizes you are. You're the one that started this pissing contest and all I seem to be doing is feeding your gigantic ego. So this will be our last communication. You seem to have mastered the art of non sequiturs quite well. I am all for having a reasonable. calm discussion with anyone but this topic seems to have brought out the best and the worst in people. Apparently this issue hits a raw nerve with people. You SEEM to be a very well-read and intelligent young person but appearances can be deceiving and under different circumstances we could almost be friends and I would enjoy discussing different topics with you but you come across as a raving, ranting lunatic with the mental age of a 12-year-old. And I refuse to have a discussion with a person under those circumstances. These are much different times from when the constitution was first drafted and the 2nd amendment written in. Back then they didn't have all the societal problems that we have today including, but not limited to, widespread drug use and not in only in America. An uptick in mental health problems and again worldwide. There's no way the founders could have foreseen how their country would turn out. Or the world for that matter. And under the reality of today's world it is NOT a good idea to give ALL people access to guns whether it was written into the constitution or not. Peter Clark, farther on down this page, made my point for me. He seems like a very reasonable, intelligent young person with a good deal of common sense who's taken the time to train in the use of his weapon and to use his common sense to know when it should or can be used. The problem is that there are legions of people that also have a concealed carry permit who shouldn't. They have no common sense. They're not trained in the use of their weapon and they have either serious drug, alcohol or psychological problems. And under no circumstances should these people be allowed to own ANY kind of gun. I have stated repeatedly in my posts that I am all for long gun ownership as the system in Switzerland does work very well and the gun-related crime rate there is VERY low. If you had indeed taken the time to read my posts you would have known this. But all you want to do is rant and rave and put others down. That's neither a civilized discussion nor discourse. If people really wanted to uphold the spirit of the 2nd amendment then long gun ownership would be available for all those that qualify. Too many people carry handguns that shouldn't and if it WERE possible to legally ban handguns it would only make matters worse because the criminal element has no problems obtaining guns on the black market There is no easy solution to the gun problem in the United States and there IS a real problem. I don't know where that person got his stats that said there were only 500 gun-related deaths in America but that is patently wrong. This from Wikipedia. Again not the definitive source but a good general source. In 2013, there were 73,505 nonfatal firearm injuries (23.2 injuries per 100,000 U.S. citizens). And 33,636 deaths due to "injury by firearms" (10.6 deaths per 100,000 U.S. citizens). These deaths consisted of 11,208 homicides, 21,175 suicides,505 deaths due to accidental or negligent discharge of a firearm, and 281 deaths due to firearms use with "undetermined intent". Compared to 22 other high-income nations, the U.S. gun-related murder rate is 25 times higher. So put that in your pipe and smoke it, boy genius, and stand there and tell me the United States has no gun problem. You can look up the article yourself in Wikipedia under "Gun Violence in the United States". And if you do, make sure to read it this time, not just say you have. And just so that people do know, I am NOT affiliated with any group or organization having anything to do with banning guns. These are just my opinions and as such are as valid as anyone else's. Even if you don't think so. I don't give a rat's ass what someone like you thinks. You have absolutely no class and always seem to enjoy taking the low road. Good luck with that.
TJ Ralston | April 3, 2018
I recently read a statistic that 4400 teenagers die per year due to cyber bullying. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and whatever else is out there. Its the people, not the tool that kills.
Well said. It's not the tool or implement being wielded that kills but rather the person that uses that tool or weapon. Even a rock can be used to kill or maim and probably has been many times down through the ages. Is the rock to blame for the crime? I think not.
Mary | April 3, 2018
This is a well written article with accurate stats. I just don't understand why Vicki Gibson took it the wrong way. The article read very well and is understandable. I support the Second Amendment 100 % and those of us that do, need to re-educate the younger people of our country about the horrors of taking away self=defense. Just start with the Armenians who were tortured by the Turks down to the European nations, Germany as one example, on to Africa and the American Indians in the US. After the guns were taken away, the slaughter began and many people of all ages lost their lives. By taking away their guns, there was no way to defend themselves.
And I agree with YOU 100%, Mary. I do agree with the original intent of the 2nd amendment. Sometimes, we that are living in our prosperous bubble here in North America forget about all the horrible atrocities that have gone on. Like the Armenian genocide that you mentioned. Which occurred from about 1914 to 1923. 1.5 million Armenians were murdered. Most people don't care about history as it doesn't directly affect them but anything of that magnitude diminishes the rest of us. Even from about 1956 to 2016 there have been about 43 genocides killing 50 million people. 50 MILLION! An unimaginable number of people. How much has been lost because of their deaths? Would it have helped if they were armed? Or would it just have turned it into a protracted civil war resulting in even more death or destruction? And please don't get me wrong, Mary, I'm not advocating any kind of murder, especially on this scale. As for the American Indians, Mary, I don't think they had guns to begin with. And didn't many of them succumb to the diseases brought over by the Europeans? How is it that those in power have no problem murdering their fellow man when it so suits them? Are we as a species still really that violent and primitive and hold the life of another in such low esteem? Apparently the genocide of the American Indians was also one of the first examples of germ warfare. I'm looking through a list of genocides, Mary, and it just turns my stomach. So many people needlessly killed. Even Stalin killed almost 10 million of his own people in the Soviet famine of 1923 to 1933. How many people even KNOW of this? Would weapons have helped or just made it worse? I can't answer that. But just looking through this list of genocides is making me sick to my stomach. If people want to research then they can do it themselves. I've had enough.
r mc | April 5, 2018
Interesting your stomach churns as you go through the lists of atrocities and no mention of the most violent and damnable of all, one that is so merciless that people of all walks of life so carefully and calculatingly shove under the rug because it even repulses them, its laughable that even all those here even skip this happening, amazing how stunned everyone's minds are, you all talk about guns, trucks, knives, and whatever else could be used to kill another human being, voices that will never be heard because they were snuffed out by uncaring people such as yourselves, think, your are protected by a wall of flesh that hates you because you may not be what's carrying you hoped you would be, and now the doctor skillfully and with no remorse along with the lack of remorse of the one that carries you put an end to an innocent life that never had a chance to defend its life because of your willingness to be complicit to murder, and guess what? it wasn't a gun, truck, baseball bat, or a car, but the surgeon's scalpel, yes a 20 dollar item meant to help us now used to murder over 60 million babies with no mention of it at all, but by those who care, and judging by most of you here, you could care less that these children ever had a chance to life, your worried about everything else but what grieves God the most! your backward thinking is so appalling! You will give an account before God and there will be no remedy for your outcome. And don't be foolish and think I am judging you, your actions have already been judged, and the outcome is eternal. If you want to make a difference on the subject of killing, try directing your efforts toward these lives that are more than all these school students that are killed by guns, by speaking out against abortion, especially abortion by those that use it as a stop gap measure to suit there own ends to comfort themselves because of there lust to use there comfort as a bargaining chip to overthrow an innocent life. You speak of tragedy ? What do you know of tragedy? YOU ARE DEATHS CULTURE!
You're absolutely right, R Mc, when we think of all the genocides of the past we DO not think of all the babies that have been aborted in the modern era. You make a very good point. I don't think of abortions because I really don't have anything to do with them but they could very well be called a genocide. Murder on a grand scale happening right under our noses. Had no idea it was up to 60 million babies. That just boggles the mind. But how do you suggest we stop the murder of all these babies? Is it not the woman's choice to have that abortion or not? And I'm sure that many women have a valid reason to have the abortion. I would think that one reason would be a baby conceived through rape. I really do believe that all life is sacred and we do not have the right to take any life unless the alternative is the loss of our own. If we wanted to stop all abortions then we would have to convince all women to carry each and every baby to term no matter how it was conceived. Would you like to take on that job?
Yes I have taken it on hence the reason why I wrote what I wrote in response to Vicki and so many others on this site. Then you're correct it is a genocide of major proportions. It is a way of control of societies and is used for every wrong reason but the right reason. And yes a woman does have the right to do with her body as she sees fit, however she does not have the right to murder a child from her own body. However she does have the right of self-control and right thinking.
May I ask HOW you have taken on that job, Rmc? And I agree with you 100% when you say the right of self-control and right thinking. But again I ask, how does that apply to a baby conceived through rape? There's neither self-control nor right thinking involved, especially on the part of the perpetrator. That is an unwanted child conceived through extreme violence. What is the woman supposed to do with an unwanted child like that and especially if she is very young and still a child herself? Should she be forced to carry that unwanted child to term? And then what happens? Should she be forced to care for that child or give it up for adoption? And I don't say this lightly, Rmc. Rape is a real problem in the United States and it would be interesting to find out in what % of those crimes a hand gun was involved. Again, this from Wikipedia about rape in the United States and I was quite surprised at the numbers. "The 2016 Uniform Crime Report (UCR), which measures rapes that are known to police, estimated that there were 90,185 rapes reported to law enforcement in 2015. The 2016 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which measures sexual assaults and rapes that may not have been reported to the police, found that there were 431,840 incidents of rape or sexual assault in 2015. Estimates from other sources typically report much higher levels of both rape and sexual assault than either the NCVS or UCR. A 2010 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control found that around 1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men had experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.
Sex offense victims in 2012 (FBI):
67,345 female
12,100 male
Convicted sex offenders in 2012 (FBI):
4,394 female
And last but not least; Based on the available data, 21.8% of American rapes of female victims are gang rapes.
What kind of a society is that, that you live in, Rmc? The US is supposed to be an enlightened, civilized society. Not to be too harsh but more like a society of animals than human beings. First a horrible gun-related homicide rate and then this. There's something very serious and dark going on in American society. This is something that really needs to be addressed. I would not live there for love or money. And I'm not making these stats up. Wikipedia tends to be on the conservative side. And the US isn't even the worst. Apparently S. Africa is where approx. 500,000 rapes are committed annually. 500,000! What is wrong with THEM down there? And I didn't know this before I started looking into it. S. Africa has been called the "rape capital of the world" and has some of the highest incidences of child sexual abuse in the world with more than 67,000 cases of rape and sexual assaults against children reported in 2000, with welfare groups believing that unreported incidents could be up to 10 times higher. As bad as the stats sound in America there is something SERIOUSLY wrong the S. Africans. Sounds like VERY little respect for human life or dignity. And I know the next is going to make me sound like a monster and I'm really not. I've heard that S. Africa is going to run out of water shortly and when I first heard it I had great empathy for the S. Africans but after reading this it may be what they deserve. If there is some kind of a god or justice it may by God's way of punishing them for past transgressions. What goes around ALWAYS comes around.
Roy Fernandez | April 4, 2018
As a comparison you choose England and Australia and only being able to cite one or two incidents compared to thousands in USA.
Gil Forbes | April 4, 2018
Thousands of What?
Susan | April 4, 2018
Armin, Steve, B Wolf, Gilbert Forbes and "Necrophage" if you are not mature enough to and don't feel like men, you should not endanger us with you guns.
Please learn to read stats and stop fake news.
I really try to understand you, but you just need to man up and stop thinking just about yourselfs
We don't endanger anyone except someone that wants to endanger us. For the life of me I don't get why you folks can't seem to understand that. Just because we own guns doesn't make us dangerous. What it does do is make us safer because we know we can defend ourselves and our families. I pray that you never are in danger for your life. I suspect, however, that if you are, you will probably call someone (police) who has a gun to defend you. As they say. "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away." I hope they get there in time. I don't want them coming to my home after the fact and putting up crime tape while the coroner carries off my family members.
"We don't endanger anyone except someone that wants to endanger us." You make a very excellent and valid point, Gil, but the problem is that not everyone thinks and acts like you do. You are one of the more responsible people and seem to have a good head on your shoulders. What about the dug addict with a gun that all of a sudden goes out and shoots up the neighbourhood? Or the neighbor that goes on a bender and suddenly decides it's a good idea to start using HIS neighbours as target practice? Or the person that is so stressed out that one day they just snap and go up on a roof with a sniper rifle and start taking out people at the local Denny's? Or the myriad of people that ARE mentally ill and do still own a gun also deciding it's fun to shoot others. And I am not trying to insult or disrespect anyone, Gil, but for those of us looking in from the outside at the state of current US society it's absolutely insane that most Americans feel the need to carry a handgun around with them wherever they go. And to go to sleep with one beside them. Do all of you not realize that this is symptomatic of a very, very sick society where the problems are deep-rooted and run very deeply? And carrying a hand gun around with you wherever you go has nothing to do with the second amendment. I don't want to come across as rude or ignorant but maybe just acknowledge the elephant in the room. The only reason I can see for the majority of the population of a country to run around armed all the time is because they're afraid. What are you all so afraid of? Has it come to the point that you're all so afraid of each other? What events have led up to this sad state of affairs? This is not the Wild West anymore. Or has today's American society become a modern version of the old west? I can see the need for a small, compact, relatively powerful weapon in the context of the westward expansion. You needed it back then to protect yourself and your loved ones from wild animals. Snakes. Indians. Again the criminal element coming into your newly built small town to rob it or worse. At that time there was a valid need for a hand gun worn on the hip. Is that reason still valid today? Has society in general and especially in America collapsed to the point where everyone has this very real obsession with needing to be armed in everyday life? And I'm asking these questions, Gil, because I really want to know. I'm not trying to be a jerk but I would like to understand and at the moment I don't.
Interesting armin, I am going to try to answer, First I'm a gun owner, and rifle owner as well, I have the ar style as that is what I'm accustomed to shooting, I was in the military for 8 years during Vietnam, I have carried a pistol before any of this you see today has been a problem, I've never pulled my pistol with the intent to shoot , but I did pull my pistol to protect myself once in Memphis TN, someone wanted my money more than I did, I'm grateful it ended peacefully, as he could see he was not in any position to bargain with me. You see its maturity that keeps us cool headed, the thought of killing another human being does not sit well with me, the difference with maturity and desperation is that a cool head acts, not react,, those who do not possess maturity or a sound mind are intent on gratification , there mind has come up with an alternate life that does not include sound thinking, but one that can only satisfy itself by eliminating what does not fit into there ego. The actual use of a gun to protect ones self during the old west was needful, not much law that held people back from being evil, the first murder was nothing more than the evil brother envying the other being right, and he knew it, but as you may know he used what was available, a rock, but anything could be put in that rocks place, no matter the time table , a year or a thousand. To make a long story short, many people today do not possess the skills to behave in a civil manner, to them anybody other than them are not to consider, you could be the nicest person on the earth and that would not matter to someone that is intent on killing you for what ever you had in your pocket , all this has been from the beginning, there's nothing new armin, but today we were blessed with a second amendment, it gives us the edge to protect ourselves, and don't forget we have such weak politicians that really do not care for we the people as you can tell by anyone coming into this country legally or illegally that have not been vetted properly, so now we the people have been forced to pick up the slack, tell me armin, would it be ok to have in your neighborhood criminal illegals or whoever that you do not trust and it to be ok because politicians say its ok for them to be here? Remember you have no means to protect yourself, no gun no nothing, and if you have children it only compounds the worry, does it not? You spoke of societal collapse, that's a good one, and my answer is yes, and by the way its going to get much worse, to the point of hysterical , many people in the US decided that it was more important to chuck God from all aspects of public life because it offends them, or there gross misunderstanding of church and state, I have like you never saw before the amount of shootings or hatred as we see today in the not so distant past, but well said armin, (collapse) So your wonder of why? Its easy to connect the dots. One last point, I've been armed for a very long time, and I never felt like it was a must, just, something I did as a gun owner , I don't sit around and ponder all the evil around me, but like the military taught me, and that was to be prepared for any outcome, but to sit and wring my hands over it, never, even to this day. and by the way, carrying around a pistol with a right thinking mind is not symptomatic of a sickness, but one of preparedness , if you carry one with an evil intent, then that's a sickness, you see, same gun, different way of thinking.
You deserve an answer because you have been calm and gentlemanly in your replies. I don't know how well I can do, but here goes. First, I don't have any answers for those people that perform such sickening acts of babarism. Very few, if any, can account for that abhorent behavior. There are many who will make quesses, and in some cases "educated" guesses, but that;s all they are – guesses.
Second, for those of us that feel the need and responsibility to prepare for some social condition that we all hope and pray will never come I can only offer the following: There are really only two reasons beyond feeding your family to be armed. One is a defense against a tyrannical government. 'The second is self preservation in a desparate social situation such as the EMP attack I mentioned.
I have a Concealed Carry License, but I don't carry regularly because I don't believe the current social environment warrants it, Should that change, I will start carrying. You hear about the r occasional carrier that saves someone from a dangerous event but, for me, it's too rare to cause me to carry all the time. As for being armed at home,…… Well, I just say that I have several fire extinguishers that have me prepared for a fire that I also hope will never happen.
In conclusion, there is no way that the human race will ever be free of evil, whether it's caused with intent by some social misfit or be some legitimately crazy person. But, I am simply too self reliant to even consider depending on someone else to take care of me and mine. I hope I never have to fire my weapons at another human out of fear or anger, BUT should the situation arise, I am more than willing to eliminate the threat and let my live family members help me through the remorse of the tradgedy.
A response to your remark about maturity. We are mature enough to understand and accept the responsibilities of taking care of ourselves and our families. People such as yourself and the like want to depend on others for your secutiry. If this country ever devolves into a desparate state of affairs, which could happen in the instant an EMP blast takes out the power grid. If that happens, I would much rather be in my position than yours.
I'm afraid that you're very correct in what you say, Gil. If a true grid down situation does occur (and I pray it never comes to that!) and lasts more than a week or two I would also like to have whatever advantage I can against the hordes of starving, desperate people that are going to be looking for whatever small vestiges of food and materials they can find. If an/or multiple EMP events occur then the days and weeks and maybe years following will not be pretty and all of us will be forced to make some very difficult decisions. Remember to pack some compassion along with all your survival supplies in your BOB. Sooner or later order WILL be restored and we will all be held accountable for the intervening period. If you decide to become a raving, lunatic mass murderer during that time then sooner or later the law WILL catch up with you once some semblance of order has been restored.
That's a very strange comment, Susan, and you totally misunderstand where we're coming from. Being mature equates to responsible gun ownership and using them for what they were intended for which does not include murdering other people. Owning a gun does not make you a man rather the other way around. A gun is designed for defense and hunting and that is all it should be used for. Others have mentioned that the real problem is the mentally unstable being able to own guns and that really is the crux of the matter. A psych evaluation should be de rigueur for anyone applying for a gun permit. Especially these days. I totally agree with the second amendment but for the most part that is not why people own guns anymore. America has become a nation of fearful, paranoid people who feel naked without their precious weapon strapped to their side. America has stuck its nose into too many places where it wasn't wanted since the end of the last war and where has it gotten us? More good people dying uselessly and the arms manufacturers becoming rich and bloated.. And too many people brainlessly buying into the hype and propaganda that we are constantly being bombarded with by the spin masters. And more of our boys being slaughtered daily just to keep the war machine going. There's not much more I can add to what Gil said and from his comments it seems he's a pretty smart guy and I pretty well agree with what he says. Re-read his comments again and think about what you have said and realize how totally foolish you are. And just to be quite clear and so that the trolls crawl back to where they came from we are NOT just thinking about ourselves but making a real effort to look at the bigger picture.
For those who do not wish to share in our constitution of the united states then reserve your hype for the pubs. I'm sure your drunk friends will no doubt lay there and vomit every time you open that cavern under your nose. In case you cant tell, we have helped everyone of your nations against those that wanted to destroy you and you have no dog in this battle, go back to your whatever makes you feel safe and curl up with a nice coloring book that has all your lib ideas in cartoon form to be filled in by your narrow minded fantasies.
Someone, and I am sorry I don"t have their name, made mention of calling for assistance if their life were being threatened. Did you ever stop to think that there are not enough policemen(and women) in the world to protect each and every person; in just the United States? The police can only investigate after the crime. Except in the last school shooting, where the armed resource officer confronted the shooter, all other school shootings have had a lag time of anywhere up to thirty minutes,after the first 911 call, before an armed police presence entered the school. Then, as they are trained to do, they had to clear every room on every floor until they reached the shooter. Most of the time the shooter was dead by their own hand before police could confront them. That said, if the police cannot protect you, who will? You only have yourself to rely on and hopefully, for your own sake, you are properly prepared. I for one DO have a concealed carry permit allowing me to carry my pistol pretty much anywhere I want. Yes, I do know how to use it and when to and also when not to use it and I will continue to do so until I am no longer physically or legally able to do so. I carry a handgun for self defense, only because my shotgun is too long to carry in my belt, under my coat! While I deeply admire the police for all they do, in case I am being attacked, I would much rather be tried by twelve than carried by six.
Nashoba Losa | April 6, 2018
I have read the article and most of the comments. But guess what? "Vickie" is long gone. She dropped her bomb and left. And we all fell for it and have been talking about to the point where the horse is not only dead but has been beatten to blood spot on the road. It has been a great discussion but it appears we are all talking to ourselves and not doing much to educate "Vickie" because she is gone. "she" is probably just some high school debate student gathering data for her next debate from folks who believe 180 degrees from what she believes. This has been a fruitful exercise for her.
Mark | April 16, 2018
I have only recently been following this conversational link and find it very interesting! As an Australian citizen living in Australia I am very much aware of the port-arthur massacre that started the amnesty and gun by-back scheme from the federal government here in Australia. This occurred back in 1996 and did upset a few people. Remembering there are a lot of property owners in Australia that tend to require firearms for farm use etc. It is not particularly difficult to acquire a firearms license at all! I own one but it has limitations meaning I can only purchase single fire rifles or shotguns. Another type of license is needed for side arms or semi-automatic weapons. So what has the observational studies shown since the buy-back scheme? Before I go on, as a health-care worker who attends trauma workshops etc, The US is always used as an example of fire-arm related injuries (and consequently how to treat them). As a matter of fact (from a US based trauma course), the United States has more homicide related fire-arm incidences then the next top 19 developed countries combined. In fact it is around 30,000 a year!! This to me points to the question that is screaming out to be heard: "WHAT ON EARTH HAS HAPPENED?". So, here in AUstralia we simply don't get massacres. Of course there are homcides and accidental shootings but not on a mass scale. There have certainly been terrorist attacks (ie the Lindt chocolate seige in Sydney), but nothing on a grand scale since the buy-back scheme. And to be honest, I don't really think the general population are too put out buy it. I think most people who are interested in this area of debate cannot argue that this is a moot point to ponder. The almost inexhaustible access to assault weapons in the US has grabbed media attention in the last few months, remembering I live in Australia. By the way I continue to subscribe to Survivapedia' as it is informative and interesting. I just can't get my head around how this good country of yours has ended up like this. To put it simply, other developed nations across the world don't have this happen. I understand the arguement that is made in favour of gun ownership 'that it is a mental-health issue'., but this shouldn't detract from the statistical information quoted above. The debate could easily be long and drawn out. For me personally, I like having a gun license but for me it boils down to this: A gun is useful to own in different circumstances, but when was it decided that any person over the age of 16 could purchase a weapon designed to kill other humans (AR15, AK47,) and use it for a "just in case" moment?
Regards, Mark
anon | June 27, 2018
You know, I never used to believe the rhetoric from the right that "if the government came for the guns, knives would be next" but that's exactly what has happened in the UK at least.
The UK now has incredibly stringent knife laws, and judges have been quoted as suggesting that people now be encouraged to blunt their kitchen knives in an effort to reduce violence!
I'm figuring it'll only end when we're forced to eat pre-cut food out of plastic packaging with plastic knives and forks…oh wait! That sounds familiar…(airline food).
The truth is, the extreme left are NEVER going to be happy until all freedom is curtailed. They're now suggesting that self-driving cars will be great because they'll prevent car deaths. Oh yay.
I can't wait for that.
Maybe…just maybe…they were – and are – coming for our guns after all.