Is Gun Violence an Epidemic?

originally posted by: intrepid
Don't know about "epidemic" but when you are in the same category as many Latin American countries for gun violence there's definitely a problem.



en.wikipedia.org...

Those same Latin AMerican countries that have passed stringent gun control laws? Wait... you mean the laws haven't made those nations into paradise? What? Now only those already looking to violate the law possess firearms?!?! Huh? This means the citizens are going into a gun fight armed with knives and sticks, you say?

Fascinating.

The top country on Trep's list:
Honduras: en.wikipedia.org...
Very restrictive firearms control for the public. All firearms are licensed and registered, semi-autos are banned, carry prohibited, number of firearms one may own limited to 5.

Yes, I can see where such laws would instantly create an American utopia.

a reply to: projectvxn

Not debating the gun censorship in those nations. Just pointing out that the US is in the same category and say Paraguay. Check out that link I provided. It's not good news on the US front.

originally posted by: strongfp
Gun violence isn't the problem. What people are really getting at is that guns are an easy way to project their violence on the people they want to hurt. Holding a gun, clutching the trigger is far easier, and less gruesome than strangling someone, or stabbing someone to death, it's also the best way to get 'attention'.

Gun don't kill people, people kill people. But it sure does make their jobs easier.

Now that's some real life logic for ya folks!

I don't know...but I'm ready to put up a fence and separate the two factions. Let gun advocates reap what they sow and leave the rest of us alone. After a while, we'll be able to take down the fence....

originally posted by: intrepid
a reply to: projectvxn

Not debating the gun censorship in those nations. Just pointing out that the US is in the same category and say Paraguay. Check out that link I provided. It's not good news on the US front.

But the restriction of gun ownership is the very basis of this argument is it not?

The comparisons cannot fairly be made without looking into what actually causes this. If we have looser gun laws than Paraguay and have the same problems statistically speaking, does it not, in fact, point to a different set of factors for causation than the question of gun ownership?

We have to ask ourselves what driving force is common between these nations that creates such a symmetry in relation to what is being discussed here.

a reply to: OptimusSubprime

What is evil? No seriously, dualism is a two way street. (Pun) Many will strive to be "good" based on personal honor alone, sans any man made dogma. Its when you introduce the good vs. evil bit you inevitably get belief used as a weapon to demonize actions, twist it into a hammer, and beat people down. Which is strikingly similar to the methods being employed to disarm.

originally posted by: CagliostroTheGreat
a reply to: OptimusSubprime

Well, I could give a rodents sphincter about your "Lord Jesus Christ" and indeed your God. Yet I don't seem to find myself stricken by an inhuman urge to mass murder or in any way shape or form harm another living thing, especially my fellow humans.

Why is that, I wonder?

Hail Eris (or don't)

Good thing you are bashing Christians and not Muslims or Gays. We all know the later are protected from criticism by the PC police.

You might not be exercising homicidal tendencies, but you are clearly still acting like a jerk.

Disclaimer: I am not a Christian...just a concerned citizen.

a reply to: projectvxn

Just an observation... By using the term "gun violence", you are perpetuating the doublespeak that liberal anti-gunners employ to form an association between the inanimate gun and a negatively perceived action, i.e. "violence". Gun. Violence. Gun violence. Gun = Violence.

Violence is bad, right? We can surely agree on that. But it can be delivered any number of ways with any number of methods. However, you never hear about "fist violence", "knife violence" or "car violence", or even "baseball bat violence." Why is that?

It's because the government doesn't want to ban any of those, so they don't need the associative demonizing by the media.

originally posted by: projectvxn
We have to ask ourselves what driving force is common between these nations that creates such a symmetry in relation to what is being discussed here.

Only if you're looking for a "specific" aspect of this issue. Ie: That equals to less gun control.

Now if you're looking for logical data you also have to add in those nations that have MUCH less of a gun problem WITH gun control. IE: Nations equitable with the US(Norway. Canada. UK, etc). Look at that link. The US has a gun problem.

a reply to: ScientiaFortisDefendit

I used the term 'gun related violence' to describe violence, specifically murders, where the weapon of choice was a firearm. This isn't a semantic debate. It is a statistical and scientific debate at its root as the OP clearly demonstrates.

a reply to: intrepid

Not according to the numbers it doesn't.

And once again comparisons cannot be made as such.

What about places with high ownership rates in Europe that don't have anywhere near the violence we do?

What is the thread connecting here? Canada has tons of guns and an active criminal element, but not nearly the violent crime rate we do as well.

Crime in general is a product of environment. Economics, education, healthcare. All of these things are incredibly important to the increase, decrease, of flattening of criminal activity in general.

I posit that these environmental factors have more to do with violence on our streets than anyones right to own firearms will ever do. And the numbers show it.

No, gun violence in the US has been steady during my lifetime.

About every ten years or so the US invades another country and kills
a few hundred thousand people...

...it happens with about the same regularity as the occasional madman who
walks into a crowded area, or climbs a clock tower, and kills ten or twenty
people...

originally posted by: Viesczy
If there is an epidemic in America involving firearms, it is an epidemic of insane white people with guns.

Easiest fix? Ban insane white people. Round 'em up and kill 'em all, they're the ones who acting up.

Portions of American society really has begun to resemble A Clockwork Orange.

Derek

Brilliant!

Because we all know that the 1000s of inner city homicides committed with firearms are carried out by white people.

Hey folks. Whether you agree with me in principle or not please do not feed trollish behavior.

Ignore it, We're all trying to have a sensible discussion here.

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: projectvxn
We have to ask ourselves what driving force is common between these nations that creates such a symmetry in relation to what is being discussed here.

Only if you're looking for a "specific" aspect of this issue. Ie: That equals to less gun control.

Now if you're looking for logical data you also have to add in those nations that have MUCH less of a gun problem WITH gun control. IE: Nations equitable with the US(Norway. Canada. UK, etc). Look at that link. The US has a gun problem.

We are a violent people. Are we not? History plagued with violence. Some justified and some not.

Now in our rather colorful history when were guns NOT a part of our history?

Now numbers have been dropping for years and now, out of no where, we have a "gun" problem?

What even is that? My guns work great. No problems here.

People are the problem. My generation didn't try and pull this crap. What happened? Oh....guns became a problem.

Nah...

There is no epidemic. There is no rash of shootings. If you look back throughout history, the US is nowhere near the top for either mass killings( that goes to a dude in Britain who blew up a school or Port Arthur) or gun related homicides or violent crime in general.

All the ruling elite and MSM want is for us to be scared and in a frenzy so that when they come for our guns we'll be too worried about Brad and Angelina getting back together or the turrorists bombing us.

I say, let them come. I don't care if they do it one at a time. You want my guns, take them from my cold dead hands.
I got no problem with popping pigs or any Feds that want to try as well. And I know of a few thousand veterans in the US who had Special Forces training and who said in a public letter that they would not support a government that confiscated firearms. You don't # with the Green Berets

a reply to: projectvxn

Oh I totally agree. There are underlying problems and when you add guns to the mix it isn't a healthy situation. The only problem is that there's no money in helping people(economically, mentally, etc). There's a pantload of money in fear and weapons though.

a reply to: Metallicus

Who is bashing, pray tell. The man suggested that the reason for evil, indeed for violence, in our country was due to our lack of faith in his particular deity of choice. Which, clearly, is false. That much should be clear to anyone with an operable cognitive processor (I.e. a brain).

Besides I simply stayed an opinion. I can't see how that's is being a jerk. Furthermore, had he suggested our problems stem from our lack of faith in Allah, Buddha, indeed, Cthulhu, my response would have been no different. Thanks for playing though.