Violence in America

Having just watched "Bowling For Columbine" again, and disagreeing with several of the points made by Michael Moore (and I'm sure many of you, on both sides of the issue can understand my view), I feel it necessary to make a post here about violence, and violent tendencies in America.

For starters, a few statistics from around the world:

In 2004, there were roughly 36,000 people in the US alone, murdered by firearms. (Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics

Comparitively speaking, there were firearm related deaths in nations around the world as follows:

External Source - Gun Control Network

Gun Deaths - International Comparisons

Gun deaths per 100,000 population (for the year indicated):

Homicide Suicide Unintentional

USA 4.08 (1999) 6.08 (1999) 0.42 (1999)

Canada 0.54 (1999) 2.65 (1997) 0.15 (1997)

Switzerland 0.50 (1999) 5.78 (1998) -

Scotland 0.12 (1999) 0.27 (1999) -

England/Wales 0.12 (1999/00) 0.22 (1999) 0.01 (1999)

Japan 0.04* (1998) 0.04 (1995)

first off good post

and wow i didnt realise scotland had a higher murder rate than england and wales put together now what does that tell you?lol

nowon topic, i dont think you can wholey blame media for the rise in murder rates, its been said by many watch dogs that they think that violent video games can play a huge part in the violence of youths today

WASHINGTON - Playing violent video games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Kombat can increase a person's aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior both in laboratory settings and in actual life, according to two studies appearing in the April issue of the American Psychological Association's (APA) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Furthermore, violent video games may be more harmful than violent television and movies because they are interactive, very engrossing and require the player to identify with the aggressor, say the researchers.

"One study reveals that young men who are habitually aggressive may be especially vulnerable to the aggression-enhancing effects of repeated exposure to violent games," said psychologists Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., and Karen E. Dill, Ph.D. "The other study reveals that even a brief exposure to violent video games can temporarily increase aggressive behavior in all types of participants."

www.apa.org...

although i agree that in some people this can up someones agression i still think that you can wholey blame media and things like this on someones violent nature or the need for them to act on this violence.

I do understand your point though i mean the facts speak for themselves, i blame poor living conditions, poverty and the lack of disipline for the ongoing trend in todays violent nature after all the exampl has to be set at home. It does not help that with youths today watch to many gangster movies and have gangs running the streets and think that this is a cool way to live, seeing thm with money, and 'respect' and i use respect loosly for the gangs as they base respect on fear.

Maybe we as a society have become less tolerent of evberyday thingsfor example in my street a young lad was kicking a ball about and hit the door of a house by accident the guy in the house came out cussin and swearing brandishing a knife, now if adults are acting like this what example does this show kids?

i fear i may have wondered off topic again lol, basically what im saying is i do agree with alot of your post there are parts i disagree with lol

god that was a long winded way of getting that point across

It's the drugs, man, it's the drugs....

no seriously, weren't most of these kids who have gone into the schools shooting up the place on antidepressants? we have a large portion of our juvenile population drugged! I've been on antidepressants, I can't say that it gives everyone the same reaction as it does me, but I would venture to guess I'm not alone!! It kind of gives me an "Oh what the hell, you want to do it, so do it!!" attitude, that led me to do things that if I wasn't on the drug, I would have been listening to my brain that was telling me just how stupid such things were!!

of course, I am sure the answer isn't that easy, but I would almost bet that this does play into the picture somewhat.

I agree with much of what you said, but I take exception to your conclusion that locking doors and owning firearms is somehow an overreaction.

I've lived in absolutely terrible, violent, cut-throat neighborhoods, on both coasts and in Chicago. Not just bad cities, but bad neighborhoods - the sort where weekend gunfire is as predictable as fourth of July fireworks. Why would anyone live in such a place? Necessity, pure and simple - I'm a student, and a poor one at that. I can't afford to live in downtown high-rises any more than the other people who populate these crap-holes. Desperate, hopeless, and marginalized, some even see prison as a vacation.

Like many people who have been forced to live in such conditions, I have adapted in order to survive. It's stressful, and I'm sure it's not helping my heart any that I jump up and arm myself at every unfamiliar sound, but here I am, still alive. Despite being caught in the middle of some..regrettable incidents, I have not died (w00t!). It's not a lot of fun, living in fear, but I really don't think that's what I'm doing, when I lock the doors, and bar the windows, and install cameras, and sleep in shifts - fear is a crippling emotional reaction to stress. Preparedness leaves no room for fear. Preparedness is the solution to fear (and perhaps a symptom of it as well?).

To die is not such a bad thing, in fact, from what I hear, it's a singularly pleasuable experience. But to feel vulnerable, to feel weak, to be at the mercy of men who have weapons and the will to use them, that is not something to suffer gladly.

Better to be ready, than to risk being afraid. Healthy caution is a function of our survival instinct, it's something to be nourished and cherished. There's obviously a huge difference between healthy caution and crippling fear - that should go without saying.

Sadly, too many neglect their own personal well-being, and the well-being of their family, for various superfluous things, like posessions, like status, like foolish pride. Too many wind up in jail, or dead, because they could not see the angles, or they could not make the tough decisions.

The murder rate is a direct result of a materialistic, morally bankrupt society. It isn't just television, it isn't just the movies, it isn't just rap music - it's our societal values, as you pointed out. Shoes, or a few dollars, or reputation, are valued more than life - consequences are not considered before action is taken because greed sublimates logic so effectively.

The solution is to teach young people the true power of their decisions, the true potential of life and love - instead of culturing and nurturing material greed and selfishness, ego, above all else. This may very well be the most egotistical society ever to fester on this great green earth.

I learned from my mistakes. My hope is that I learned the lessons well enough to teach them to my own children. Time will tell...

We live in Hell, but we have always had the power to change that. We're so close, with our technology, with our psychology, with our philosophy, with our ability to communicate - but thanks to that very same technology, that very same psychology, etc., we have never been closer to the bottom of the pit.

It comes down to individuals, making decisions. The individual who promotes worthless, destructive 'values', and the individual who adopts them out of selfish greed, are both equally culpable, and equally responsible.

But, then again, I think there must be a point to all of it. Without the scourge there can be no harvest, right? The worst of the worst, are perhaps the greatest inspiration for the best of the best.

Sorry to rant all over your thread. It's not my intention to piss on anybody's parade, I thought your post was well-presented, and I'm sure it was well-intentioned.

yes you make a good point drugs can play a major part in violence etc. Drugs are a big problem in scotland just now particulary in Glasgow and edinburgh, and glasgow has the highest crime rate in scotland including murder as the gangs slug it out over turf etc.

As i stated before i think kids today go by the example of the adults around them, they see them taking drugs and being so called 'hard' and think its cool.

Actually, we weren't founded on anything remotely resembling gun rights. We just like to hunt...seeing as, once upon a time, it was the foundation of our economy. Nowadays, our gun laws are quite restrictive. And I am fairly sure for one that our number of firearm homicides has gone up.

Canada's Gun Laws, in a nutshell.

I think it might have something to do with population density and a few other things, Obs. I think it's hardly fair to compare the united states with a place like, oh, Britain. Britain doesn't have huge immigration problems caused by people hopping a fence, nor does it have the MASSIVE drug problem that America does (Meth epidemic, anyone?). In some cities in the US, it is a perfectly valid fear that some tweaker might break in your house and kill you, no matter where you live. Britain doesn't have the population of the US, concentrated in major urban centers like Deeeeeeeeeetroit.

Would there be some way to compare the amount of justifiable homicides in a country to its murders?

DE