Anyone else frightened by American attitudes towards guns?

Question

I don't understand this attitude of 'more guns will prevent gun crime'. It is absolutely insane! I can't imagine living in a place where ANY crazy can get their hands on a lethal weapon. Ok, so outlawing guns doesn't mean some people will still get their hands on them, but most of the people who do will be part of gangs and criminal outfits and not likely to go on random killing sprees in schools and universities. There will also be less accidents, less domestic violence that ends in someone pulling a gun in the ehat of the moment and shooting someone, less kids having accidents.... There are substantially less gun related crime or accidents in countries that make guns illegal. That's a fact. So why are so many people reacting to this mass shooting with the opinion that EVERY citizen should be armed? It is the sickest, most backward, most irrational, crazy stupid, ignorant, dangerous opinion, showing the most heinous disregard for human life. ANYONE agree?

To the guy who said "what about cars?" Well, cars aren't specifically designed for killing are they? And at least you have to be trained and get a license to use a car. And to the example of the gunman who was stopped in Nigeria...er, if guns weren't legal, it's not likely the whole incident would have occured in the first place.It's not likely that anyone would take time to get their hands on an illegal weapon to shoot a load of people. They'd be forced to think it through first, not just breakdown and go out and kill on a whim. Which is exactly what legalised weapons does: allows the split-second emotional override of the rational brain the power to commit murder in an instant.

Answer 1

I see no relevant facts in your argument just hearsay. Here's a fact:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_School_of_Law_shooting

On January 16, 2002, the Dean, Anthony Sutin, Professor Thomas Blackwell, and student Angela Dales were shot and killed by disgruntled student Peter Odighizuwa, 43, of Nigeria. Three other students were shot but survived. The abrupt ending to Odighizuwa's shooting spree is attributed to two students with personal firearms who quickly took action.

Answer 2

This may seem callous but it is truly all that can be done. People should have learned the lessons of 9/11. Regardless of the weapon, charge the threat. When escape is obviously not possible charge the threat. The death toll would have been reduced by half if some had had this in mind. The dead are not cowards but many clearly lack understanding of the problem. A paradigm shift is needed. Consider this; You are close to the gunman and turn and run away successfully, but learn of the death toll later. What is worse,the possibility of dying or living with the fact you chose your life over 32 others. If anything people need a sense of conncetion with each other. If a gunman burst into a family reunion I think he would have to shoot people attacking him vs. people hiding and fleeing. We don't need to all be armed to the teeth, but we do need to be mentally prepared. A 9mm and a 22 cal chould not have produced a body count like this. People survive multiple shots with these guns routinely. Hopefully this will change some minds.

Answer 3

I do not necessarily believe that everyone in America should be a gun toting citizen--there are absolutely people who would abuse the power of a weapon whether they got it legally or not.

However, how many people do you think that the guy at VA Tech would have killed if there were even a handful of people with guns in that building, meaning students or teachers. It is a lot harder to go up against an adversary that is equally armed and even if guns were outlawed, the kind of people who want guns to commit crimes know how to get them illegally.

Answer 4

I don't necessarily disagree with you but I think that, if someone at that school had a licensed pistol and was trained to use it, a lot of those people might be alive today. There is crime and there are crazy people. This guy was a psychotic who would have found a way to inflict pain and suffering by any means possible. People have a right to defend themselves. Like it or not it has been proved that permitting honest citizens (that emphasized) to cary concealed and licensed and legal firearms is a deterrent to crime. If this guy knew that someone might be armed he might have had second thoughts.

You're very wrong about one thing. People commit premeditated murder all the time. They plan it to the slightest detail. This guy went and got himself an illegal gun and planned on just what he was going to do with it. You're naive to think otherwise.

Answer 5

There are over 250 million registered guns in America for a registered population of around 250 million people.

Big business for the gun companies and big tax dollars for the government, add the tax dollars earnt from the sale of bullets and accesories, etc and you can start to see why the american government supports the right of it's people to carry/own guns.
Now add the fact that most of America's influential people are shareholders in the gun companies. Even the nations 'great leader' (sic) has a large protfolio of gun shares.
Then of course his Daddy is not only a shareholder but a registered gun toting, red-necked member of the board of directors of several major manufacturers.


Best bet is to invest all your money in bullet proof vest companies! All the best dressed school kids will be soon wearing them, it'll be part of the uniform! Along with bullet proof school buses!

Answer 6

Statistics for 2003:

12,650 - Firearm related deaths (assault and accidental)

44,757 - Motor vehicle accident related deaths

I think your heightened sense of irrational fear is getting the best of you...

Or were you shaking and crying when you rode in a car today? And did I miss your question about Americas frightening attitude towards automobiles?

Edit: You add: <<>>

This point even further demonstrates the highly responsible manner in which lawful gun owners execute their right to bear arms in self-defence.

There are more guns in the US than cars, but you are still 4 times more likely to be killed accidentally by a car specifically designed not to kill you than either purposely or accidentally by a tool specifically designed to deliver lethal force (228,000,000 guns according to the 1998 FBI statistics and 207,754,000 automobiles according to the 1998 Federal Highway Administration registrations).

Answer 7

What is needed here is responsible ownership and sales of firearms not a ban on firearms.
You can make firearms illegal but that won’t stop a whako with a book of matches and a can of gasoline from massacring 20 people in the process of aggrandizing his public suicide nor will it give you the ability to defend your life and property from said same.
Freedom is both a desirable and dangerous state of being, It has been bought with armed citizens and is enforced by armed citizens.
We can do a better job of keeping firearms out of the hands of the criminally insane without turning ourselves into a bunch of helpless sheep.

Answer 8

i'm happy to take heed to this from someone 1/2 my age, because i might want to be useful I appeared like a grandma if I were the first to say it. -- certain, I consider you thoroughly. i comprehend *some* youngsters who care as a lot about the track they listen as we used to, despite the indisputable fact that the large variety of children I run for the time of (vacationing, at shows, etc.) look as detached because those you describe. Is it in basic terms the fault of internet way of existence making each little thing both accessible and disposable, i ask your self? Has the undesirable watered-down crap on the radio confident those that track would not quite count number anymore? And why is it extra major to have the right pose (placed on the 'cool' band blouse or perhaps if) than to genuinely care? again, i'm no longer conversing about the committed Goth, punk, psychobilly etc. followers, who're as earnest and committed as they ever were, yet about the zillions of mall rats obtainable...i don't have a superb answer for you, yet I promise, you're literally not the in basic terms one which sees it this way.

Answer 9

Taking guns from the population punishes the law abiding majority because of the very few gun toting madmen who actually use them on each other. Statistically, you are more likely to die falling off a ladder trying to hang christmas lights than you are dying of a gun wound. An armed population not only keeps itself in check, but keeps the government in check also. Switzerland has even more lax gun laws than we do, and they have less crime also. Education is the key, blaming guns for the actions of people is only taking their tools and passing on the blame, people who are determined to kill will do it, regardless of whethere thay have a gun or a knife.

Answer 10

Lack of knowledge of firearms is the problem. Not the guns.

IF we sacrifice freedom for security based on government security we have neither security or freedom

If guns are outlawed only the outlaws will have them.

Beslan Russia - 300 plus children died as the result of terrorists, and the list goes on.

we have strong gun laws, and people with intent will find a way to perpetrate. Guns are tools as are fire, knives, pitchforks, ammonium nitrate, jet fuel, gasoline, the problem is NOT the object. The problem is the perpetrator.

I believe many people have become willing to usurp their personal liberty for security they will clamor for a police state before long.

I believe that tragedies such as this ought to give us a reason to pause and look at the causes as to why angry people do atrocious and horrific acts.

I believe the media is culpable. I believe that parents are culpable, I believe liberals are culpable, I believe by removing any semblance of conflict from schools we not given kids healthy outlets for conflict and aggression.
When I was a kid, I carried my 22 rifle and 20 gauge shotgun in the truck of my car so I could go hunting after school, I never once thought when I was getting picked on by a bully to go get the gun and kill him.. I thought differently because I respected myself and those around me. If it came to blows with the bully it would be with fists in the parking lot. a bloody nose generally stopped it.

Guns are not the problem. Ignorance of anything is dangerous and society has become ignorant of firearms. Both of my children have certified in hunter safety and firearm training. They not only know HOW to use firearms but HOW NOT to use them. This is the problem with schools today, we no longer accept firearms as a norm so they've become abnormal AND people clamor for control. This is wrong.

The media is wrong in reporting facts. This not the worse, not even close.

http://www.columbine-angels.com/violence...