Guns
OK, I’m sure I’m going to upset you gun nuts out there, but I think it is really time to outlaw guns. They need to be rounded up and melted down. Yep even that family gun that has been around for generations has to go.
Tonight as I watched the news there is a memorial service for the 13 that were killed in Fort Hood. John Muhammad is going to be executed for being the DC sniper and there was an invasion shooting in a laboratory in Tualitin and there was a standoff with a guy holding hostages with a gun in upper New York State. Every day there is more of the same.
I don’t care if you think the Constitution says it’s OK. It isn’t OK. I don’t care if you are no longer afforded the luxury of “gittin yer elk” from a half mile away. If you want to kill be a hunter be brave and go after one with a hatchet.
I’ve stated it before and I’ll state it again. I have never been anywhere or in a situation where a gun would have come in handy and I bet you haven’t either unless you are in a dangerous business. If fewer guns are out there people will feel like there is a lesser need for them. It will probably take decades to ferret out all of them, but if we don’t start somewhere it’s only going to get worse. Kevlar is not fashionable.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
37 Comments:
Well, the time I killed that possum a gun would have been nice; unfortunately I'm afraid to use Cliff's guns. I'd probably end up killing my fool self.
So if all the guns were to disappear today, what do you think the weapon of choice would be tomorrow?
Tango, maybe his S&W...ie, his Sardonic Wit.
I prefer real S&W
since i don't watch the news - really there are very few guns in my world.
that said, tango has a point. not only that...but you simply can't get ALL the guns. remember...there are bad guys. they don't play by the rules.
so if they have guns...
just sayin'
in my dreamy head tho -i agree.
welllll, the time i had a knife held to my throat for 40 minutes,(seemed like forty years) comes to mind, but i still don't know if I could have pulled a trigger. I have shot rifles and handguns, but I bow hunt, so what's that tell ya?
loopy is back
Personally, I think it should be a law that everybody should have one and carry it with them at all times. Things would get messy for a few years but we would soon weed out the stupid people and things would calm down rather quickly after that. I'm all for weeding out the stupid people. Even if it would put me out of a job.
We watched the same news cast. It was a solid 15 minutes of reported violence.
It has become more and more frequent this time of the year. Folks get crazy and hurt each other around the Holidays.
I think if we could somehow change this twisted culture we live in and the way we do the holidays, then there will be less of this grief.
I see the problem as our society and culture, rather than the guns. Like it was said in this thread earlier, if there were no guns, it would be some other weapon right?
Yes, let's turn in all of our legally owned guns. I'm sure the criminals will follow suit.
Just *try* to take my guns...
Let's outlaw cars too.
They kill a lot more people than guns.
If anyone needs to go anywhere they can't walk to, they can always take the bus.
Doctors vs. Gun Owners
Doctors
(A) The number of physicians in the U.S. Is 700,000.
(B) Accidental deaths caused by Physicians per year are 120,000.
(C) Accidental deaths per physician is 0.171.
Statistics courtesy of U.S. . Dept of Health and Human Services.
Now think about this:
Guns
(A) The number of gun owners in the U.S. Is 80,000,000. (Yes, that's 80 million)
(B) The number of accidental gun deaths per year, all age groups, is 1,500.
(C) The number of accidental deaths per gun owner is. .000188. Statistics courtesy of FBI
So, statistically, doctors are approximately 9,000 times more dangerous than gun owners.
Remember, 'Guns don't kill people, doctors do.'
FACT: NOT EVERYONE HAS A GUN, BUT ALMOST EVERYONE HAS AT LEAST ONE DOCTOR.
Please alert your friends to this alarming threat.
We must ban doctors before this gets completely out of hand!!!!!
Out of concern for the public at large, I withheld the statistics on lawyers for fear the shock would cause people to panic and seek medical help.
I have often thought we should
cull the human race like we cull
cattle
Don't ever register a gun you don't want confiscated.
It's isn't the gun that's dangerous, it's the hand that holds it.
Donna, you did just fine without a gun.
Tango, Guns are so easy, any other weapon takes a lot of effort to use, though I could see you with a Samoan War Club.
Auntie, when you are in your most hazardous situations you don’t have it with you.
Weese, It will take a couple of decades.
Loopy, welcome back! In that situation a sudden move could have cost you your life.
Darev, that will encourage many more accidental shootings, but then that’s why there are Darwin Awards.
Anon, other weapons take physical ability and need to be used at striking range. A sniper in a bell tower or in a mall has sitting ducks. An assault would be over much quicker by restraint and apprehention.
Syd, all a criminal has to do is break into your car and open your glove box if they want a gun.
Anon, there are cases of vehicular homicide, but most deaths are accidental. However with a gun, pulling the trigger is total intent to kill or maim.
Anon, that is only accidental gun deaths. Gun deaths in the US average at 29,500 per year. That is equivalent to everyone in Clatsop County being kicked each year. Again there is a difference between accidental and intentional.
Next Anon, Soilent Green?
Patrick, including children and those that break into your home and steal them from you and use them in a crime. People with a criminal background that can’t get a gun legally know how to get them from legal gun owners.
I am way more concerned about the "accidental" drunk driver than I am about the intentional killer.
I believe that the statistics will bear me out on this.
Statistics notwithstanding, I live in an area with minimal gang activity and to the best of my knowledge no incidents of SJS (Sudden Jihad Syndrome). We have, however, had lots of drunk driving deaths here involving intentional drinkers. Are these deaths really "accidental"? We would save lots more lives by outlawing alcohol and cars than we would by outlawing guns.
Remember when Australia tried this? Look how that turned out for them.
600% increase in violent crimes, and a whole new category of crime created. Criminals started walking into people's homes in broad day light, while they were there! and taking whatever they wanted with no thoughts of repercussions at all.
How about mandatory gun safety classes in high schools, with public firing squad executions staffed as an alternative to community service? Increase the range of crimes that get community service, and a firing squad and the problem takes care of itself.
http://www.snopes.com/crime/statistics/ausguns.asp
http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/mr/1-20/01.aspx
http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/cat/4509.0
It's best to do some research rather than parrot facts which may not be true. Crime in Australia is down.
Leave it to Snopes to put the liberal spin on this sort of thing.
Of course the homicide by firearm rate is way down. There are way fewer guns since the confiscation.
But the overall homicide and violent crime rate is up, way up. Clubs, knives and other creative ways of mayhem and murder are back in style.
Google Australian Crime rate and read for yourself.
Whatever. Thank God for our Constitution and Bill of Rights. The Aussies unfortunately were not blessed with our freedom, but they are accepting immigrants. If you like their system, go for it.
#14 - Freedom.
And leave it to you to be highly mistaken. The homicide rate in Australia is much lower than that of the US, by a factor of almost 5 (5.2/100k in the USA vs 1.2/100k in Australia). That's all homicides, not just those using a gun. If rates of homicide using a gun were compared that number would be much higher. The Australian homicide rate went down from 2000-2008 while the US rate went up.
The overall crime rate in Australia for crimes other than homicides is very similar to ours. In fact, the burglary rate is the same, though it's gone down in recent years.
LOL! You were bored and wanted more attention, more hits, more comments, just admit it! And you call me a hitwhore! Pssshaw!
Hmmmm, Obama wants to have more gun control and suddenly media is reporting more gun related crimes. Hmmmm, I know I sure as heck believe whatever it is media tells me. Yeah, lets google something. Don't check and see if they are all sourcing the same thing!
You can legislate the hell out of people but that's not what changes people's behavior, the reason why they hurt and why they lash out when they hurt.
I've noticed that outlawing heroin, opium and meth has effectively gotten rid of their traffic and addiction to those illegal substances!
We can stick band-aids on everything, and look the other way when the scabs are bleeding underneath, or find out why people are killing each other and do something about THAT.
or just take the easy way out and make another law that will be broken so another branch of bureaucracy can be filled with tax paid for people to ensure that their jobs are there for them for eternity.
I recall a saying from years ago...
If we outlaw guns, only the outlaws will have guns!
That scares me alot. I own guns. I do not abuse them. Responsible gun owners do not abuse them.
I'm also a hunter, although I haven't for years (since I got my trophy buck years ago). I would NOT like to have those rights taken away.
Even if guns were outlawed...they aren't hard to make. So the bad guys would always have them.
I don't think there is a solution to this.
Rich, thanks for your ever watchful eye.
Anon, I've never heard someone call Snopes liberal. That's too funny. You've been watching too much Fix News.
Other anon, I agree, drunk driving is also a major issues and if it were a big enough issue every car will have a blow meter in it that would have to be used in order to start it.
CB, you mean I shouldn't post my story about banning religion next week.
And CB and Joni, what you can't give an animal a fair chance. Real hunters use spears. ; )
there is always gas and leaves.
And CB, Three of the four stories were reported and presented by Fix News on the radio on KAST during the day. So it wasn't from the liberal media. Fix News loves murder and mayhem.
Heather, I love you! : )
I think my next weapon of choice would be a nice shiny machette.
Are you kidding me?!!!! The people killed on that military base were IN A FEDERALLY GUN-FREE ZONE!!!!
If just ONE person had been exercising their 2nd amendment right that day, a lot less of them would have died!
NO LOGIC in your argument what so ever!!! like people who break laws against murder are going to respect laws against guns!
Gun laws do nothing but take the guns from those who should have them, and give them to all the criminals.
please use your brain, not just your fear when making decisions about your ideals.
Guns are necessary for protection...and I'd be willing to bet that you've never been raped!!!
And schools are gun free zones as well, but that didn't stop Columbine, Kip Kinkle or the dozens of other school shootings since. Military bases are gun central. Every one has them and is trained in using them
As stated I've never been in a situation where a gun would have helped, and it is statistically rare that possessing a gun ever helps. The four people that I know that were victims of violent crime told me that if they had guns they wouldn't have helped other than revenge after the fact.
There are just too many guns and too many people that think they are the solutions to all their problems and their potential problems.
Guy, you and I are about the same age, and I too have never been in a situation where a gun would have done me any good. I've been to a lot of strange and unfamiliar places, including over 40 countries (lived in 6) and most of the USA. I've had guns pulled on me by a couple of punks, I've been shot at (while in an airplane) and I've been in many a bad neighborhood. Never once would the possession of a gun have given me any advantage. If anything my having a gun might have escalated situations which I was able to settle by being calm and rational.
Mind you, I'm not in favor of banning all guns. I think plenty of people have a legitimate reason for having guns, especially long guns. I know a lot of people who eat well off of what they hunt. But I don't know that any of them use or need a semi-automatic military style rifle to do so, nor do they use a hand gun. Most prey is either down or gone before a second shot can be gotten off.
Yes, ban religion! Ban guns! Ban people who think there is some vast left-wing conspiracy to deprive them of ammunition if we can't pry their guns away!
I LOVED THIS POST! More, more, more.
Why not let people keep all the guns they want and just ban bullets?
Rich, by that the Native Americans should have starved before the they got guns.
Lori, I can only write what festers in my head.
Anon, reloading it too easy. People can mold their own projectile points as well.
"...by that the Native Americans should have starved before the they got guns."
True, but they didn't have full-time jobs and all the trappings of modern living. Hunting for them was pretty much their full-time occupation.
You don't knit your own socks from the wool sheared off your own sheep, do you? I also suspect you don't drill for your own crude oil in the north forty and distill it into fuel for your truck. ;-)
Oh, wait, were the Native Americans using trucks before we got here?
We don't need to hunt with guns. If one were really into the skill of hunting they would use a bow. Guns can be used to take down game from hundreds of yards away. Where is the skill in that?
And yes we do shear sheep, dye, card and spin wool. I do use wood from the back 40 for fuel and I do make candles from bees wax as well as lip balm and moisturizers. Why would NA's use trucks before roads were built. Your point?
Yes, you may shear sheep, but you buy your socks at Costco. You may use wood to heat your house, but not to power your truck, and you probably cut those trees down with a chainsaw. Why not do it the way the natives did--without the benefit of a power tool. Better yet, without metal tools as iron and steel weren't available in North America until they were introduced by outsiders. It takes a lot more skill to fell a tree with a stone ax.
Your sheep shearing in future must be done without benefit of metal tools and the dyes, if you use them, must come from native materials, flora and fauna, or you may trade with outsiders for materials which come from far away.
And for crying out loud you're going to have to get rid of that computer you're typing on. From now on it will be vocal communication in person and smoke signals for distant messages--there is to be no written language.
I guess my point is that if you want to go back to pre-European times and the skills necessary to accomplish tasks there are a whole lot of things which we'll need to get rid of along with guns.
Rich, that's like saying if someone wanted to quit smoking they'd first have to travel back in time and sink Sir Walter Raleigh's ship. When you want to quit you stop buying them. To get rid of guns you make their sale use and possession unlawful. If people still want to hunt they may do so by other means.
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