U.S. gun laws and the N.R.A.

Another day another school massacre.

More people have died in the U.S. through the use of firearms in four decades, than the sum of all Americans killed in all wars (including the 1st, 2nd world wars) since the war of independence in 1776.

The number of people killed by firearms in the U.S. in one year is three orders of magnitude greater than the sum of all U.S. citizens killed by terrorists at home or overseas since 9/11.

The U.S. has spent close to $1 trillion protecting against terrorism. At that rate the U.S. should be spending $1,000 trillion to protect itself from it's own citizens.

Commonly used defences for the status quo: "Guns don't kill people, people kill people.". "There are mentally unstable people in every country.". "It's our constitutional right to bear arms.".

Tell that to the parents of the children killed at 142 incidents in U.S. schools since Sandy Hook.

295 mass shootings (4 or more people killed) in 2015 alone.

10,000 dead, 20,000 injured in gun incidents in 2015 to date.

I'd particularly like to hear from U.S. citizens on this issue.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1

TooEasy123

https://www.facebook.com/OccupyDemocrats/videos/vb.346937065399354/964786396947748/?type=2&theater

This sums up American's views on guns and gun laws.

Reply 2

Howard

Original post by uberteknik

I'm a US citizen (but resident in Canada at the moment). I once had a concealed carry permit but it expired so I no longer carry when in the US.

Personally, I'd like to see gun laws toughened in the US but until they do that (about the same time as hell freezing over) I will continue to keep a gun in my home and in my car for my personal and family protection when in the US.

Reply 3

middymoo

The issue is, until gun laws are properly tightened up so a very few people can own a gun, then these massacres will go on. And whilst they go on, people will be scared into buying guns to 'protect themselves'. They then argue for guns in the household as they are 'necessary for protection against murder's ' It is a vicious never ending circle unfortunately...

Reply 4

Howard

Original post by middymoo

The issue is, until gun laws are properly tightened up so a very few people can own a gun..........

You see, the problem is that that ship sailed a very long time ago.

There are MILLIONS & MILLIONS of guns in the US - (registered and unregistered) Nobody is ever going to pass a law at Federal level requiring they be handed in (for a start that would require a change in the Constitution - ain't happening) and if they could even do that, those that had registered guns would resist doing what the law requires, and they'd still be millions on unregistered weapons out there.

Just as an example, I actually purchased a semi-automatic AK47 at a gun fair in Orlando. I no longer own it but the point is that I paid cash for it. No questions asked. No bill of sale. I've no idea who I bought it from and the guy who sold it has no idea who he sold it to. Whatever laws are passed you'll never get those gray market weapons off the streets.

So, the only thing left to do is ensure that you can protect yourself and your family by staying locked and loaded.

Reply 5

middymoo

Original post by Howard

And that is exactly why there is such a problem with gun-related crime; purely due to vast number of lethal weapons kept in a family home. Bringing children up in an environment where you can kill a human being by simply pressing a trigger doesn't bode well for the future

Reply 6

VV Cephei A

You know that homicide and crime has plummeted in the US over the past couple of decades, coupled with a huge surge in the number of legal concealed carry holders, right? Of course you don't, because those kind of statistics aren't broadcast on huffingtonpost, and neither are the countless stories of legal firearm owners using their weapons in self defence. If America wants to stop massacres happening, then the best course of action would be get rid of the failed "gun free zones" where mass shooters are handed government-guaranteed defenseless victims. The US is not the UK, and whatever gun control laws might work here (there's no evidence that they do, but that's a different story) would certainly not achieve the desirable effect over there.

Reply 7

The_Mighty_Bush

They have a saner attitude to self protection than we do. I'd rather self reliant, moral people could own weapons for self defense than the only people that get guns are the corrupt agents of the state and degenerate criminal scum.

Reply 8

Melancholy

How about we sell the guns, right, but no bullets? But I guess people would start putting things like jaffa cakes in the holes and shooting them out at dangerous speeds. It's a tough one.

Reply 9

VV Cephei A

Original post by The_Mighty_Bush

Nice to see someone with sense.

Reply 10

Howard

Original post by middymoo

In my opinion it's better that I bring my children up in an environment that ensures that if an intruder with a gun enters my home I can blow them away (and keep my children safe) than in an environment where we are all defenceless (cowering behind the coach and hoping he goes away)

We deal with the cards we are dealt.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 11

Zarek

A lot of crass morons around. Glad Obama won 2 terms. Please not a Republican president next..

Reply 12

Zarek

[QUOTE=Howard;59759439]In my opinion it's better that I bring my children up in an environment that ensures that if an intruder with a gun enters my home I can blow them away (and keep my children safe) than in an environment where we are all defenceless (cowering behind the coach and hoping he goes away)

We deal with the cards we are dealt.
Let's hope they don't blow your kids away first at school. How could you..

Reply 13

Howard

Original post by Zarek

Let's hope they don't blow your kids away first at school. How could you..

So what's your suggestion? That I hand in my weapons (unilaterally disarm) in the hope that all the nutcases follow suit?

Reply 14

Howard

Original post by Zarek

A lot of crass morons around. Glad Obama won 2 terms. Please not a Republican president next..

My money's on Trump.

Reply 15

Zarek

[QUOTE=Howard;59759775]So what's your suggestion? That I hand in my weapons (unilaterally disarm) in the hope that all the nutcases follow suit?So, look around you and see that it is this nutcase attitude that is leading to problems which have been occurring time over time over decades.

Reply 16

Howard

Original post by Zarek

So, look around you and see that it is this nutcase attitude that is leading to problems which have been occurring time over time over decades.

I don't necessarily disagree but seeing as we can't stand on the hands of a clock and turn back time what is your suggestion?

Fact is that there are lots of bad people with lots of guns and that isn't going to change. I can't defend myself by blowing raspberries at them.

Reply 17

interact

When I went to america once, i couldn't enjoy walmarts because I was worried that someone was gonna come and shoot me any second. my aunty had one in her handbag!!!! can you believe that. they get proper emotional when you talk about banning them though, they're also veryyyyyy racist. i won't say what she said when i said ban guns tut tut

Reply 18

jeremy1988

I believe that martial law needs to be declared so the military can come and take all of the guns. We would also need to have a very high number of police for several years afterwards. I think 20 years of martial law would be enough to find most of the guns and flesh out the anti-government types.

I feel that there's a very anarchist, anti-government mentality in this country, where people want to be completely self-reliant and unaccountable to the government, laws, or their community. Granted, it's probably worse where I live because I'm in Texas, but the point is that any part of the country where they value order and community has insanely high property values and rents, while this awful mentality permeates much of the rest.

All the anti-police rhetoric on the news only encourages this, and encourages the irrational self-defence/tough-guy/NRA mentality. A nation of laws should have appointed protectors and users of force. Every man for himself is the law of the jungle and the frontier, not of a civilized society built upon a social contract.

Of course there need to be guns, but the guns should be in the hands of the police and the military, and not common, ordinary people that will serve their self-interests rather than the interests of others. People who will just cause chaos and do whatever they want, possibly even overthrowing the government.

The fact that there are so many people comfortable living without laws, without direction, and without strong government is disturbing to me. I am determined to change this culture, because the people of this country deserve better than to live according to such flawed, populist notions promulgated by paranoid people who believe they are being oppressed. Many of these same people also believe they've been abducted by aliens, or that they have devices embedded in their bodies. And yet we allow people in this state of mind to vote and determine the course of our country. It's disheartening, really.