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Let's ban cars, and heart problems, then talk about the guns.
Yes, lies, damned lies, and statistics.
Perhaps, since more people lose money and valuables through gambling and on bad picks in the stock market than than they do to burglars, we should arrest casino owners and brokers? Throw into the bunch insurance agents who only take my money and give nothing in return for good measure.
Or maybe, do burglars commit actions unacceptable to society, just as (most of us) find it an unacceptable risk for our children to be shot by an AR-15 while sitting in an algebra class? Maybe the average person accepts the risk of cars, but not of burglars and AR-15s?
If you want to combine the dual pleasures of insanity and social acceptance, religion is your only choice. - Last Aphorisms
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Cars aren't built with the express purpose of killing people, there's the difference.
Unless you factor in the wars waged to protect our "right" to cheap gas, the long-term effects of pollution, etc. Fortunately, these things happen either far enough away that we can't see, or over a such a long time that we don't notice.
Maybe the average person accepts the risk of cars, but not of burglars and AR-15s?
Any tool is a weapon if you hold it right. Do we ban all tools that might be misused, or do we educate people on the proper use of tools?
I note that the mass shooting incidents are more common than they were 20 years ago, almost as if there were long-term changes in the public psyche. Perhaps there are other factors involved that have nothing to do with the number of guns.
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Old Croc, have you ever been to Switzerland? I have. It's no USA. There is little diversity and it's homogeneous. In general this reduces social conflicts.
Other things that are different:
*
All males must enter military service -- All men between the ages of 18 and 34 deemed "fit for service" are given a pistol or a rifle and trained.
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kids aged 13 to 17 train and compete in country wide famous shooting contests since 1600's
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In 2000, more than 25% of Swiss gun owners said they kept their weapon for military or police duty, while less than 5% of Americans said the same.
* Ownership declining. In 2007, the Small Arms Survey found that Switzerland had the third-highest ratio of civilian firearms per 100 residents (46), outdone by only the US (89) and Yemen (55). But it seems that figure has dropped over the past decade. It's now estimated that there's about one civilian gun for every four Swiss people.
*
Gun sellers follow more strict licensing procedures than USA
* People who've been convicted of a crime or have an alcohol or drug addiction aren't allowed to buy guns in Switzerland. The law also states that anyone who "expresses a violent or dangerous attitude" won't be permitted to own a gun.
*
Switzerland still has one of the highest rates of gun violence in Europe, and most gun deaths in the country are suicides like the USA.
http://www.businessinsider.com/switzerland-gun-laws-rates-of-gun-deaths-2018-2?r=UK&IR=T
A buyer in Switzerland[1] needs to get a permit-to-purchase issued by the cantonal police (specific weapons for hunting or sports are exempt). Permits are denied to applicants with criminal records, addiction problems, or a debilitating psychiatric condition. This system is based on direct access to criminal records through local law enforcement, and is both more thorough and less burdensome than the current US system, which suffers from widely acknowledged loopholes and information inaccuracies. A Scientific American article noted that the ten US states that do require a permit-to-purchase have seen a proven reduction in gun violence.[2]
[1]
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/...-uk-canada
[2]
https://www.scientificamerican.com/artic...shootings/
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Despite the wars and pollution, cars still aren't expressly designed and tweaked in order to kill the maximum amount of people.
If we do away with cars we will have a lot less freedom to move. If we do away with guns we will have a lot less... guns. Oh, and school shootings and suicides and toddlers shooting their mothers in the face. What a sacrifice.
Less guns = less shootings. But apparently only some of us want less shootings. That's a psyche that deserves some attention.
Some people think there are too many people so every extra death is welcome. Others want to have guns for use against "those people".
Others just like shiny things that make a loud bang.
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Do we ban all tools that might be misused, or do we educate people on the proper use of tools?
There are people who would argue smokin' da ice has its benefits. It's other people who misuse it. Not them
What about hand grenades? Or a DIY Home Dental Kit? Driving a tank to Hilo? All of those devices when used by someone educated in their proper application could be put to good use, by one person or another. Or so they would argue.
Society draws a line in the sand. The line moves with the tide.
If you want to combine the dual pleasures of insanity and social acceptance, religion is your only choice. - Last Aphorisms
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Less guns = less shootings.
Violence will find other ways until/unless the underlying social issues are addressed.
Society draws a line in the sand. The line moves with the tide.
The line also moves when people piss on it.
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Until the underlying social issues are addressed how about we stop handing out machine guns to anyone who wants them?
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quote:
Originally posted by PaulW
Until the underlying social issues are addressed how about we stop handing out machine guns to anyone who wants them?
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/rpt/2009-R-0020.htm
Wahine
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The line also moves when people piss on it.
I believe a statute prohibits such an occurrence on Waikiki Beach, not sure about Kehena Beach. Again, it's what society (or those beyond the bounds of society) find acceptable.
If you want to combine the dual pleasures of insanity and social acceptance, religion is your only choice. - Last Aphorisms
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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To be honest, that is a big part of the disfunction surrounding this debate - incorrect usage of terminology. Spend a little time to familiarize yourself with the varies firearm nomenclatures and we'll all have a much easier time disagreeing with each other ;-)
