# Guns don't take hostages, peoeple do. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 24, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887 "2006-02-24T04:24:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/1 "2006-02-24T04:24:44Z")
Ariz. Gunman Takes As Many As 9 Hostages Guns don’t take hostages, peoeple do. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/2 "2006-02-24T04:29:53Z")
> [@bannerrefugee](#): > > Guns don’t take hostages, peoeple do. Oh, yeah? _You_ try taking hostages without a gun. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/3 "2006-02-24T04:35:53Z")
What if I take a hostage with a poin-ted stick? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/4 "2006-02-24T04:40:53Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > What if I take a hostage with a poin-ted stick? After you pull the pointed stick out of your ass (or wherever the irate hostage jammed it), go get a gun and take another hostage. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/5 "2006-02-24T04:56:48Z")
> [@bannerrefugee](#): > > Guns don’t take hostages, peoeple do. Yep, and sometimes they use bombs, explosive belts, and, on occasion, even knives. (Or, as I learned on an episode of **Cops** in which some guy held off the police for awhile by holding a knife to his own throat, they can sometimes even take _themselves_ hostage.) ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/6 "2006-02-24T05:02:26Z")
The TV episode is a good example. (Or, as I learned on an episode of Cops in which some guy held off the police for awhile by holding a knife to his own throat, they can sometimes even take themselves hostage.) THANKS! ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/7 "2006-02-24T05:10:11Z")
> [@Starving Artist](#): > > (Or, as I learned on an episode of **Cops** in which some guy held off the police for awhile by holding a knife to his own throat, they can sometimes even take _themselves_ hostage.) [Seen that before.](http://www.ladyofthecake.com/mel/saddles/sounds/dowhathe.wav) ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/8 "2006-02-24T05:13:59Z")
Holly shit! I confirmed that I did go a week ago to apply for a job at the same building! Somehow I always seem to miss these things. Remember the case of the guy that stole a dump truck in Phoenix, long police chase and a guy with a bat knocked down the guy when he tried to escape when the truck finally stopped? I was in the freeway when that happened (did not realize at the time what was going on) and by chance I drove next to the dump truck, I realized something was amiss when the roads were so empty and behind us the police cars were slowing traffic, but only later I learned what the heck happened. As for the current situation, the latest is that two hostages managed to escape. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/9 "2006-02-24T05:20:19Z")
> [@bannerrefugee](#): > > Ariz. Gunman Takes As Many As 9 Hostages > > Guns don’t take hostages, peoeple do. Yea, and threads don’t write themselves, people write them. You know string a couple of words together, maybe a few coherent ideas. What am I missing here? Besides an OP? ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/10 "2006-02-24T05:25:17Z")
I hate when peoeple, take people as hostages. CMC ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/11 "2006-02-24T05:25:24Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > What if I take a hostage with a poin-ted stick? SHUT UP! This is how to take hostages with fresh fruit, not pointed sticks! ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/12 "2006-02-24T05:30:47Z")
Good news! No shots fired, all people released, gunman in custody. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/13 "2006-02-24T05:36:16Z")
That is good news, thanks. (Hey **crowmany** , did you ever hear back from Lynne Russell?) 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/14 "2006-02-24T05:57:18Z")
Do better Yea, and threads don’t write themselves, people write them. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/15 "2006-02-24T06:19:45Z")
\*\*bannerrefugee \*\* , you really didn’t offer anything in the OP, so let me take a guess. You’re upset that they said “gunman” instead of “batshit loon”. The gun part being in contention. Well, the guy had a gun, and for decades (centuries?) a guy with a gun is a gunman. Reasonable people take this to mean the guy had a gun, as opposed to a knife, bomb, picture of Rosie O’Donnel naked, whatever. They’re all deadly. I assume you’re upset that the fringe will blame guns for this crime. And they will. But the majority here will see the person as the criminal who happened to use a gun. Or am I being whooshed? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/16 "2006-02-24T06:41:15Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > I hate when peoeple, take people as hostages. People…people who take people…are the luckiest kidnappers in the world… ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/17 "2006-02-24T07:06:34Z")
Havin been held hostage by a gunman (a heavily armed gunman who shot the shit out the building at that) I just wanted to say IT SUCKS. Glad everyone got out ok. Slee ---
**Author:** ![Blackclaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e68b1a/32.png) [@Blackclaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackclaw)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/18 "2006-02-24T12:52:24Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > SHUT UP! This is how to take hostages with fresh fruit, not pointed sticks! I’ve got a rock. Can I use a rock? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/19 "2006-02-24T13:23:53Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Holly shit! I confirmed that I did go a week ago to apply for a job at the same building! > > Somehow I always seem to miss these things. Remember the case of the guy that stole a dump truck in Phoenix, long police chase and a guy with a bat knocked down the guy when he tried to escape when the truck finally stopped? > > I was in the freeway when that happened (did not realize at the time what was going on) and by chance I drove next to the dump truck, I realized something was amiss when the roads were so empty and behind us the police cars were slowing traffic, but only later I learned what the heck happened. > > As for the current situation, the latest is that two hostages managed to escape. So, a bat-man could win against a dump truck, if he was prepared? ---
**Author:** ![Futile\_Gesture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f05b48/32.png) [@Futile\_Gesture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Futile_Gesture)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887/20 "2006-02-24T13:23:56Z")
> [@bannerrefugee](#): > > Guns don’t take hostages, peoeple do. People do a whole lot of things. In fact they do just about everything we ever talk about, their involvement is pretty much a given. So why don’t we just remove this constant from the equation and see what we have left? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/guns-dont-take-hostages-peoeple-do/345887.md?page=2)