Defender of America’s most notorious pedophile gets upset when children speak out on the horrors of the world in which they are growing should not be a surprising development, right?
Right you are.
There was a time, when you could get a BAR or a Thompson (machine guns).
Added on edit: That was during the “good old days” when everything was great. Uh huh.
As part of the ‘thoughts and prayers’ discussion, here’s a lovely tweet showing a bunch of Marco Rubio’s ‘thoughts and prayers’ tweets in the wake of shootings over the past half-dozen years.
To me, “lots of guns” means that guns are reasonably common amongst the population. It’s not an absolute measurement, wherein “lots of guns” somehow means “the number of guns in the United States”.
22% of Canadian households own guns. That’s lots of guns. Their gun homicide rate is 0.38 per 100,000.
Between 32 and 43% of American households own guns. That’s lots of guns (though, plainly, Americans collectively own far more guns, the total number seems irrelevant compared to the ownership rate). Our gun homicide rate is 3.6 per 100,000.
If 10% more Canadian households were issued guns, would their homicide rate increase by nearly 10 times? I’m going to say no. There’s more at work here than the existence of guns - though, of course, one symptom of our sick and violent culture is the hoarding and exaltation of guns.
Nothing unreasonable there.
No.
I do not recall comparing a real bombing to someone setting off a firecracker. Perhaps you could direct me to that post. That is, incidentally, not a correct analogy to what I did post.
But hey, would you like some references to people scoffing at “thoughts and prayers” before 2017? Okay! Here’s your proof.
I found these in two minutes.
You can also look at the Nordic countries, which come in on third place for guns per capita, and which have gun homicide rates from 0.1 and 0.3 per 100000.
You have to apply for a license, which you’ll only get if you are a hunter or a sports shooter. Handguns are much more heavily regulated than long guns, and self defense is never a valid reason for obtaining a gun license.
Public carry is not allowed for private citizens, and unless you’re on the range or the hunting ground, the weapon should be packed in a case.
Semi-autos are generally prohibited, except for a short list of approved hunting weapons, or if you’re active in dynamic sports shooting.
Over here, gun owners regard a gun as a tool. A tool intended for breaking or punching holes in targets, or for bringing home food. We just don’t have the US obsession about “self defense”. Shooting bad guys is a job for the police, and then only when all the other available tools have been proven useless.
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And the Nordic countries are, if anything, more liberal than the US. (Starving Artist blames the mass shootings on the liberal shift since the 1960s.)
Whiter, too.
But I’m certain Starving Artist never views the world through that lens, or evaluates countries based on that criterion.
Those are not unlike the Canadian laws, but, I think the sticking point will always be, as you touched on, “It makes me feel safe!”, isn’t enough justification for you to get a gun. You’ll just have to find another way to deal with your insecurities besides sporting a gun. Many nations successfully navigate these waters, their citizens seeing the wisdom in such a strategy.
But I get the feeling that ain’t ever gonna fly in America.
I do not believe a Canadian needs to provide a justification for getting a PAL. (The license to get a firearm.)
Frankly, asking for a personal justification is kind of silly, anyway:
RCMP: So what’s your justification for wanting a gun?
APPLICANT: Uhhh… can I say to make me feel safe?
RCMP: That’s not on the approved list, no.
APPLICANT: How about exacting a horrible and bloody revenge on my enemies?
RCMP: Are you Liam Neeson?
APPLICANT: No.
RCMP: Sorry, no.
APPLICANT: There’s special rules for Liam Neeson?
RCMP: Shouldn’t there be?
APPLICANT: Good point. Okay, uh… I’m obsessed with guns?
RCMP: Definitely not.
APPLICANT: Can I say it’s because I want to kill lots of animals?
RCMP: Yup, that’s on the list.
APPLICANT: Well, then, I want to shoot animals.
RCMP: You’re good.
I don’t think the total number should be shrugged off as irrelevant.
If 22% of Canadian households own guns, but most of them only own one gun either used for home protection or shooting vermin, that tells us their overall relationship with firearms is pragmatic. Not recreational or consumeristic.
I think the problem in the US is that a large chunk of the population own guns to complete themselves somehow and we treat this as totally normal. So a broke, delinquent-history having, would-be-homeless-if-not-for-the-kindness-of-strangers guy like Cruz can own 5 guns, and instead of asking whether this a reasonable thing, people don’t give it a second thought.
So keeping up with the total number guns makes just as much sense to me as quantifying gun-owning households. If we wanted to profile (and intervene against) people who most likely to commit mass shootings, something tells me we should start looking at people who own 5 or more guns. Not people with mental illness.
Over here, it would rather be:
Norwegian Police Service: So what’s your justification for wanting a gun?
APPLICANT: Uhhh… can I say to make me feel safe?
NPS: That’s not on the approved list, no. makes a note in applicant’s file
APPLICANT: Okay, uh… I’m obsessed with guns?
NPS: Definitely not.
APPLICANT: How about exacting a horrible and bloody revenge on my enemies?
NPS:…!!? makes a note that applicant should never be issued a gun license, and put under observation I think we’re done here, sir.
ANOTHER APPLICANT: Can I say it’s because I want to kill lots of animals?
NPS: Yup, that’s on the list. But I can’t see that you’ve attached a copy of your national hunting permit, so no.
AA: Well, then, I want to shoot at targets.
NPS: Are you a member of a sports shooting organisation which has a program where the gun type you’re applying for is suitable?
AA: Sure, I’m sorry I forgot to attach a copy of my membership card.
NPS: OK, we’ll run a background check on you for violent crimes or mental health issues. If everything looks good, you’ll get your purchase license in about a month’s time.
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I think that even the NPS would make sure it’s not Liam Neeson before making that note.
Chuck Norris doesn’t need a gun.
The well-established fact that you don’t believe in reality is not relevant to this discussion.
…somebody posts something like this and makes you look like an abject ignoramus (again):
Obviously the fault of antisocial propaganda from the nickelodeon and the proliferation of violent pinball games… :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Just some pranksters with cherry bombs.
Yeah the counter-culture revolution caused violence in the same way that lack of pirates caused global warming.
Hippies like Arlo Guthrie throwing garbage all over the place set a really bad precedent!