# Why all the Gun Debates Lately? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 26, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199 "2001-08-26T17:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/1 "2001-08-26T17:57:10Z")
I have no idea where the best Forum for this question is - so I hope it is here. Without devolving into yet another debate - did something happen recently in the news that I missed, just a phase of the moon, troll attack, orbital mind-control lasers, or is something else going on? I don’t ever recall, in my nearly 18 months here, seeing so many simultaneous Gun-related debates in Great Debates. Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/2 "2001-08-26T17:58:34Z")
I’ve noticed a similar trend with evolution/creation threads, and was thinking about asking what’s going on. This seems like as good a place as any. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/3 "2001-08-26T18:01:57Z")
Must be one of them “moon cycles” or something. I’ve noticed trends like this too . . . Tripler I’m a healthy participant in 'em – rarely. ---
**Author:** ![Billy\_Rubin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billy_rubin/32/3622_2.png) [@Billy\_Rubin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billy_Rubin)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/4 "2001-08-26T18:03:21Z")
Don’t you read your Orange Catholic Bible? Increased interest in left vs, right debates is the first sign. Soon we will be confronted by the four horeseman of the apocalypse, Halitosis, Body Odor, Gingivitis, and Barry Manilow. And then, _I’ll release the marmosets._ b. [sub]Whoa, billy, time to ease up on the Vicodin![/sub] ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/5 "2001-08-26T18:04:45Z")
I hear ya… rarely is it that there are more than 3 debates on the same topic! Here we have : [What will we do when they come for our slippery slope?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=83604) [tentative gun debate](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=83695) [what should we do when they come for our guns?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=83242) [Why are kids shooting their friends coast to coast?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=83649) [Why is the US the only country that seems to care about firearms?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=83654) Top that off, there were two threads about slippery slopes not listed above which were spawned off them. :eek: They’re attacking on multiple fronts!!! ---
**Author:** ![Arken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@Arken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arken)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/6 "2001-08-26T18:13:19Z")
You can have my opinion on gun control when you pry it from my cold, dead hands. ---
**Author:** ![BooBoo316](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@BooBoo316](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BooBoo316)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/7 "2001-08-26T18:34:30Z")
I think it’s due to a lack of “Thread Control”. People starting a new thread without checking to see if one is already open. [sub]ps - good one, Arken[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Drastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Drastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drastic)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/8 "2001-08-26T18:47:07Z")
Moon cycle, definitely. Plus, it’s one of the great baseline fall-back debates possible during times of slow news. I’m pretty sure statistical clumpings of abortion debates have also occurred, for pretty much the same reason. ---
**Author:** ![Tranquilis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tranquilis/32/3639_2.png) [@Tranquilis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tranquilis)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/9 "2001-08-26T18:52:31Z")
Hey, you may as well ask why there are so many book threads recently. I can think of four that recently lauched within the space of a day. It’s cyclical, coincidental, and part of the master plan to rule the universe… [sub]Ooops! I shoulda kept that last part quiet. Now I’ll have to kill you… [/sub] 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/10 "2001-08-26T19:04:27Z")
Anthracite, I follow such things and don’t see any obvious reasons why the debate is hot right now. maybe it’s a lot of folks cross posting and not checking previous threads. Someone in another thread mentioned the rise in sock puppets when students get back to the dorms but it’s a little early for that. Since I live in Arizona and guns are extremely commonplace and mostly accepted I may not have the best perspective. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2001, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/11 "2001-08-26T19:14:21Z")
Could it possibly be related to the fact that thousands of new computers have just been hooked up in dorm rooms across the land? ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2001, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/12 "2001-08-27T00:11:26Z")
Our society has decided to deal w/ guns as if they were some sort of “taboo”. If we relaxed a little and didn’t make guns such a big deal, people wouldn’t be going crazy with guns like they are today. ---
**Author:** ![Palve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a698b9/32.png) [@Palve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palve)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2001, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-all-the-gun-debates-lately/78199/13 "2001-08-27T00:16:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clayton\_e \* > \*\*Our society has decided to deal w/ guns as if they were some sort of “taboo”. If we relaxed a little and didn’t make guns such a big deal, people wouldn’t be going crazy with guns like they are today. \*\* Of course, this is a hard-core member of the NRA (I know him IRL), he teaches little kids to shoot things at scout camp for a job (serious).