# Why do mass shootings only happen in the US? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 17, 2007, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447 "2007-04-17T08:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/221 "2007-04-19T17:19:00Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] You know, there’s stories of cops in Philly blocking off a street, going into a store, taking what they wanted, and then reporting it as a theft. Yes stories is what I imagine they are. Not that there haven’t been problems with PPD. There’s cops in NY who were hitmen for the mob. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess their victims were gun owners. There’s a lot of things. Sometimes the awareness that someone can stand up to them is all it takes. You don’t need to use a weapon to stand tall. But the fact that they exist is a reason for ‘them’ not to ignore you out of hand. Respect the citizens. Because if you don’t, you’re going to have to fear them, and that’s a lot worse. [/QUOTE] We need to respect each other as human beings not as potential antagonists. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/222 "2007-04-19T17:46:43Z")
Yes, we should. We need to. We can’t. Sad, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/223 "2007-04-19T18:10:50Z")
Yeah. A lot of interesting things have come up in this thread. Do you think that once we invented a way for men to kill that didn’t require size, strength or special skills the nature of human dynamics irrevocably changed? ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/224 "2007-04-19T18:39:43Z")
Well, that is when the revolutionary era started, plus or minus. You think it might be related? Guns + mass production = democracy? ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/225 "2007-04-19T18:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=Polerius] \*\*Why do mass shootings only happen in the US? \*\* [/QUOTE] Isn’t it obvious? It’s because God hates America. For a lot of reasons, but mainly because [we won’t listen to Fred Phelps.](http://www.godhatesamerica.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Burton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Burton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burton)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/226 "2007-04-19T19:21:03Z")
[QUOTE=E-Sabbath] Well, that is when the revolutionary era started, plus or minus. You think it might be related? Guns + mass production = democracy? [/QUOTE] I don’t know what you mean by mass production. An efficient manufacturing process i.e. assembly line is relatively recent. I can’t imagine firearms were inexpensive in the 18th century. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/227 "2007-04-20T00:39:01Z")
As opposed to when guns were curiosities, when entire armies were armed with rifles of similar types. Pre- assembly line, but most of the rifles were pretty identical. Napoleon’s army, and so on. ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/228 "2007-04-20T07:55:39Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Isn’t it obvious? It’s because God hates America. For a lot of reasons, but mainly because [we won’t listen to Fred Phelps.](http://www.godhatesamerica.com/) [/QUOTE] Paging Reverend Robertson… would a Reverend Robertson please go to a white courtesy phone? ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/229 "2007-04-20T15:47:03Z")
[QUOTE=Burton] …How will you and your semi automatic hunting rifle restore democracy? [/QUOTE] I thought, based upon previous discussions that you felt semi autos were death incarnate and a blight on human and animal society? Now they are useless? Which is it? BTW, if I was out for restoring democracy, my hunting rifle would stay at home… ---
**Author:** ![GomiBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b2d939/32.png) [@GomiBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GomiBoy)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447/230 "2007-04-20T16:07:04Z")
[QUOTE=Burton] I don’t know what you mean by mass production. An efficient manufacturing process i.e. assembly line is relatively recent. I can’t imagine firearms were inexpensive in the 18th century. [/QUOTE] They were very expensive, far more than now based on the buying power of a dollar. Don’t quite see your point, though? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-mass-shootings-only-happen-in-the-us/400447.md?page=11)