Originally Posted By Dabob2 "Per capita I wouldn't be surprised if they do. There's a lot of ugly things that happen up there as well, just not as publicized or exploited." Actually, no. The rate was 10.2 gun deaths per 100,000 in the US and 2.5 in Canada. I'd take cutting our rate in 4 any day of the week. In the UK, by the way, it was 0.25. "The U.S. is not a uniquely violent society, said Wintemute, who practices emergency medicine and conducts research on the nature and prevention of gun violence. Our overall rates of violence are similar to Australia, Canada and Western Europe. Where the U.S. stands out, Wintemute said, is in the homicide rate. "That's a weapon effect. It's not clear that guns cause violence, but it's absolutely clear that they change the outcome," said Wintemute."
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper British news covering and showing today's press conference had to clarify that it wasn't a spoof to its viewers. That's all that really needs to be said.
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper My friend in London told me that earlier. I'm assuming right now she wasn't joking.
Originally Posted By velo >>LaPierre announced that former Rep. Asa Hutchison, R-Ark., will lead an NRA program that will develop a model security plan for schools that relies on armed volunteers.<< Yeah, that will work...armed volunteers ready to "Stand their ground." What idiots.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "My friend in London told me that earlier. I'm assuming right now she wasn't joking." <a href="http://inagist.com/all/282211385214124032/" target="_blank">http://inagist.com/all/2822113...4124032/</a>
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan LaPierre's declaration that the answer to America's gun problem is more guns is like a representative from Lay's Potato Chips coming into the autopsy of a morbidly obese man and declaring that what he really needed was more chips.
Originally Posted By DDMAN26 Forget about missing the forest for the the trees. That's not even planting the trees to begin with.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan We seriously need to start slapping a very large tax on guns and all the related accessories. If people are going to own guns, then they can damn well contribute towards the many costs to society associated with their misuse. On my auto insurance, my rates are affected by the accidents in my region that I'm not involved in. I pay for uninsured motorists. I pay tolls and taxes along the way, including taxes on fuel. Guns aren't a very price sensitive market. I say gun owners need to be licensed, so we get those fees every year. Plus special taxes on all the other related merchandise, ammunition, hunting licenses, NRA membership, etc. The money all goes towards health care and law enforcement. Health care to provide services for the mentally ill in addition to aging the cost of gunshot victims as well as PSAs explaining how to properly store a gun and the downsides to owning one in the first place. With a few hundred million guns in this country, that could generate an enormous amount of revenue. It won't help much with the amount of guns but it will at least help with the fiscal aftermath of living in a nation filled to the brim with them.
Originally Posted By 182 Do you think that if there was an amred civilian at the school so many children would be dead today ?
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 We need a police officer on every block in America and in every house, that'll stop it for sure.... **rolls eyes**
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Do you think that if there was an amred civilian at the school so many children would be dead today ?<< The armed civilian at the school was the problem.
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Yeah, that will work...armed volunteers ready to "Stand their ground."<< "Oh cool, George Zimmerman is going to be protecting my kids in school." --Michael Ian Black
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>Like the massacre of a kindergarten?<<< Up until a few days ago we didn't have that either. People are people and anything can happen anytime. Remember the separatist movement in Quebec in the early 70's. Mail boxes blowing up had no concern about who was standing next to them or how old they were. Every place has the ability to be violent.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper Yes, every place has the ability to be violent. Why is US at the top of the "most frequent" list?
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>Why is US at the top of the "most frequent" list?<< Because we're the land of opportunity. And the opportunity is assisted by the fact that we are up to our necks in assault weapons. It's also assisted by the fact that we don't have a very good infrastructure for diagnosing and treating people who are mentally unstable.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer "Do you think that if there was an amred civilian at the school so many children would be dead today ?" There was an armed guard at Columbine, and an entire armed police force at Virginia Tech.
