I Just Nearly Shot Myself.

**Kaniaz** · 12-03-2006 10:10 PM

I see the point. No guns mean less crime rates. I like this idea, in fact, I think it's entirely right. Let's go take a look for some news article on it. Ah, here's one from the BBC! This will surely preach to us the goodness of prohibiting guns and how we are so much better than America for not having them (ha, those crazy Americans, thinking guns stop anything).

Government assured Britons they needed no weapons, society would protect them. If that were so in 1920 when the first firearms restrictions were passed, or in 1953 when Britons were forbidden to carry any article for their protection, it no longer is.

The failure of this general disarmament to stem, or even slow, armed and violent crime could not be more blatant. According to a recent UN study, England and Wales have the highest crime rate and worst record for "very serious" offences of the 18 industrial countries surveyed.[/b]

Oh.

But despite, or because, of this, violent crime in America has been plummeting for 10 consecutive years, even as British violence has been rising. By 1995 English rates of violent crime were already far higher than America's for every major violent crime except murder and rape.[/b]

Er. Well.

You are now six times more likely to be mugged in London than New York. Why? Because as common law appreciated, not only does an armed individual have the ability to protect himself or herself but criminals are less likely to attack them. They help keep the peace. A study found American burglars fear armed home-owners more than the police. As a result burglaries are much rarer and only 13% occur when people are at home, in contrast to 53% in England.[/b]

This article must be a lie! Surely these statistics are faked!

When guns were available in England they were seldom used in crime. A government study for 1890-1892 found an average of one handgun homicide a year in a population of 30 million. But murder rates for both countries are now changing. In 1981 the American rate was 8.7 times the English rate, in 1995 it was 5.7 times the English rate, and by last year it was 3.5 times. With American rates described as "in startling free-fall" and British rates as of October 2002 the highest for 100 years the two are on a path to converge.[/b]

Oh. Oh well, you see, uh.

So tell me, who's delusional again about guns, America or the holier than thou Europe?

HINT: It's the holier than thou Europe.

**Identity X** · 12-03-2006 11:24 PM

Well, alright Kaniaz. I didn't say the UK had low crime rates, just low murder rates. I'm losing two arguments at the moment on this fine site, this one, and another one on cats, of all things. This one because I blindly take figures from UN surveys (however powerful those figures may be) without thinking them through, while trying to argue an idealistic stance that everybody should support in theory, and the other because people won't let go of comfortable sentiments and acknowledge there's some truth in all my rantings. So I won't be arguing any further. At least I'm not being accused of being a cold-blooded monster in this thread. I'll just leave that to Burns in the other. I am right though

. About the cat thing.

**Moonbeam** · 12-04-2006 02:45 AM

Originally Posted by FreshBrains

Well, this lead to a strange series of events... Not one hour after all of this, my neighbor's house was broken into.
[/b]

I hope he had a gun.

Originally Posted by FreshBrains

I'd love to wander around the streets of america wheeling a Gatling gun

but don't cover it up........cause that's illegal
[/b]

It's not really true that it's legal to carry a gun anywhere if you don't conceal it. There are all kinds of rules about how they should be transported, etc. depending on the laws of the particular area you are in. You don't see many (any) people walking around with guns strapped to their hips. If they tried that, they would probably be assumed to be crazy psycho-killers about to go on a shooting spree and (hopefully) get shot by law-abiding citizens with their legally concealed weapons.

**Umbrella** · 12-04-2006 09:56 PM

Originally Posted by Identity

Well, alright Kaniaz. I didn't say the UK had low crime rates, just low murder rates. I'm losing two arguments at the moment on this fine site, this one, and another one on cats, of all things. This one because I blindly take figures from UN surveys (however powerful those figures may be) without thinking them through, while trying to argue an idealistic stance that everybody should support in theory, and the other because people won't let go of comfortable sentiments and acknowledge there's some truth in all my rantings. So I won't be arguing any further. At least I'm not being accused of being a cold-blooded monster in this thread. I'll just leave that to Burns in the other. I am right though

. About the cat thing.
[/b]

I don't feel like arguing in this thread in the first place, as I'm not American, and thus, there's no point. However, I must admit that Kaniaz showed me a result of the American gun laws that I'd never known about, which has made me look at them differently. I'm still not sure whether I prefer the American situation over the British one, seeing as the homocide rates are still higher in the U.S, but it's worth thinking about at the least.

Now about this cat matter... I wonder where I can find it and what it's about. I feel like supporting Identity X and being a cold-blooded monster today.

**Roller** · 12-04-2006 11:57 PM

I think the topic of the thread kind of sums up the debate on guns - the harder it is to buy or posess guns, the less likely it becomes that some kid will play with one at home and nearly shoot himself.

**Oneironaut Zero** · 12-05-2006 12:01 AM

Hahaha. Way to go, Fresh.

Be careful with that shit, man.

**Pyrofan1** · 12-05-2006 12:19 AM

I've almost been killed by falling icicles

**bradybaker** · 12-05-2006 01:35 AM

America is like the teenage kid that got mad at its parents, went and held up a liquor store and decided they were on their own. That's why they like their guns. And that's why their gun crime rate is so much higher than anywhere else on the planet.

**badassbob** · 12-05-2006 11:27 PM

Originally Posted by bradybaker

America is like the teenage kid that got mad at its parents, went and held up a liquor store and decided they were on their own.
[/b]

lmao, that's actually a pretty good way to put it.

**Waite** · 12-19-2006 04:15 AM

Originally Posted by docKnubis

ha what no to know something cool you can that is if you are old enough strap a shot gun to the outside of you pants and walk around with it . in the united states. you can carry a gun as long as its not covered up.
[/b]

though technically true, if you actually do walk down the street carrying a gun, you will be arrested

**Umbrasquall** · 12-19-2006 06:34 AM

Actually it's legal in most states to openly carry firearms, so you wouldn't be arrested. It would actually be illegal to carry concealed weaponry while walking down the street.

On that note, as it's been said before, you can also obtain a concealed gun license, and it would be legal for you to be in public with a handgun as long as it is hidden from view. In fact that's the only way you can carry a handgun around without getting in trouble with the law.

If you don't have such an license, you can still move your gun around, but it must in locked in a case and placed in the trunk of your car.

However, one thing that's always struck me odd is that air/CO2/electric guns are legal even for kids to own and many of them can be quite deadly.

A Walther PPK huh? That's quite an old gun, it's not yours is it Fresh?

**TygrHawk** · 12-19-2006 07:11 AM

Originally Posted by Waite

though technically true, if you actually do walk down the street carrying a gun, you will be arrested
[/b]

No, not at all. All too often I am in a restaurant or store, and see someone with a handgun strapped to their hip. Of course, some of these may be off-duty / plainclothes law enforcement types, but I'm pretty sure that's not the case with all of them.

**Umbrasquall** · 12-19-2006 07:49 AM

You're right TygrHawk, refer to my post above you.

**Alric** · 12-19-2006 08:18 AM

Where you live plays a big part in it.

Thread: I Just Nearly Shot Myself.

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions