text:
- Billy Zhang
- Hangzhou,zhejiang
- China
an undergraduate student,
This conversation is closed.
How would you feel if the government carried out a serious ban on guns?
Here in China, the government doesn't allow the free gun sales and the man who want to have his gun (usully for protecting the forest or animals) legally must have the arm licence which is also hard to obtain.
But I hear about that in many other countries ,any adult can buy guns freely just as biscuits.But as you all know, terrible shooting accidents are happening now and then.
Does your government start to draw out decrees over gun control or gun ban?How do you feel if the government carry it out seriously? I just want to know your true feeling without any offence.Thank you!
Frank Barry
Jun 29 2013: Billy Zhang,
- +4
The government should ban the research, development, manufacture and use of guns,
and all weapons that kill and main humans and innocent animals.
These are my true feelings.
My feelings are not reality.
They are but a dream. A dream --
I was born into a time of war. As I grew I discovered that the government that
I was taught to swear allegiance to each morning in a school room, was evil.
It didn't take long to realize.
I found out that the Sunday Funnies in the newspapers were propaganda
for evil government. My Dad read my favorites, Terry and the Pirates,
which became Terry and the Flying Tigers, and as the wars changed
the P-57s became F80's and F86's, while the enemies changed from being
Japs to Gooks. Evil government, supported by it's own evil news print media.
I could take you all through the years and depict the changes in own evil government
as they continue to do war year after year, never ending the killing and maiming of
innocent men, women, and wee children. But, you folks don't want to hear about the
bad things that need changing. It is so much easier to let it go. Have a cappuccino.
The reality is --
Our evil government is the world's leader in the manufacture and sales of
deadly weapons, and deadly weapons of mass destruction. They provide
deadly weapons to overthrow other evil governments that can then install
new evil ones. A never ending story. Iraq is a fine example. Afghanistan too,
and 50 more before and since WW2.
Who gets the "spoils of war". Spoils are what wars are all about, --
Who gets the Gold, Oil, Money? The answer is, -- Who financed the war,
The Banks !!!
There is no Trickle-Down. The evil government doesn't share spoils with you.
So, if the evil government takes your guns, and has all the money already... hmmm
Regardless of my feelings, you might want to hang on to your guns.
Billy Zhang
Jun 30 2013: Confronted with a world filled with undying wars, cold or hot, it seem that owning powerful weapons which threaten the peace is just the way to defend the peace. What a contadiction!
- +1
How I wish that there would be no war around the world and maybe it's just impractical.
Thank you for sharing your feeling with us, Frank!
May God bless you!
Jun 30 2013: Billy, I fear writing this answer may not be practical.
I wonder why, with the proliferation of so many nuclear weapons,
the strongest government has not been challenged.
Were I the head of the strongest government,
I would reside in a bunker,
a deep one.
But then, I am proud to be a coward. lol
The seat of any government is no match today for the weapons manufactured
and sold on the world's war marketplace.
Someone, some government, somewhere is bound to slip up and push a deadly
button. After governments build and/acquire these mass killing machines, what
do they do? Catch-22.Jun 30 2013: Frank, there are two ways to deal with evil in the world. You can either go unarmed, and be a victim, or you can arm yourself and fight back. Bullets are a matter of physics and reality. You cannot fight them with hopes and dreams of a utopia. Once you become Neo from the Matrix you can control the world with your mind, and not need weapons. But in the real world, you need a gun to protect yourself from armed criminals. Wishing they didn't have anywhere to get guns is not going to help you or anyone else.
Jun 30 2013: Clay, First of all you are right. Keep your guns.
They can be dangerous to innocents and wee children, but they are necessary.
My motive is not utopia, but to let a little bit of light shine on evil.
Evil does exist. We do not want to admit it. Far-fetched, but it exists.
Wrap your mind around not a dream but a reality --
Democrats and Republicans ( 2 parties sharing government )
The DNC and RNC use paid psychologists to assess, understand and
solve the problems of how to select and get a politician elected to office.
Nothing illegal about that.
Also using paid scientific research related to the manipulation of mental
processes and behaviors of voters, and the controlling of the three media
outlets, print, audio, and video, through payment to them of vast advertising
dollars milked from unions, corporations, and individuals.
Nothing illegal about that.
Neo from the Matrix?
NAW just the Democrats and Republicans sharing control of our evil government.
Nothing illegal about that.
Unless you consider the evil results.
Jun 30 2013: Yeah, our foundingn fathers tried to create a system to empower the citizenry and stop governments from being able to control people, and take away their rights. Yet, since 1776 the government has managed to control every aspect of our lives, tax everything that exists, and now it wants to disarm us completely (10 round mag IS complete disarming if you ask me), tell us how to act, even to the point of "thought crimes" (hate crimes), and spy on our every move. That's total powerlessness and control. Our founding fathers would be shocked at how our rights have been eroded over these 200 years.Jun 30 2013: Frank I must agree with the fact that our government has lied swindled and killed to put money in the hands of the banks that fund them. War is good for Banks. because Governments begin taking loans out.
courupt? yes which Is why the Rockefeller family made oil additives for Germany, during WWII. Their plans couldn't fly without the stuff. we made it they bought it. But taking a citizens gun away is no way to prevent war. infact.... it would give other countries an extra reason to invade. (not that I expect any invasions) But in the event that we we're invaded it wouldn't be a lousy 3.5 million man army they were facing (which is still smaller than the army Germany invaded Poland with) they would have 150 million armed citizens fighting on every street corner. fighting invaders every step of the way. Any country that de-arms their citizens has a sinister plan for their own people in the works.
Jun 30 2013: Zachariah, I agree with you fully.
We all know our government is corrupt, in many many ways.
Our government must know it also. But no one says a word.
Now come the Whistle-Blowers. Our "well know to be corrupt"
Washington DC leaders sic the dogs on them. But no one says a word.
Other newspapers around the world pick up on the Whistle-Blower's
agony. They tell what is happening, and only then do our own. controlled
content. White House hand-out, newspapers start to bark.
The Washington DC leaders can buy Ecuadorian support by giving
monetary support in a number of ways. The pressure must be intense
for Ecuador. Washington DC wants Assaunge also.
A squeak is heard yesterday from the Monterey Herald. Seems that the
Defense Dept employees at the Presidio are being hindered in their use
of the internet. This is not the first time. Restrictions of Websites they can
visit, etc. Just like the Chinese. What in the world is going on?
Will civilian Internet be restricted next?Jun 27 2013: No guns is a great idea, more guns means more guns. In other words if there were no guns there wouldn't be the need for a single gun. Peace.
Jun 27 2013: yeah,I can't agree more! Maybe that's why here in China people seldom ask for owning a gun.
Thank you for your incisive idea!
Jun 28 2013: The day the Sandy Hook shooter slaughtered more than 20 children in five minutes, a man in China also attacked a school. He did it with a knife. He injured many people but did not kill one.
Michael Free
Jun 27 2013: What makes you think that?
- +1
Situation 1. A riot happens and the rioters come down your block, going house to house raping and killing. They have no guns but you don't either. You are left to mob rule because you were not armed and the mob was not afraid of death.
Situation 2. A gang of four comes to your door. They are unarmed and you are unarmed also. They break in and have their way with your wife, your child, making you watch the whole thing, then they kill your wife and children, torture you, and kill you.
Situation 3. A woman lives alone. She's a rape victim. She refuses to ever be raped again but she can't depend on her neighbors because they won't always be there for her. She feels sad and fearful that she'll be raped again and all she can do is wait for it.
As it goes now, a mob with guns think twice about attacking a single person with a gun in their home. At least one of the mob is going to die that day. In the LA Riots the mob didn't go door to door looting because it's LA, and behind almost every door is a person with a gun. Death was on the other side of individuals doors and the rioters knew this.
So you live in a world where the individual is not an individual at all and the rest of us 100+ million gun owners in America will retain our individuality. The only way to be secure against the mob in your world is to join a group yourself or depend on the police, who are corrupt, and take their time coming to help. The gun made man (and woman) an individual who needs no one but his hard work and good morals. No government is needed.
Jun 27 2013: Maybe the difference lies in the way of thinking. People with the background of western culture seem have more frequent crisis awareness than people infected with eastern culture.Thus,the reason for owning a gun can be summarized as providing against the potebtial risks am I right?
Here in China, we tend to think that crisis are small probability events so that we seldom think about owning a gun, even if there isn't a decree over gun ban.
Jun 28 2013: I can only speak for America gun owners and obviously I don't speak for all Americans, many of which are vehemently anti-gun.
Your views on China are interesting. Japan is the same way. Same with Sweden and many or the Nordic countries etc.
I think because America is a melting pot of ALL the worlds cultures that there are certain societal things that keep the peace, such as work ethic, TRUTH, and yes, guns.Jun 27 2013: So you are saying that we should shape our national gun policy based on hypothetical situations which may or may not ever happen instead of basing it on actual crimes that have happened?
Situation 1 - The last riot I remember was 20 years ago
Situation 2 - That was a Charles Bronson movie.
Situation 3 - My heart goes out to any woman but statistically she has a better chance of having her own gun used against her than she does of ever using it to defend herself. Get a dog.
Jun 28 2013: Sorry, it seems that I get the wrong point. American seems have a strong sense of independence and you all want to depent on yourselves rather than the government, even in some emergencies. That's a good character which will benefit you in many ways, especially in dealing with such emergencies and in doing academic researches.
MANY THANKS!Jun 28 2013: Seriously I don't know where you are coming from. I live near Oakland in California. There are tough parts of the Bay Area where it is literally not safe to go. Most big cities nation-wide are like this.
There are daily occurrences of mob behavior. For instance on the bus a mob will get on the bus and start robbing and punching everyone and then jump off the bus laughing. This kind of thing happens regularly. Home invasion robberies happen frequently.
If you want to know what is really going on in the news, don't watch the news, but rather go to your local police departments website and look at the crimes that have occurred. They update the list daily usually and you can see what kind of stuff really goes down.
So 1. mob rioting behavior happens DAILY in America
2. Charles Bronson movies happen daily in America
3. who are you to tell any woman what she can and cannot use to protect herself? Read the FBI stats on gun ownership in America and you will see that gun states have lower crime rates than the states that over-regulate guns.Jun 28 2013: As others have pointed out, most of those are simply fantasies. Crime rates are now lower than they have ever been since such statistics have been kept. You are safer now than you were in the "good old days."
Guns are dangerous. The raped woman would be much less safe with a gun in her house than without one. If she's that worried about a second rape, then a good stout deadbolt and a roommate or a dog (as someone else suggested) would be best. Counseling would be better.Jun 28 2013: if you can have a gun then they can have guns too.
situation 1: if you have a gun then so does everyone in the mob, the situation is unchanged. you are at there mercy because there are more of them.
situation 2: same deal. though if no-one has a gun you can at least run away and try to get help or give someone in your family time to run away. furthermore your gun is somewhere in the house while theirs are in their hands.
situation 3: same again, without guns she can run, with guns she can be shot while attempting to escape.
Jun 28 2013: Situation 1: FALSE. A pack of gun-toting thugs DOES NOT WANT TO BE SHOT. At least one of them is going to die if they attack. That is a strong deterrent.
Situation 2: FALSE. We all don't have the luxury of being able to run anywhere. Disabled, elderly, children, you name it. Running away from your own home is cowardly and unworthy of being called the one responsible for the security of your own home.
Situation 3: FALSE. See 2 above.Jun 28 2013: situation 1: not false. a pack of gun toting thugs isn't thinking about not getting shot, they're thinking about doing the shooting themselves. this is evidenced by the countless gang shootouts that happen across the country every year. they don't care if the other guy is armed or not. if your argument is true you must explain why gun-toting thugs regularly confront other gun-toters.
situation 2: also not false. there's nothing cowardly about running for help when a situation that you can't deal with (such as 4 strong thugs against you and some children) arises. also you haven't disproved my argument that when everyone has guns you definitely lose, but if no-one has guns you still have a chance. you also haven't countered my argument that criminals aren't going to wait for you to go and get your gun, or suggested what happens when you are not home with your family. your argument only works for the single case where you go to the door with your gun in hand and there is only 1 person on the other side of it. in reality it's not like that, they don't announce they are coming and there's always more than 1.
situation 3: see above? are you serious? "A woman lives alone. She's a rape victim. She refuses to ever be raped again but she can't depend on her neighbors because they won't always be there for her." she shouldn't run?
Jun 28 2013: Believe me, in bad neighborhoods where there are gangs and other assorted thugs, whether they are armed or not, they think twice before breaking into homes because they know what is possible on the other side of the door.
I'll take back the cowardly comment. I apologize. Sometimes the right thing to do, especially if someone is physically capable, is to run away. That said, in my home I have deadbolts on both the front and back door. It would take a minute or two for someone to break in and by then I would have my gun at the ready.
You do realize that not everyone has the physical ability to run don't you?
I find it interesting that there are over 100+million American gun owners with somewhere near 300 million guns and we only have around 10,000 gun deaths a year. A large percentage of those are suicides and a large percentage are shootings DONE BY police officers in the line of duty. To attribute 10,000 deaths a year to irresponsible gun ownership is incorrect. And just like any other inanimate object guns can be used incorrectly. For instance, there are more killings done with hammers than with rifles. There are man more deaths per year by car accident and I'd be interested in seeing what the numbers are for people who intentionally use a vehicle to kill someone. There are many more deaths per year caused by prescription medicine than there are by guns.
This is a no-win argument because Americans are not going to give up their right to own guns at anytime. We see it as a way to defend our Constitutional Democratic Republic. Many instances in history have tyrants first disarming the populace and then exterminating people. The very reason for the second amendment is to protect every other amendment in the Constitution. The Constitution was made the way it was so that this will ALWAYS be a free country.
The only thing that can be done is to make it harder for criminals and the mentally ill to be able to get them.Jun 27 2013: Funny, when I'm in a bad neighborhood I'm not afraid of guns, I'm afraid of gangs and thugs.
Jun 27 2013: Excellent, Michael. One should really never be afraid of guns. One should be concerned with thugs who will use whatever is at their disposal to take what is not theirs. Now one way a person can protect themselves against such thuggery is with guns. I have spent over a decade in Texas, and have gone to initial and renewal concealed handgun license training. In each class, the majority of people were women or older people.
A gun is a tool, an inanimate object. How they are used is the issue. With over 300,000,000 guns in the United States, a tiny fraction are ever used in crimes. In my opinion, it makes no sense to ban anything because less than 1% of owners use it in the wrong way. Criminals should be targeted, not law-abiding citizens.
Jun 27 2013: A hammer is a tool. A gun is a weapon. The key difference is that tools are used to build something else. A weapon is used to kill. You obviously have no basis for that 1% number btw.Jun 25 2013: In England there are strict gun laws and to quote wikipedia "The United Kingdom has one of the lowest rates of gun homicides in the world. There were 0.04 recorded intentional homicides committed with a firearm per 100,000 inhabitants in 2010"
I know people will dissagree with me on this but I do think guns should be banned, people say that they need them for protection but if no one else had guns then why would you need one?
They are machines that are designed to kill, and by having more people owning guns your just increcing the odds that someday they're going to be used for the wrong reasons. If it's really protection that you need thenwhy not get a tazer or peper spray??
Jun 25 2013: Very good points Louis.
Pepper spray and tazers just do the trick alright.
What might help better is use of self-defense techniques and martial arts too.
Jun 25 2013: Yup, I own a tazer and did a few years kickboxing too. I no longer live in ENgland but when I did I never once saw an occasion where a gun would be protection. People have guns to protect themselves from other people that have guns . . . to my thinking if no one has a gun, then no one else needs a gun.
Plus when a country gets to a point when every citizen owns a gun what happens next? Wehn everyone becomes just as potentially lethal as the next, people will start to want things that are more letal than guns to "protect" themselves.
Thats a good point about martial arts though Simon, perhaps schools should introduce some sort of basic self defence classes? (Plus maybe some more lessons about morals and values)
Jun 25 2013: True, glad you brought up morals and values.
I assume that the people that do unconventional stuff with weapons are mostly without morals and values, they have no respect for anything, and are mostly underprivileged people or mad scientists or Christopher Dorner( i mean, lunatics ).
Guns were necessary back in the days when civilization was not all around and there were mean savage people and lots of wild animals all around. Safety was an issue and having a gun kept a lot of people safe and sound. It would also be used for battles for occupation for land or a princess in distress.
Now that most counties are civilized enough and have enough brains to decipher whats right and whats wrong and we also have governments are executing parts of a country that puts our consciousness into actions and makes the wrong suffer for their "sins", i believe that guns are a no-good entity for the common man.
And since some groups and countries are horn-to-horn to each other, possession of weaponry by a country to prevent loss of lives and death of their people, its customary for the military to keep weapons with them. That would be the only exception, ignoring alien invasions of course.
Also, I think I need to learn some self-defense.
We would never have to face all these non-sense if we ALL were human.Jun 26 2013: Well Louise, a mad man hatcheted a soldier to death recently. There is no question a gun could have very well prevented or mitigated that crime.
In the US, guns are used to prevent crimes anywhere from 250,000 to 2,500,000 times per year, depending on which studies you subscribe to.
Furthermore, England has the highest violent crime rate in Europe, and tops that of the United States. Clearly oppressive gun laws are not a solution.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1196941/The-violent-country-Europe-Britain-worse-South-Africa-U-S.htmlJun 25 2013: What you said about values is what I was aiming at, except I couldn't think of a way of writing it clearly. I think a lot of children now have less values than I was brought up with, they live in a world where they feel they want everything, be it money, clothes, phones ect. It's this greed that corrupts people and leads then to do "wrong". When you add gus into this then obviously the end result won't be good.
In our world I see no need for guns, I know they're needed in the military and that but even then, if opposing leaders could sit down and have a rational conversation, and make comprimises then the guns wouldn't be needed. At what point in our eveolution are we going to stop killing eachother over unimportant things? The more guns there are in the world, the more people there are who are going to die from them.
Jun 25 2013: Loving the discussion.
Children now obviously grow with lesser values. I mildly blame the internet for spreading it. The internet speaks the truth and if there's something bad happening somewhere it goes out into the world and it catches on. Kids now grow up with a clearer view of the real world rather than the older days when what they saw at all was very filtered. I'm 17 and I know things that no man should know and I thank my parents and my own curious mind for helping me understand it in a positive way. We can't really blame anybody for what the children learn, its how one puts a line and does what is humane.
And again, I agree strongly with you Louise, rational conversations are a good idea but truthfully, it is already in action and in some cases it doesn't work.
There's only one solution: Destroy all weapons and ammunition and use the metals for greater good. Sounds impossible but as they say, I quote Adidas, "Impossible is Nothing".Jun 27 2013: Now you are talking, Louise. Quite often, problems come down to a few things. How parents raise their children: CRITICAL. I'll give you an example. I was raised around guns. My father trained me on how to use guns safely, and what they are for. They are for target shooting (we weren't hunters), civil unrest and protecting our family. I would never dream of using guns for any other purpose.
How parents raise kids clearly affects their morals, ethics and can be a huge factor in their success or failure as adults. In addition, there is personal responsibility. The more a person is held responsible for their actions, the more likely they will act responsible. Of course, there will always be those who are just bad seeds and/or losers. The best we can do is keep these savages off the streets away from law-abiding people.Jun 25 2013: You have a good point, kids today grow up knowing more of that "bad" things in this world than generations before them. The internet gives people acces to everything instantly, 24 hour news channels show the dramatic truth, which while i think thats important, i do think that being surrounded by all this "bad" stuff can't be morally healthy. And no, we can't and shouldn't stop children from learning about the real world, but as parents, like yours, we should explain these things to them in a way that they can understand.
Also, your right, unfortunatly there are some people who no amout of rational conversation can ever help, and usually it's these people who are the ones that cause the problems. I also dread to think quite how much spare metal there would be if all wepons were melted down. It would be horrific I'm sure.
Comment deleted
Jun 26 2013: Thanks you for your input Louise and hello again, Kate, thank you.
My idea might be better but its very risky to carry it our.
Just the basic ban in America has caused so much problems over there in the States while citizens of other country's don't have access to weaponry like its candy.
And permanent removal of all weaponry will not appeal to everyone, uh-ha.
Even if we finally succeed at it, many more problems arises. I'm pretty sure not everyone will give up their weapons. Someone somewhere will have them stored someway or the other and it will pose a risk to others forcing them to bring back weapons.
I seem to have writer's block this morning and am unable to express my full thoughts, but I guess you get my point.
Also, I just realized that strict regulation and monitoring weapons might be a good idea too.
Imagine all the weapons with tiny transmitters or GPS that gives it location out to a satellite. This in turn will provide a cheap and effective monitoring.
What do you think Louise and Kate?
Comment deleted
Jun 26 2013: The problem with thracking divices is again that someone somewhere will just figure out how to remove/turn them off. The same goes with melting them, I hadn't thought of it till you mentioned it Simonbut you're right, there would be people who would find a way to keep guns, or to illegally manafacture them.
I love the idea of all the metal being used to make some giant modern pyrimid! I know it's rediculus but it would make me smile!
As for your previous question Kate, I can't see any country ever doing it, as they would then appear "weak" and I can't see any goverment having the stones to be the first. If it ever happened it would have to be done worldwide or not at all. Its a shame because I do love the idea.Jun 27 2013: Stan, No I have nothing against the US, I actually want to vist at some point, and I certainly don't "love" the UK as I left there 6 years again and I haven't been back since. I apoligise if what I wrote offended you so much as that wasn't my intention, I was just trying to point out that the homocide rates in the US were much higher than in the UK. I would rather I was burgled than shot, neither are particuarlly nice but in my opinion losing posessions is less important than losing my life.
I'm sure also that many assults only stay as assults because the peorson who was assulted survived. The subject here is about guns, and whether we think they should be banned, and in my opinion (as I've stated before) I do think they should be banned, not just in the US but in every country. I believe all forms of violence are wrong, and I think allowing everyone to own guns just increases the chance that.
A Question for you though, as you agree with guns (and I'm only asking because i'm curious to your opinion.) Do you think that maybe there should be much stricter rules to owning guns then, rather than a total ban? Or do you think that there should be some sort of test to see who is and who isn't to be trusted with guns?
I've only spoken on here to people who have the same thoughts as me, so it would be nice to know your thoughts.Jun 26 2013: @ Stan Hill - First off if you believe anything that's in the dailymail then . . . But also, that artical was from 2009 (obviously not recent) and all the facts mentioned n the artical were said by the new Home Secretary Alan Johnson in his first major speach. So obviously he is going to make things look like the previous goverment screwed up the country and that he will now fix it.
If you look on any other slightly more reliable source you can see that the homicide rates in the UK are far below what they are in the US. Plus you mention the tragady of the solider who was stabbed, and yes, it is horrific, and yes, maybe a gun could have prevented it. But I don't want to think what could have happened if the men responcible were the ones with guns.
Jun 27 2013: So Louise, why should I give some .pdf file you have provided any more consideration that what I read in the Daily Mail?
But let's take your link, just so I can be agreeable. I never disputed murder rates, so I'm not sure what the point of you bringing that up is. Your assault rate is nearly triple that of the United States. Your rape rate, nearly identical. Your burglary rate, nearly 30% higher than the United States. Based on your own statistics provided, I am not sure why you are here crowing about England and bashing the United States. In fact, I simply do not understand why you are so concerned with us here. I certainly don't give much though about crime in England. I do end up looking at the statistic there when people from there attack the United States. So what... are you just so happy that your criminals assault you three times more and rape you 30% more, rather than murder you? Is that something to crow about? Really?
Now thank you for conceding the hatchet job could have been stopped with a gun. That was my only assertion, as someone here had proposed he or she had never seen an incident where a gun could have stopped a crime. That is obviously complete nonsense.
Oh and regarding your mention of Daily Mail using 2009 statistics. Check this out, copied and pasted directly from your link:
"but the latest report uses police-recorded crime for 2006". Now I will not insinuate personal attacks like you have, but merely point out the information. Or shall I say, "if you believe some organization most people have never heard of over a well-known media outlet, then..."
So let's keep it simple. What statistics would be better to use. Those from 2006 or those from 2009?
Or even better, l would prefer not even discussing England. The fact is, the United States was started because people didn't like the tyranny in Europe. I see no reason to start emulating Europe at this point in time. Thank you and have a nice day.Jun 27 2013: OK, then let's try the Telegraph, who says that based on the study you yourself linked to, England has a higher crime rate than the US:
Or is it now time to attack the Telegraph? Or your own study? Or is it now time to simply admit why you are so intent on attacking the United States? Or how about a more direct personal attack?
I bring this up because it is a common theme in this thread. I honestly don't understand your concern. As I mentioned earlier, I really do not care about crime in England or other countries. Well, that is true to a point. I do like to travel, so do inform myself about places I am going.
But still, I think your desire to attack the US is driving your opposition to guns. Or is it the other way around? I honestly don't know. What I do know is that in the US, we value our rights to keep and bear arms. We do have a crime problem, much like England does. Thugs will be thugs, whether in England, the United States or wherever else.
Now of course, we do have a very vocal contingent of hysterical liberals in the United States who want to ban guns. And without exception, every time I have debated or attempted to debate a person like that here, they are extremely ignorant about guns. And of course, people tend to dislike or fear things they are ignorant of. That is a universal rule of human nature, not just with regards to guns.
In the United States, the jurisdictions with the most oppressive gun laws have the highest crime rates. That is simple, indisputable FACT.Jun 27 2013: Hi Stan, I just read your comment further up, when you say ". I was raised around guns. My father trained me on how to use guns safely, and what they are for. They are for target shooting (we weren't hunters), civil unrest and protecting our family. I would never dream of using guns for any other purpose."
Now despite my personal opinions on guns, I do think you have a point. Like Simon mentioned beofre, one of the biggest issues is a lack of morals. However, if you've been brought up well, and have been trained to use a gun, then I'd much rather see you with a gun than a lot of other people who haven't had your upbringing. unfortunatly though not everyone has been as lucky as you, I would be interested to hear your answere to the question I asked you in my last post. (by the way, sorry the last post is in the wrong place, I got confused with which origional comment I had to reply to, in order to repy to you)
Jimmy Strobl
Jun 25 2013: Hi Louise,
- +1
Some people will always disagree with anything, that does not make them right. By using reason and evidence we can find out what is true.
And I believe that you're completely right about this, guns are bad, the end.
Jun 25 2013: "By using reason and evidence we can find out what is true."
Hm. True in math, and possibly in police work. But in social policy and legislation? It would be nice, but it's not that easy: choices are rarely between all-right and all-wrong options, between the true and the false.
Jun 25 2013: I agree.
But they are either better or worse. And it is by this I make the statement "By using reason and evidence we can find out what is true.".Jun 25 2013: Your right, the world is not in black and white, there is never only 100% right and 100% wrong. But on a moral level there are things that are obviously good and will benefite socioty, and there are things that will harm socioty.
Owning a gun has become almost a status symbol rather than an actual item for protection. I'm sure there are situations where you may need to own a gun, but on the whole I see no way that they do any "good" or benefite our socioty,Jun 26 2013: Inanimate objects are not bad. Some people who use them are. Perhaps we should also ban automobiles. They are bad because so many people drive them drunk and kill innocent people.
Jun 27 2013: Or perhaps we should allow civilians to carry rocket launchers and mini-nukes on the street?Jun 27 2013: How can be a gun and a car be compared like the way you did? These things are made for very different purposes. I feel tired listening to NRA logics. If a country and its people feel unsafe despite having police, law and order and best security systems in place and need guns to feel safe - well I'd say it's very irrational. And btw, I know about the 2nd amendment.Jun 27 2013: Oh and Jimmy, since you would like to look at evidence, I will tell you a good place to start in the United States. Look at crime rates in jurisdictions that have the most oppressive gun laws. Start with Chicago and Washington DC. They have oppressive gun laws and high crime. Hopefully you can see the correlation.
What works in one country does not necessarily mean it will work in another.
Have a nice day.Jun 27 2013: Louise, I am a little confused now. First you said you would like to ban guns, as if no one had one then no one would need one. Then you say that a ban or melting all guns wouldn't work, as criminals would find a way to keep guns.
While I am interested in you squaring those two clearly opposing points, I do thank you for validating the slogan, "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns".
From where I am standing, your desire for a ban, along with your concession that criminals will find a way around it means you support criminals being the only ones with guns.
With facts and logic, can you tell me how my conclusion is incorrect?
Jun 27 2013: No your right, I know they seem opposing and I guess they are. Yes, I think guns should be banned (in my own personal oppinion) however, I know that that would never happen, I'm not nieve enought to think that if all guns were melted down or destroyed that every single gun would be included. There will always be people who would hide their guns, the black market would still thrive.
I guess I'm just trying to say that in my ideal would I think guns should be banned, If all guns were banned and mellted down do you think that everyone would oblige?
Peter Mullen
Jun 29 2013: I choose not to own a gun / weapon. I understand violence, war, jealousy, anger, hatred , ignorance, frustration, lust, greed, all the things that lead to stressed out people deciding to kill or injure someone. The pain never goes away. I'm not trying being offensive. However; the idea that the US government would even contemplate seizing weapons from Americans, is so outlandish, so completely ridiculous, it hardly warrants discussion. There are literally ( 330,000,000 guns ) that's million with an M guns in this country. There's millions of rounds of ammunition being stored , by hunters,target shooters, and yes by lunatic fringe militia nuts, dooms day survivalists, and so on. Any attempt at mass confiscation would be met by a hail of bullets from a thousand points of the compass, that includes the authorities. "No" my friend, It's never going to happen without a blood bath of biblical proportions. The best we can hope for is a progressive congress that at least prevents psychopaths from buying new ones, The industry whores, and propagandists seeking to solidify their massive profits have purchased our congress, as we say,( "lock ,stock, and barrel"). The (Citizens United Supreme Court Decision) has doomed this country to a future of servitude, fascism , and corporate feudalism. Unless your in the 1% this government does not represent you any longer, PERIOD! The US congress is utterly, totally, and completely controlled, and owned by fascists, and multinational corporations, Oil, coal, NG, Banks, Insurance, and arms dealers among others. They will kill, disappear,destroy, or imprison anyone who threatens their market share. Hows that for optimism? The America of my childhood the America in the dreams of our founders is dead i'm sorry to say. Welcome to "Murder-mart"! How may we enslave you? Will that be paper or plastic?
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Jun 30 2013: Peter, if a burglar came into your house at night, are you planning to run, or just use mase or a baseball bat or something? I'm just curious. Also what is your address, and do you have any gold in your house or other valuables?
Jun 30 2013: "Gee", where do you live Waziristan? In my world view, people who go through life like that aren't really alive. They're living in fear. That's not a real life at all. I've lived in cities all over the world in the last 58 years, in war and peace, even had more than a few confrontations, and close calls, but I'm still here. You know why? I use the most effective defensive weapon ever devised. You may have heard of it. It's encased inside a hard calcium structure, it has fuzzy stuff all over it, it's equipped with sound detection devices. It can pick up sent particles as faint as a few parts per million. It does something no other weapon system is capable of. It smiles. Maybe you,ve heard of it? It's that "tiny little pea sized ball" sitting on top of your shoulders. They call it a brain. You should try it sometime. It takes a little practice, but when you get the hang of it it really works. The situations I,ve been in, would have made a lesser man soil himself, let me assure you. In fact if I had a gun, I most likely would not be here today. I choose to walk as a "man" with grace, courage, and dignity, not a quivering bag of frightened protoplasm. In my experience, people who pack a gun are exactly the type of personality that attracts trouble to themselves. It's really about attitude, and how you engage the world. I don't own gold or jewels. I find that narcissistic. It's not what I value. So there you go my friend, all the more gold and jewels for you. Just don't steal "Me" lucky charms.Jun 30 2013: Peter: On the one hand , you recognize that the US, has evolved in the direction of a tyranny. On the other , you seem to find absurd the idea that the government would attempt to seize weapons from civilians. Were you out of the country when the Waco fiasco was orchestrated by "our" government? 70 odd people massacred, deliberately, and it does seem that the whole idea was to confiscate any unauthorized guns they might have, although why they thought these people were threatening, I have never been able to determine. And , as the Founders were well aware, a better tactic than confiscation is "Infringement" , such has been going on the the US ever since N.Y. led the way with the Sullivan Law of 1914 or thereabouts., One can't say it has been a total failure; it seems the "educated" half of the US has gradually evolved into a strange bunch of dreamers who are "afraid of guns", don't understand what the Militia was supposed to be, and why the government may turn nasty on occasion. And that might possibly refuse to abide by "elections" at some point. A Jeffersonian Plan B requires a lot of guns.
Jul 1 2013: Mainstream media is capable of any lie, or treason to spread fascist propaganda. Particularly true of fox loose. The treason they committed before the abomination of lies about WMD in Iraq demonstrates that clearly. However; I reject your thesis about Waco, and the "Branch Davidian Cult". What I know about Waco is what I, and most Americans saw. That's a "religious cult", of ignorant, nieve, irresponsible people that were hoodwinked, and brainwashed by a psychopathic cabal of radical, fundamentalist, lunatics. They preached a doomsday scenario, and said David Koresh, was "GOD". "How convenient." There is ample evidence to conclude that he, and others there had sex with under age children as a part of their twisted, perverted, sick, religious, cult. They were stock piling weapons to fight what their twisted self fulfilling fantasy said was Armageddon . There were numerous instances where "War against the federal government" was openly and publicly discussed, by Koresh and his followers, and that, their massive weapons cash was for that "stated purpose". The Federal agents who went to that compound had an absolute constitutional authority to investigate. They obtained a legal warrant, and when they tried to serve it, were fired on, That changed the whole scenario. It was the sick lunatics that decided to fire on a lawful officer of the federal government that made the big mistake. They were the ones responsible for everything, including the fire, and death of those children. It wasn't Janet Reno, or Bill Clinton, or space aliens. When a federal officer presents a warrant to you, verbally, or visually, especially when there are children present that would be put in danger, "this is what you do". You shut your mouth, surrender, and go to court with your lawyer. That's how things work in the USA. When radical, religious lunatics start talking violence That's GAME OVER. Your argument is really indefensible. Violent intent, and violent action begets violence.
luca Valente
Jun 29 2013: I am just amazed with some peoples perspective of where we are as humans in the developed world.
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1) We must realize that, at this time, we have far surpassed the point where we, as individuals or as part of a citizen militia, could EVER defend ourselves from a government (domestic or foreign) no matter what firearms we posses. We also must realize that as civilization becomes more and more advanced, seeking stability and regularity, that the chances of a government being taken over by individuals, who would use the government to oppress their countrymen with violence, becomes less likely. Money has the ultimate power. Even the most evil, rich bastards who run this country want it to remain an uneducated workforce that consumes and remains fearful, not one that derails the gravy train. The argument to bare arms to defend ourselves form the government is absurd and shrinkingly unnecessary.
2) Some countries have guns and can handle violence, and some countries don't have guns and can handle violence. The USA is neither of these. I am sick and tired of listening to people who have nothing to say other than violence will always be around and not to hope for utopia (as if anyone is asking for that). We can, and must, do everything possible to limit violence. It is not necessarily guns, violent pop culture, poverty, or our law enforcement that is to blame for our problems. It is our fear mongering, in every day life in media, about EVERY single issue, that is at the root of the problem. We have been driven to fear everything throughout the history of this country. Fear of government, fear of indians, fear of slaves, fear of poor people, fear of black people, fear of immigrants, fear of terrorism, and fear of a hopeless future. Until we loose our fear, we shouldn't handle dangerous tools.
3) Strict background checks, improvement of the mental heath services, and the banning of large clips and assault weapons should go far to help, AND an equal education for all!
Jun 29 2013: Inca
Don't be amazed by some people's perspective on the developed world. Some other people are amazed by how after 10,,000 years from leaving caves, people are just as greedy, self serving, overpowering and murderous as ever. Others are amazed that the human species has survive as long as it has considering the hostile environment it has faced in it's existence and the propensity to annihilate each other.
You have addressed tools that mankind has used to accomplish his nefarious deeds. You address the fears of some of the people. You state if these people only address their fears, the tools they use would not be necessary. Probably a valid statement. But, what if those fears are repeatedly reinforced. Maybe, not to them, but others. And they see that what others did to cause them harm could happen again and to them. Fear reinforced. Even today, in our civilized world, things are happening all over the world that can only reinforce fears and the need to have tools to prevent those "bad" things.
And then there are the others. They have no fears. They want power. In the words of the Books Of Moses, they covet their neighbors goods and wives. They want. And they use the best tools for the job. Should all of the best tools be gone, they will use other tools. That is one of the basic instincts of man, the creation and use of tools.
So, you are saying that if the tools are gone all will be well. I think mankind is not the civilized creature you hope him to be. The only way to reach those levels of civilization is..... I don't know.
But, I am not sure that addressing tools is the final solution.
luca Valente
Jun 29 2013: We, as individuals, cannot defend ourselves from our government, or from a foreign government, or from a highly armed mob, period. It is just not possible. Even if you gave a man a tank he would not survive for more than 30 minutes. It sounds cynical, but it is reality. I am amazed that people think it isn't.
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I am amazed that people think that government oppression is a looming threat.
I am amazed that people buy into the fear tactics presented on the news and talk shows, created by the conservative think tanks, and funded by billionaire CEOs, who want us to consume more and vote to give them more money and control.
I am amazed that we treat the mentally ill by throwing them in the prison system (for the benefit of the prison industry) and then we let them loose expecting them to not murder and steal, even though we never helped their problems, an now they have no future with a felony.
I am amazed that we remain fearful of each other, of the poor, of minorities, of immigrants, and of terrorism to the extent that we are. It does nothing to improve us or keep us safe. Our attitudes are what drives people to hating us. we spin it to seem like a mass murder or a terrorist act is our number one problem when 11,000 (and increasing) people are dying from gun violence in our own country. Obesity and car crashes are a bigger problem.
Yes, you are right. The tools are not the number one problem. Our culture of fearing everything is our problem. Canada shares much of the same gun culture, poverty and unemployment, violence in pop culture, changing demographics, and history of involvement in our wars, but they do not have the violence that we do. Our differences boil down to how we handle our problems. Here in the USA, we act as if everything is out to get us and that if we have guns we can ensure our safety. Well guess what, we are dead wrong on both accounts. Our guns inevitably end up in the wrong hands, to be used for crime, against our loved ones, or against us
Jun 29 2013: So your grand view of man and his civilization was a sham to cover your rather vindictive political views on successful people or those with other political views. In response comes truth. Sorry.Jun 30 2013: The more guns there are in a society, the less violent crime there is, because the criminals are fearful of being shot. If you think shooting a burglar is a sin, and you want to let him kill you as a sacrifice, that's fine. Your choice. My problem is with the arrogance of people who tell me I cannot have more than 10 rounds in a gun to defend myself. How dare you. The belief that one's own rightousness and sense of moral supriority and peacefulness gives you the right to disarm other citizens with anti-gun laws makes you an excellent example of evil yourself, even if you are oblivious to fact. Criminals don't care what the laws are and will always have guns. Anti-gun laws only serve to make it harder for the law-abiding citizens to be well armed themselves.Jun 30 2013: luca: I am amazed that you have failed to notice, among other things, that the 2 "Superpowers" of the modern world ,, the US and Soviet Union,, with all their fancy , expensive weapons, were both defeated by illiterates armed mostly with rifles. I.e. Vietnam and Afghanistan. How do you explan that?! Not to mention all the other heavily armed Thug governments who have been overthrown thru the years.Jun 30 2013: Dude. um.... how long have been been in Iraq and Afghanistan? Who the hell do you think you are kidding to think for a moment that an armed society isn't capable from defending itself even against the best armed military in the world? I mean... WOW you blow me away. while you do make a good argument. You're argument won't be valid for 50 to 100 years if not more. One day we won't need guns.... but I bet we all still have tazers. lol I
I am sorry though for the foolishness of your first point dumbfounded me to such a degree that i could not continue to read in fear that I would crawl through this computer and strangle you for you're ignorance of the past 10 years. I thought you said 30 mins... right 30 mins? that's how long you said right?
that was Desert Storm. Not people defending themselves. but people wishing to be free.
Jun 30 2013: So you think the people in Iraq and Afghanistan were successful in defending themselves??? Those people are fodder in every gun fight. They stand no chance! even when they had tanks in Kuwait, not a single one of them survived and not a single one of us died. Iraq had one of the largest standing army's in the world at one point. They were demolished. The only reason we suffered some casualties was from IEDs beside roadways and suicide bombers within the last ten years. The only reason we did not end our "war with Iraq" within a Month is because we aren't heartless and we choose not to kill innocents when we can help it. Innocents were the largest group of people to die in iraq unfortunately, which is another reason why the war was pointless. We could have leveled the place in days if we wanted.
As individuals, Iraqis and afghanis were nothing but fodder. You are kidding if you think they were a success on an individual level.
SO, you think that in this country, if you went on a rampage with a tank, or with anything for that matter, that you would survive more than 30 minutes. Try it. You will have the news on you in 10 minutes, a full police force on you in 20, and if you aren't down by then, they would have a military strike on you in 30. That is not a joke.
And to you Clay,
I would suggest doing a tad more research on the correlation between firearms concentration in a country, and the amount of violence. Some countries like, Switzerland and Canada, have high gun ownership and low violence, but you are dead wrong when you say countries without guns suffer more violence. Many other countries in Europe, like Britain and Germany, or Japan. Have very, very low accounts of gun violence, and in some cases, they outright ban people from owning guns (unless with special permission). Those countries have murders rates ranging in the hundreds or less where as this country suffers from over 11,000 deaths from guns alone. THAT is a huge problem.Jun 30 2013: I just want to asset that I am a little sorry for being so.... rough with my wording. I mean little offence, I'm just dumbfounded by you not consitering the last decade. it's almost like saying, The Afgans and Iraq's should have just shot themselves to save us the trouble of going over there. And please never forget Harvey oswald, or any of the other presidential assassins. They changed the direction of a country with but one single bullet. Kennedy was trying to save us from those bankers I spoke of in an earlier comment. he actually made presidential orders allowing us to print our own money again and dissolving the Federal Reserve Bank...... Then he got shot in the head...... hmmmm.
Susan Cogan
Jun 28 2013: I think there should be a background check. I think there should be a national database of gun owners. People who own guns must be required to keep them locked in a separate place from the bullets. I've been reading a lot lately about people who leave loaded guns lying around their house "for protection" and get killed by their children or their children shoot themselves or another child. I think there needs to be stiff penalties for people who are so careless.
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Comment deleted
Jun 25 2013: Thank you for your input,Kate.
Yes, mental health issues cannot be an sufficient reason for the murders.
Kate, do you mean that you are totally against the free gun sales? what's your opinion?
Look forward to your reply!Jun 26 2013: Kate if melting guns were a solution, England would not have one of the highest violent crime rates in the world. Furthermore, a lot more people can be killed in a second with explosives than with a gun. Do we ban fertilizer and other common bomb ingredients as well? There will always be people who abuse freedom. Restricting the rights of law-abiding citizens is not a solution.Jul 1 2013: I would feel it time to replace that government using whatever force was necessary to do so.
The United States constitution was crafted by very wise men. They knew that one day the United States government will attempt to subjugate the citizens as the government in China has done to its citizens. It is with this day in mind that the 2nd amendment to the U.S. constitution was drafted. The right to keep and bear arms being the 2nd most important fundamental right after free speech.
The 2nd amendment is not about game hunting, or even self-defense, it is about removing from office politicians who have forgotten their place by force of arms in the hands of free citizens.
See the Declaration Of Independence:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another……..
These brave men put everything they had in play to throw off the yoke of a tyrannical government.
They won, and the Bill Of Rights is the embodiment of their view of a limited government:
Jul 1 2013: very well said, the anti-gunners just don't get it and never will.
Mike Colera
Jun 29 2013: Billy,
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I can not comment on countries where the government has the capability to carry out a serious ban on guns.
That could not legally happen in the USA. Here, it would require a change to our constitution. The burden of a change is overwhelming. Just recently an amendment was passed that was proposed in 1779.
Is there a country where firearms can be purchased like biscuits. I have never heard of that.
My country is a federation of 50 states. Each state is responsible for the sale of guns. Some states are very restrictive. n my state, guns can only be sold by licensed dealers. There are sales regulations, documents, reviews. Some guns require a waiting period before they can be obtained. There are provisions for private sales, I could sell a gun to someone. If I sell 5 guns to 5 people, I better have a license. In addition, there are overarching federal regulations that are in effect. It is legal to own a gun, it's really more difficult to get then biscuits.
There have been incidents of guns being used to commit crimes by criminals and the mentally ill. These are unfortunate
tragedies. But, then there are such actions all over the world. No one has been able to prevent these actions, even in countries where guns are not available. I have no answers for that question..
Jun 30 2013: As a man who have never been abroad, I shouldn't have made the abitrary statement that guns can be purchased like biscuits and I'm sorry for that.
Mike, thank you for telling me so much valuable informations on gun sales in the US.
May God bless you!Jun 28 2013: In the end, it's not our government's job to restrict freedoms of MANY for idealists to have a false sense of security. Gun-Free zones are the most common place for mass shootings to take place. When such tragedies DO take place, they're RARELY carried out by legal gun owners .. and the firearms acquired are very rarely the ones "gun control" supporters want to restrict. Small handguns .. revolvers namely .. are the most deadly every year. AR-15's and other "assault rifles" have been used in LESS THAN ONE PERCENT of ALL shootings since the end of the Frankenstin 1994 "Assault Weapons Ban"
Magazine capacity is not a useful route either, folks. Going back to the COLUMBINE shootings, you know what their MOST DEADLY WEAPON was? They used a Hi-Point C-9 .. which is a 9mm rifle .. ENTIRELY ALLOWED in the 1994 Frankenstein ban. It held ONLY ten rounds .. because that was the REQUIREMENT! Only having ten rounds in your firearm certainly makes it less deadly, right? Unless you simply purchase a dozen extra 10 round magazines and go anyways. WHICH IS NOT EVEN an issue because they acquired their firearms illegally. Just like pretty much all criminals will if they intend to murder. It's not challenging to acquire them illegally .. and you MAY BE confused by this .. but it's been shown that it's common for major criminals within the US to be raided and caught with things like RPG-7 rocket launchers, modern POST-BAN CLASS III select fire military rifles which NOBODY can get aside from police/military .. NOBODY .. unless they feel it'd be DIFFICULT to be a GOOD CRIMINAL if they abided by laws, ya know?
I have friends/family in law enforcement and ALL of them feel gun control is IMPOSSIBLE to enforce, DANGEROUS for citizens, HELPFUL for criminals (gives them an edge) and generally VIOLATES our CIVIL RIGHTS. Just to give you an idea .. I've heard MANY times how REAL MILIARY M4 Carbines (REAL AR-15) sell on the streets for $600-$1000 bucks to criminals. STORE? Starting @ $15,000Jun 28 2013: I would ONCE AGAIN be disgusted in our federal government for ONCE AGAIN engaging in massive civil rights violations nationwide. Like it or not, we are showing signs of slippage in the direction of a soft tyranny. Unless our leadership LITERALLY SHUT DOWN both major borders and monitored our EXPANSIVE and generally unprotected coastlines, guns and other "banned" goods WILL enter our nation. It will absolutely cause YET ANOTHER black market which is entirely AVOIDABLE with LOGICAL policies .. not involving BANS.
If you think it's easy to acquire MILITARY weapons, you're not informed. "Assault Rifle" is a political TRIGGER word which was never really used by ANYONE .. other than politicians .. prior to 1986 when our fine leaders banned production and legal sales of modern burst fire and fully automatic firearms known by INFORMED people as "BATTLE RIFLES" constructed after the year 1986. If you wish to buy a fully automatic firearm, you'll need a spotless criminal record .. no signs of any mental health issues on your medical record .. tens of thousands of dollars .. and LOTS of time. AR-15's are not military weapons .. the only "mil-spec" parts on the firearm are minor accessories. If you'd inconvenience yourselves to merely ask a US SOLDIER if he/she would feel safe carrying a cheaply made "BUSHMASTER AR-15 ASSAULT MILITARY DEATH MACHINE" such as the one allegedly used at the Sandy Hook shooting INTO COMBAT .. they will tell you no. We simply have VERY little access to military weapons. What you can buy over the counter at retail gun stores are SPORTING rifles. You can make them LOOK like their military counterparts but a REAL MILITARY VERSION of a Bushmaster AR-15 is rare EVEN IF you have the $15,000 and other things you'll need to legally acquire it. ATF agent will be assigned to closely look at every aspect of your personal life before giving you the OK to take that rifle home.
On the other hand, you could seek out a criminal and spend no more than $500 to $1KJun 28 2013: Guns kill!!
If you can honestly ask yourself the question "do I mind dying by the gun?" and the answer is 'no' then, clearly the gun should be available to everybody. ;) ..... hopefully the answer is really 'yes' in which case, guns should not be so readily available.
Jun 29 2013: Where my ancestors came from, my motherland, the answer was yes and they took up arms against
Grimaldi and the invaders from the east and lost.
So, would you take up arms to defend your homeland? Oh, It won't happen in this day and age... There is nothing different today then in the last 10,000 years of human history. And in my motherland, history shows that this small land was invaded and ruled by every major nation that came past in the last 5,000 years.
So, if you feel it would happen to you, OK, but myself, based on my ancestors, I am not feeling that secure.
Ben Jarvis
Jun 28 2013: here in japan the ban on guns works great. i don't have to worry about criminals having guns because they can't get guns. there are no ordinary people to steal them from and if they did get one they will be arrested before they get to use it in a crime. i watched a report some time ago actually where a few gang members clearly said they deliberately avoided guns because it gave police a reason to put them in jail.
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Elizabeth Gu
Jun 26 2013: Aside from other countries, for me, Korean government's ban on using guns is fine.
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I think it kind of depends on each country's own circumstances.
But in general, I think government's intervention in dealing with weapons like guns could be regarded as preferable unless it provokes seriously strong disagreements among citizens.
Btw, Billy, I'm also curious about your take on here.
Do you think, as a Chinese, the government's ban on guns is fair?
Jun 26 2013: South Korea is in an unique situation. I believe that the average Korean citizen does not have a legal right to own guns... South Korea has an unfriendly neighbor on it's border, with a very large army. There is an attack against South Korea, The large Army overwhelms the South Korean defense forces and breaks through invading the countryside. Could it be possible? Yes, in spite of what the Generals say.
On the other hand, consider the USA. I can honestly say, that I believe that Canada has not attacked the USA is because of the 100 million armed citizens in the USA.. Of course, there could be other reasons.
Jun 27 2013: hahaha...
Yes, we're 'in a unique situation'.
But um..that's not how it works
"Could it be possible? Yes, in spite of what the Generals say."
Well, I see your point. And presumably, it might be.
But I'm telling you.
Not gonna happen in that way.
it's quite amusing at times seeing the different points of views of people about Korea, but some people's ideas just sound a bit ridiculous—far from the reality.
Perhaps, you should've been here.
We—Koreans, I think, shouldn't have guns.
Because we also have horrible 'gun death' history records.
Those were dreadful.
We fear guns.
And I think this is the most important thing here:
We don't need guns.
Having guns just because of the fear that the North Korea might(or might not) cross the border and attack citizens willy-nilly...
That'd be the last decision we'd ever make, I believe.
Here in Korea, all men are conscripted into the army when they're young TO PROTECT the country.
Without exception(well, there's an exception for particular situations, though).
(And yes, Canada has never attacked USA. Why would they do that?)
With all due respect, Mike, I think by 'unique', you should have pointed that out more clearly with a proper understanding of the country you're trying to explain.
Jun 27 2013: Hi Ms. Gu
I wrote a response to your comments and when I reread it before sending, I realized that there was nothing I could say that would affect your beliefs. So I deleted it.
I did spend 27 months in Korea back when things were not as they are now.
I have a great deal of respect for the Korean peoples, their sense of survival and the highs that they have achieved in just a few years after total devastation.
And I never met a bulgogi I didn't like.
Susan Cogan
Jun 28 2013: Canada has never attacked the USA because they are too well-mannered to do something that crude. Do they like our religion-soaked pontificating right wingers? No. Do they like us sneaking across the border for free health care, clean streets and good jobs? No. Do they like our gun crazies? No. If we dropped off the earth they would have a quiet cocktail party to celebrate. But attack? NEVER!
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Billy Zhang
Jun 27 2013: As for me, I don't think that guns can be put in use in our daily life and I even thought that guns only belong to the policemen or policewomen when I was a little kid.To tell the truth, we seldom have the oppotunity to get access to guns and it seems a common sense among us that gun isn't a necessity.Jun 26 2013: I have no problem with the government banning guns, as long as they comply too... After all they do have more than anyone else.
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Jun 26 2013: Tify.
Please wake up. The government will never comply. To believe, think or wish they will might indicate some delusion or brainwashing on your part. Many are like that.
They want your weapons so that you cannot defend yourself from them!
Please take that into yourself.
It is 100% true.
Stay armed. If you are not, get armed.
Jun 27 2013: 1st, I'm allow to write my opinion, just as you are.
That DOES not give you the right to insult me, or get smart ass with me. Clear.
And if you actually read my comment, and your second sentence, then put two and two together you'd get the answer. And you'd have realized there was no point in you replying.Jun 25 2013: Hey Billy,
I'm Indian and I live in India. I'm not very knowledgeable on the subject but this is what I understand from my surroundings.
Very few have actual guns here, and those who possess guns are either ex-military officials who have acquired old weapons as a collectible with no or very few ammo. Others that may have actual working weapons are bought off the black market (such as on the deep web). Militants and small terrorist groups get their weapons smuggled from outside the country.
Only 'weapon' that can be acquired without a license are air-guns, mostly used during fairs and carnivals as an activity attraction and some air-guns are possessed by the common man as an house-hold utility.
As per what I know, very very few gun related incidents have happened in India caused by normal people and thus I stand on the fact that governments keeping a strict ban on guns is good.
(Bro-tip: Don't use smileys when posting on these kind of websites, looks childish and immature. You being an undergrad, it looks silly. You're welcome. )
Whisky Delta
Jun 25 2013: I do not hunt. I trust the good in others to do me no harm. I do not fear others and do not consider the need to carry protection. I fear the monetary system more than anything because it is always more than likely the greatest reason we kill each other.
- +1
I would feel a tad bit safer. Hunting as a career should be an option and should not be taken lightly as it is today.Jul 1 2013: Billy,
Americans are a vicious people.
They plunder and assault in the course of daily living.
So it's no great shock to find our Government doing the same thing.
A less violent people may exist, such as those who fight the weather
to survive, Eskimos, Tibetan Monks, Desert Nomads, etc. Or, maybe
non-violent people are the ones with their Government's shoe on their necks.
Our American forefather's experiment is failing fast.
Politicians have control, and the only thing that stands in their way today is --
Just like Rome, the Military.
We are seeing today,
the Military starting to exercise their muscles, attempts to control the
Defense Dept personnel's personal viewing of Internet Websites.
This happened when WikiLeaks started to leak State Dept docs,
and now it happens again when the Whistle Blowers start telling it like it is.
You see the problem? It isn't that classified information was exposed.
'The problem is that the information was classified in the first place.'
When enough people, vicious people, get their fill of 'Classified', look out !!!Jun 30 2013: it's a great idea in theory.
it would require that there also be no black market for firearms which i assume would be impossible to prevent.
it would also have to include all firearms, including the military and police force.Jun 30 2013: There seems to be some disagreement on this topic. Let's try some data to bring people together. I think we have different experiences based on where we live, and that influences obviousness. I have a friend whose adult son lost an eye because someone (a friend) shot him while playing with a gun. I have lost friends to drunk driving accidents, where they were not the driver...
Anyway, back to facts:
New York City has 34,500 Police Officers: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/faq/faq_police.shtml#1
And a response area of 302 square miles: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/3651000.html
That is 114 officers per square mile (or 44 per square kilometer).
Texas has about 73,000 peace officers: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113805196
And a response area of 261,231 square miles: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html
That is 0.28 officers per square mile average (or 0.1 per square kilometer)
So by doing the math, New York City has 407 times more police officers per square mile of response area than Texas does.
I live in a town of 39,000 people, in Texas, that has 3.36 Police Officers per square mile. That means New York City has 34 times has many police officers per square mile as where I live. Where I live has 12 times as many Officers per square mile than the average square mile in Texas.
Why am I calculating per square mile instead of per person? It is based on response time.
Police in Texas mostly take reports after a crime has been committed, then try to find the people who committed the crime.
Law enforcement support varies by several orders of magnitude based on geography. Law, and what is reasonable, vary with geography as well.
I hope this helps bring some agreement, while explaining the the diverse set of views you see from this side of the world.
The main point being: choose your friends carefully.Jun 30 2013: I know my government, know that they lie to me, and outside of voting have no redress. All the politicians in my country are cut from the same cloth, or evolve into the same cloth. People here forget that the owning of guns is a firm established right that some erringly try to take away. The same people that decry the loss of freedom of speech are more than willing to take away the right to defend oneself. They forget that the British trying to take away our guns helped start the revolutionary war, and THAT my friend is the reason the second amendment says what it says.Jun 30 2013: God if I only had 2 hours to shoot down each and every word of that rant. Living in fear? I also wear a seatbelt, is that fear? I feel safe with my .38 on my side sure. Based on you, I should learn martial arts, and use mind over matter. In Texas we have a 'stand your ground' law that doesn't require us to "use our brains" to flee from a situation. Gun owners aren't paranid, we're just prepared. Some of us started out as Boy Scouts and we learn a certain motto: "Be Prepared". About attracting trouble, that's why Texas has "concealed" carry permit. You aren't allowed to flash a gun. Criminals never know who's gonna be able to shoot back, so it cuts back on their ability to operate freely. But if a young thug throws a punch or a knife at an elderly person, the elderly doesn't have to "use their protoplasm" (according to you) to try to protect themselves or flee. You are precisely like someone who has won the lottery and goes around telling people how stupid they are to own gold or any other investment, because in your own experience you "know for sure" that simply buyingn lottery tickets is the best investment. Don't you see now small minded and arrogant that is? And YES it perfectly well applies, to your "luck" that you ever needed gun, unless you just have bodyguards with you all the time. I'm pretty sure you live alone too, because if you had children to protect, you might realize that "lack of fear" is no defence...and in dangerous circumstances being totally fearless can get you killed. So good luck with your admirable bravery. I certainly hope your luck holds out.Jun 30 2013: Most of these comments seem to address the USA and the legal ownership of guns and all the bad things that happened because Americans can legally own guns. A lot of the comments come from people outside of America, probably as many as comes from within. Now, no one can deny the tragedy of a nut shooting up a movie theater...over 70 killed and wounded.
I turned on BBC news. Now, I am a typical American. My world is about thirty miles across When people talk about stuff up north, they may as well be talking about across the Galaxy.. But this day, TV filled with summer reruns, I turned on BBC.
The BBC from around the world. Does anyone realize what is happening out there? Civil War, riots, terrorist bombings,
assignations, the announcer lamented that nearly a billion people were at war.
So, I don't understand.
People outside the US are living in and near all this commotion, and are criticizing US citizens for having a legal right to own and do own guns.
Critics in the US of gun ownership I can forgive, most like me aren't too aware of what's happening past the shopping mall down the street.
So, let's see... gun nuts in the US have no reason to have guns or need guns or or or... righttt!!!
Oh! I forgot the ... if there were no guns there'd be no war... righttt!!!.
So, can anyone out there in LaLa land really come with a convincing argument that Americans shouldn't be concerned.
with what is happening?
Jun 30 2013: Do you mean concerned enough to keep their guns loaded and sitting on a bookshelf by the door, or on a nightstand? Or do you mean concerned enough to purchase a gun and learn how to safely use it? There is a difference, you know.
Why should anyone living in a civil society treat the kind of bad news you've mentioned as a warning that the sky is falling? Why should they approach gun ownership in any manner other than the most careful and respectful way?
Of course, we could embrace the more Roman over the Christian viewpoint, rejecting the inherent value of man, and fob off all of the death as necessary destruction in the course of a more individuated society. Why not, we do that with the automobile and the death it brings?
Yes, we do recognize that the automobile is capable of evolving in its use and comportment, it may yet evolve into something a whole lot safer which we no longer drive. Guns don't really have a developing future. Their future mainly lies in the current comparison with the car, in the education of their use. But being at that more mature, where they never will operate themselves, stage, they call upon more than what happens at the shooting range or the safety class, they call upon the attitudes toward their use within society. As such their use touches upon a number of things, like mentoring and cultural education into adulthood, which can help quell fear and free people to be more reasonable.
Jun 30 2013: Micah,
Were you responding to my comments? You didn't really address the my question except to imply that world concerns are the stuff of a fable. I remember stories about the Brits, Poles and French back in 1938 were not concerned about all the goings on near their borders.
And most of all, civilized people in the US must believe the the 9/11 incident had no relevance to issues outside the US.
I am familiar with the teachings of Christianity, but I must have absent that day they taught you were to lay down your life for no reason other then your enemy's need. Of course, if you are accepting of martyrdom, I have heard a number of people are out there to accommodate you.
You asked about getting gun training and keeping a gun ready in case of need. There is no difference. Purchasing a gun could be a large purchase. Most training or instructions come free, unless you are going for a special license, so the question begs, why would you spend the money and not follow through?Jun 30 2013: I sort of want to know what a more limited access policy on guns in the United States would be like. More than that, though, I wonder how the underlying fear that compels people to lean so fanatically upon the instrument can be addressed. I'm not sure, but it seems to me that if you could properly address that fear, then the number of guns might not matter so much.
You know that so many children, for instance, die from gun related accidents per year. Usually those are because the gun was kept in some easy to access place in the house, out of fear. Well, children are pretty good at searching around houses and finding things in both easy and not so easy to access hiding places.
You don't hear much preemptive reasoning amongst gun owners, discussing how guns ought to be kept locked up or have trigger locks placed upon them. You don't hear about it because when the topic does come up it is obvious that the discussion has put its finger squarely upon the real issue, people are afraid. Out of fear they completely reject trigger locks, those being the usual thing that comes up. In their complete refusal to listen to the arguments the basic underlying fear of the gun owners almost palpably materializes.
My Dad taught me something he learned in WWII, that just because you can point a gun at another person does not mean you can pull the trigger. In the war he learned that many soldiers can't shoot anybody. Only a percentage can actually do that. The rest tend to follow along and point their guns in the general direction of the enemy, but they don't aim.
One thing about the immediacy of fear is that it fools those who can't shoot at another person into believing they can. It's the wrong time to find out you can't shoot when you have already introduced a gun into a confrontation. This issue is not unknown to the "manly". Why else would so many gun incidents occur around macho posturing. Here too fear is the master.
Jun 30 2013: Micah: What you hear about guns in the US is filtered through the "media" , who are almost all anti-gun fanatics. They neglect a lot of relevant information, such that of all the shootings in the US, a great chunk is suicides. Another great chunk is "children" , who are actually young drug gang hitmen shooting their competitors. Another fact: something like 2600 attempted assaults, robberies, rapes, etc every day are thwarted by armed would-be victims. This doesn't count as a statistic, becausse "nothing happened" (usually there is either no firing, and /or no damage, the assaileants (who could guess?) run away, b ecause they don't like getting shot. Then there is the real reason for the 2nd Amendment: namely that the Founders were wise enough to know that governments cannot be trusted automatically not to become corrupt and dictatorial, so that an armed population is harder to abuse, just as an armed civilian is harder to assault.


text:
Mission Type: Lander, Orbiter
Launch Vehicle: 8K82K + Blok D-2 (Proton-K no. 356-02 / Blok D-2 no. 2L)
Launch Site: NIIP-5 / launch site 200L
Spacecraft Mass: 6,220 kg
Spacecraft Instruments: Planetary studies:
1) VSK videospectrometric system
2) ISM infrared spectrometer
3) GS-14 gamma-emission spectrometer
4) IPNM neutron detector
5) RLK radar system
6) LIMA-D laser mass spectrometric analyzer
7) DION secondary ion mass analyzer
8) ISO optical radiation spectrometer
Plasma studies:
1) MAGMA magnetometer
2) FGMM magnetometer
3) APV-F plasma wave analyzer
4) ASPERA scanning energy-mass spectrometer
5) SOVIKOMS energy-mass charge spectrometer
6) TAUS proton and alpha-particle spectrometer
7) HARP ion and electron spectrometer
8) SLED energetic charged-particle spectrometer
Solar studies:
1) IPHIR solar photometer
2) TEREK solar telescope/coronograph
3) RF-15 x-ray photometer
4) SUFR ultrasound spectrometer
5) LILAS gamma-burst spectrometer
6) VGS gamma-burst spectrometer
Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes 1958-2000, by Asif A. Siddiqi, NASA Monographs in Aerospace History No. 24
Fobos 1 and 2 were part of an ambitious mission to Mars and its 27-km-diameter moon Phobos that was the culmination of a decade-long program of development. Each spacecraft comprised a Mars Orbiter for long-term studies of the planet and a Long-Term Automated Lander (DAS) that would land on Phobos to study its geological and climatic conditions.
After each spacecraft entered orbit around Mars, it would make close flybys of Phobos, sample surface material using an innovative onboard laser spectrometer, and also deploy the Lander. Laser beams would prepare small samples of material for analysis.
Each spacecraft, with a newly designed bus, carried twenty-four experiments provided by thirteen countries and the European Space Agency (ESA).
Fobos 1 performed a course correction en route to Mars on 16 July 1988. On 29 August 1988, due to a programming error, a command was issued to turn off the orientation and stabilization system (instead of a routine command to switch on the gamma-ray spectrometer). As a result, the spacecraft lost proper solar orientation and began to lose power. There was no word from Fobos 1 at the next scheduled communications session on 2 September. Continuing attempts to establish contact failed, and on 3 November 1988, the Soviets officially announced that there would be no further attempts at contact. The spacecraft flew by Mars without entering orbit (scheduled for 23 January 1989) and eventually entered heliocentric orbit.
Editor's Note: This mission profile was adapted from an originally published mission profile in Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes 1958-2000, by Asif A. Siddiqi, NASA Monographs in Aerospace History No. 24.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Team Unizar's Prefabricated, Circular Casa PI Solar Decathlon Home has an Elevator!
Let's put the elevator aside for a moment in order to recognize the value of Unizar's unique Casa PI home, which relies on geometry to reduce overall surface size and therefore slash the home's energy consumption. Using Glass Reinforced Concrete (GRC) to ensure optimum thermal performance, the Spanish team was also able to increase the project's energy efficiency.
This combined with a unique energy-generating photovoltaic wall surrounding the home's exterior perimeter contributes to a self-sufficient and portable dwelling. Albeit unfinished, we were impressed with Casa PI's interior layout, which maximizes space. One half of the house has a living room cum study area, the kitchen occupies a slice in between this and the main bedroom, while a small private bathroom completes the home's practical requirements. Although Casa PI definitely needs some work, we applaud the team's remarkable perseverance.
+ Solar Decathlon Europe Coverage on Inhabitat
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