Guns In America.

[andy-hughes]

I heard a converrsation today on Jeremy Vine's show in which two Americans discussed the recentg tragedy, and America's attitude to guns.

I am of the view of one of the participants, that overall, Americans are a violent people (generically that is) and that holding guns is now as much a part of the fabric of their culture as alcohol is in ours.

It appears that someone has seriously suggested that the children should have been armed to avoid being shot. So without wasting time on the mind-bending thought of a stroppy six year old sorting out his toy requirements with a loaded gun - is there really any way out of the American obsession with the right to bear arms which is enshrined in its Constitution?

Personally, I think that the population is so enamoured with the 'frontier' attitude that there is no foreseeable change, even after tragedies like this one.

People seem to assume that they are all the sensible people who know how to shoot, and wouldn;t just randomly kill strangers - that is 'someone else' - but the fact remains that people who are shot with guns tend to be gun owners.

I believe the the cultural shift needded would be started with an education programme that guns are ingerently evil, and not to be trusted, but what government would ever be elected on that platform? Obama is going to struggle to get assault rifles banned - so you can only shoot people one at a time, and not in bursts of thirty bullets simultaniously.

I have ideas what should happen - i know what will happen - nothing.

Your thoughts?

[pdq1]

Makes you wonder what power the President has. One day he can commit the US to war and thousands of troops lost but can't raise a finger to prevent the deaths of innocent children.

[joko]

lots of petty crims in tho scountry have lots of guns.

banning them wont stop the people who want to use them from getting them... it will just stop the people who only want them for a sense of protection from being able to use them for protection.

we know from other things that merely banning things never really works.

dont get me wrong, i too woul dlike to see usa with no guns ... but i fear it too later, shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.

many many average people have at least one, and too many people have amassed arsenals ... there is no way you could remove them now sadly.

it is not the case here simply because your average person doesnt have one.

there is too much opposition to it and the only result be underground trading of weapons.

the bad guys would still use them and kill people.

[LazyGun]

I believe congress has a say in whether or not the USA goes to war - I do not believe the President could unilaterally commit the country to invasion or whatever - and that calculation will be informed, at least in part, by popular opinion.

This is the downside of democracy :) Unless the President has a popular mandate to change the gun laws, it will not happen, so your example does not really hold up on analysis, pdq.

Presidents, Prime Ministers have a great deal of power, but it tends to be of the indirect persuasion and is heavily dependent upon the collective agreement of the Executive and the Party.

[Kromovaracun]

On the video games argument: there is no solid evidence whatsoever that violent video games actually produce violent behaviour or that they make it hard for their consumers to distinguish between fantasy and reality. Use of a control pad and a TV screen is a completely and utterly different sensory experience to actually holding a gun in your hands and firing it.

Personally, I am sick of the games/entertainment industry being blamed for events like this. It is lazy, desperate and has no serious evidence supporting it whatsoever. Games are a normal part of young adults' entertainment - go into the home of any 20-something male and you'll very likely be able to find a video game involving shooting.

[jomifl]

Yeah, sad innit!

[tamborine]

Not read this thread but today BBC1 panel suggested IT vid games caused virtual to reality making addicts blasè to consequences?

[andy-hughes]

tambourine - // Not read this thread but today BBC1 panel suggested IT vid games caused virtual to reality making addicts blasè to consequences? //

This guff has always, and still is trotted out by people who love to find simplistic solutions to complex problems by assigning de-sensitivity to the pleasure activities of 'young people' - usually it's whatever form of popular music is in the firing line, now it's video games.

It's easy to be too old to understand the appeal of something young people enjoy, and then get the wrong end of the stick about the roots and reality of its appeal, and assume to lofty status of a 'grown up' who knows better.

It's always opinionated suits with sticks up their bottoms who show their sucked-a-lemon faces to cameras, and trot out yards of verbal tripe about things they don't understand, and always with ignorance, comes fear and condemnation.

Never changed, never will.

[discountsporting]

According to a 2018 report by the Small Arms Survey, a Geneva-based organization, U.S.gun owners own 393. 3 million guns, compared to the country's current population of about 300 million. Over 30 million. India, with a population of about 1. 4 billion, has the second highest number of privately owned firearms, with her 71. 1 million.

[popshardwareguns]

I think guns are bad because they are designed to produce various amounts of destruction, and when they are utilised for that reason, destruction is what happens. The allure of having and carrying guns can be diminished if you begin to discount the draw of the rifle and the "John Wayne" image.

[Turnersoutdoorma]

In a nation of 320 million people, some estimate that there may be up to 300 million weapons in private hands. It is highly challenging to envision any significant changes in the near future. Several states are actually loosening the rules even more by cutting back on background checks.I had assumed that a rather uncontentious first step would be to outlaw automatic assault weapons, followed by restrictions on magazine size. There is something peculiar about Americans' attitudes toward firearms. Canada has almost as many firearms per person as the US, while having a much lower prevalence of gun-related violence and spree killings.

[SafesideTactical]

Why not see video games as a potential catalyst for young men who are interested in guns and shoot people at screens to actually shoot guns? Theft Auto and Call of Duty have replaced Super Mario Kart, so it makes sense.

[Kbffirearms]

As inanimate objects that are neither "bad" nor "good," weapons can be expected to do their assigned job as long as they are properly maintained.The problem lies with those who choose to take possession of them and use them for their nefarious plans.

[Turnersoutdoorma]

That is the problem with written constitutions around the world. Once written, it cannot be changed. Politicians often argue that nothing can be done based on ancient documents that might have been valid when written hundreds or thousands of years ago. comes to mind.

[GaryseGunsShops]

I think guns are bad because they are designed to create varying degrees of destruction. Using it for that will cause destruction. If you can start downplaying the allure of guns and the "John Wayne" image that comes with it, then you can start downplaying the allure of owning a gun and carrying it, which helps eradicate the problem. Only important for frequent use.

[Kbffirearms]

Different states have different rules, so some firearms and ammunition can't be carried or purchased in some areas but can be imported from others, rendering such laws meaningless.

Not enough people are against me enough to try to change people's attitudes, but I believe gun lobbying encourages and encourages ideas related to border thinking.

[discountsporting]

Why shouldn't video games be considered a potential catalyst for young men who repair guns to actually go out and shoot people in real life? I used to play Super Mario Kart, so I can understand that, but today it's Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty where anyone can shoot. Of course, obnoxious and stupid people may not understand that it's just a game and they're not allowed to use real guns against real humans.