Is there a gun problem in the U.S.? Many people think the answer is "no" and I think that's probably the answer as well but if there are any that think otherwise I'd like to hear the best arguments. There is little good reading on the net on this subject since much of the posting is so biased one way or the other. My take on the subject is not based on 2nd Amendment rights or a paranoid fear of the government. It just seems to me that there actually isn't much of a problem to address but I would like to hear from others who feel otherwise. The numbers that I've seem suggest that 40% of households (in the U.S.) own guns. Looking at death by guns show that about 60% are suicides and the U.S. rate for suicides is in line with the U.K. and half that of Japan. Gang murders may be 30%-40% of the remaining deaths by guns. Accidents are in the 3% range. I don't see much of a problem here. The numbers that are left are not that high and that's just criminals committing crimes with guns instead of knives or whatever. I'm sure there is some room for improvement (as with anything else) if this was a subject that was dealt with rationally but it's emotionally charged here in the U.S. so in general I'd have to say (all things considered) that there isn't much of a problem. Mass shootings are a problem where they occur but the numbers aren't large and the solution to them aren't general gun control problems. The solution there may be metal detectors and school guards but that's about it. My bank has never had any mass shooting but there was a rash of bank robberies in the city in general so my bank hired a couple of guards. Schools could do the same. For those who have a different view what am I missing?
Haha...in the U.S. it's mainly the God fearing ones who are in love with their guns. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Why does an individual have to be in a fight ? Why we have to get physical ? I assume you will mention a robbery , Is our life less valuable then our possession ?
I'm not advocating a fight. My post was actually about whether there is a gun problem in the U.S. Some seem to think so. As far as having a gun for self-defense in a home invasion...I don't have a problem with that but it seems that you do? I can't tell from your responses what point you are trying to make. God fearing, possessions, what point are you trying to make?
Yes. Unfortunately if you carry a gun you are more likely to be wounded or killed by an attacker. Thus "being the advantageous one in a fight" means not carrying a gun, according to every study that I have seen on the subject.
I'm not sure how many studies have been done or could be done in those circumstances but I would imagine carrying a gun has its risks. The topic is a little off track however as I was asking if there actually is a gun problem in the U.S. and if so what is it? Regarding studies, most seem to show what the author wants it to show (on both sides of this issue). "Studies" show that increased gun ownership results in increased gun deaths however in Switzerland there is a large percentage of gun ownership without a large increase in gun deaths. In the U.S. 60% of gun deaths are due to suicides and the implication is that without guns there would be less suicides. However there are almost no guns in Japan and their suicide rate is twice ours. Most "studies" have an axe to grind. It's really hard to just get unbiased data.
The conclusion does not follow. The number you would need is overall attack injury rate entire in comparable demographic groups living similar lives with and without carrying a gun. Otherwise you have too many confounding variables: people who carry guns are disproportionately violent criminals keeping bad company; people who carry guns are less likely to be attacked by unarmed or less violent people; people who carry guns may put themselves in riskier and more violent situations than they would otherwise; people who carry guns may be disproportionately small or physically unthreatening and or somehow vulnerable appearing; people who carry guns may be by nature disproportionately prone to escalating fights, and so on. For one, there are too many of them lying around - they cause problems just by being too readily at hand all the time everywhere. For another, the culture around them in the US has become irresponsible and immature, creating many bad situations. For a third, a regrettably high proportion of Americans has developed a fascination with them as objects, with all the accompanying troubles of this kind of psychiatric kink; Meanwhile, just because gun dependent events such as schoolyard shootings are not as common or threatening as the sensationalists make out to be the case, one cannot take them to be insignificant. Damaging lightning strikes are also rare - but precautions are sensible and common nevertheless, and nobody asserts that lightning is not a hazard and "problem".
God fearing people are supposedly to respect life more patient, A gun respond to the action of a person . If I am a violent person I will react quickly use any kind of weapon to disable and probably cause injury to my opponent . So a gun on hand will give me that power. If I have a knife It will take a longer time to disable my opponent. Therefore less guns less causality in a violent society .
I agree with your points and yet still have a few comments. Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! There are too many guns just laying around and yet statistics don't show that they are causing major problems. I think too many people drive large trucks who don't use them as trucks thus making it hard to see over them in traffic. But they really aren't a "problem". They just annoy me. It's true the gun lobby is immature and not helpful for our society at large and there is a kink for many with guns. Again, it's an annoyance but not really a problem. There are many aspects of our society that I find annoying and at odds with but if there isn't an actual major problem I don't get to control everyone and everything. The school situation is different as are other specific situations such as gangs shooting each other. The "solutions" to those things should be specific and not necessarily a broad restriction that covers everyone. School guards are the best solution to the school shooting problem other than solving broader societal issues. That what we do in banks and court houses, airports,etc. My initial thought was that all the guns in the U.S. must be causing a lot of problems but when you look at the numbers that's not really the case. Most/many people wouldn't have thought that 60% of gun deaths were suicides I wouldn't think.
I agree that we would all be better off with no guns but since that's not the case it's hard to argue that if someone breaks into your house with a gun (or without any weapon actually) that it would be better to have a knife rather than a gun.
Is there a gun problem in the U.S. No However, media hype and politics would have you think so. A few years ago, the price of ammunition doubled. So, now it costs me a tad over $2 per shot-------so far, that means , for 4 deer = $2 for the first 2 deer tags, $13 for the next 2, $10 for the 4 bullets, add in amortizing the cost of the weapon at $40/year = about $80.00 for 4 deer in the freezer = about 250 lbs = $.32 per pound-----plus the cost of running the freezer, and amortizing the cost of the freezer at $30/year = about another $60 per year = total cost of $.56 per pound of venison. The only robbers I'm concerned about are the deer who rob my fruit trees and garden. My response may be a tad Draconian, but they sure taste good. Why fear god? There is a reason that the military likes their soldiers young. With age comes wisdom and compassion.
Oh yes, there is a problem alright. Like other rights guaranteed by the US constitution, the rights guaranteed by the second amendment must be balanced against other citizens guaranteed rights. For instance, it would not be very law abiding or constitutional to allow citizens armed by the second amendment to use those arms to restrict the free practice of religion by other citizens. This is more or less exactly what happened in South Carolina, is it not? Contrary to popular opinion in red states, the second amendment is NOT included to assure freedom from oppression by a central government. We may have a 200 year supply of guns, but there is only a TWO YEAR supply of ammunition available to use with those guns. Unless you wish to make your own ammo and all the risk that entails, all of the armed citizens in the U,S. are no match at all for the force of our own military, and this is not going to change in two years time, no matter how many guns grass roots organizations like the NRA manage to push into the homes of frightened and deluded folks and their neighbors who would for a fact be much safer not owning any guns. Nothing you may own other than your own life or the lives of your loved ones equals the value of taking another human life, armed or otherwise. If you bought a gun to protect your possessions, you have already made your first serious mistake, and the statistics show that your second mistake may prove to be your last. We regulate and license automobiles, a potentially more hazardous and destructive machine than a gun will ever be. Failing to regulate arms and to make certain those who distribute them will not allow them to fall into the hands of insane, untrustworthy, or criminal individuals only means the regulators themselves are not qualified to own such weapons. Additionally this means the regulators are not qualified or are unwilling to regulate. Guns are not going to regulate themselves. People may go on killing people, but it will be harder for them to do that with fewer guns. What could possibly be simpler to understand than that?
This statistic (2 years supply of ammo vs. 200 year supply of firearms) is from a recent newspaper article.
If you are living the kind of life where shooting a gun at someone is the SOLUTION to a problem, and not a SYMPTOM of it, then you need to think about changing your life. Avoid certain people, certain establishments, or get a big watchdog. There are many options available before having to resort to shooting someone.
