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The love of guns in the United States has been well documented, as have multiple mass shootings across the country such as those in Orlando, San Bernardino, Newtown, and Virginia. The ease of access to guns in American society comes at a shocking cost.
As of September 2016, almost 11,000 people have been killed as a result of gun violence. Despite this high death toll, mass shootings in America show no sign of disappearing.
The Stateside obsession with guns can appear baffling to UK observers unfamiliar with its origins. So just how did this gun culture become so deep-rooted in the American psyche?
BBC source: Why Are Americans so Obsessed with Guns?
Wikipedia: Gun politics in the United States
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Why Are Americans So Obsessed With Guns?
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Q: What's the difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish wake?
A: One less drunk.
(Score: 2) by Sulla on Monday January 09 2017, @10:25PM
When I was in college five years ago we had a situation where the University wanted to ban firearms on campus because of all of the school shootings. There was protest by the student population because it was in Alaska and guns are very much part of the culture, I only knew a few people who carried but everyone still wanted the ability to. The chancellor told the campus police chief to fix it, his response was:
"All I know is that if there is a shooting in the Arts building, none of my people will be able to get there for 10 minutes"
Chancellor got pissed and increased funding to a childcare to make it a full daycare so they could ban firearms from that building and sever campus in half. I never saw the need to carry on campus, or anywhere else personally. But first they came for those that CC, but I do not CC so etc etc.
As an aside I am unsure why someone who is planning to shoot up a school would care that guns are banned, but whatever. Suppose the counter argument to that is someone could steal someone elses gun or in "the heat of the moment" get pissed and kill someone.
I do think stupid people having objects above their ability to control is a bad idea. Cars, firearms, etc. But just try making it harder to get a drivers license. My suggestion would be to give grreater discression to gun shop owners in turning away customers, but that makes me a horrible person because it would lead to profiling of people who call guns pieces and wear pants around their knees.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Monday January 09 2017, @10:45PM
As an aside I am unsure why someone who is planning to shoot up a school would care that guns are banned
Aside from the far lower chance that there's someone present who could shoot back?
(Score: 3, Informative) by Sulla on Tuesday January 10 2017, @03:06AM
Sorry I did not conceive of this response when I wrote that. I was thinking more along the lines that they would not care whether or not a law says they cant if they already plan to break the law to murder. Your comment is most correct.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday January 10 2017, @02:27PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by Sulla on Tuesday January 10 2017, @04:10PM
When I lived in Anchorage there were numerous situations that were solved by a citizen making a citizens arrest. One memorable one was someone citizen arresting a taxi driver at gunpoint, the taxi driver was in the middle of an attempted rape at the time. I think whether or not guns can make you safer depends on where you live. In Alaska there is a large portion of the population that is military or military family, in addition there is a lot of thought to gun safety and practice. This leads to people, on average, being better trained. Other places might just have a bunch of fudds who get drunk carrying firearms, which would be less safe than what I saw in Alaska.
The post suggested that if a kid wants to shoot up a school, he would prefer guns are banned at the school because his kill count will be higher. When I worked some garbage jobs one of my coworkers was a pot dealer, she loved it being banned because she made a huge amount of money. She voted against legalization because it would effect her profit. Its a pretty common attitude for many different things.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by VLM on Monday January 09 2017, @10:49PM
My experience with campus carry in a rural entertainment state is trying to make life miserable for hunters who just want to go hunting on Friday night instead of (or while) getting drunk. All kinds of insanity about banning guns in the dorms.
Also ROTC is notoriously not looked at favorably by lefties and "too bad so sad" if ROTC can't bring weapons on campus for training or display models or whatever.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Monday January 09 2017, @10:49PM
Don't gun shop owners already have discretion to in turning away customers? Or am I missing something?
But that would lower revenues, therefore profits. This is America. Profit is more important than the lives of people who might be killed by a creepy customer that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
The Jupiter 2 is headed into a region of highly energized saran wrap.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 09 2017, @11:09PM
Private sales.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by The Mighty Buzzard on Monday January 09 2017, @11:26PM
My suggestion on school shootings is rearm the students. Not arm them, simply stop disarming them. There was a gunrack in every pickup and a pocket knife in every pocket at my highschool and not a single person has ever been shot or stabbed there.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Tuesday January 10 2017, @12:13PM
There was a gunrack in every pickup and a pocket knife in every pocket at my highschool
Yet at my highschool guns and knives were banned and not a single person has ever been shot of stabbed there. There was a bullet hole in the wall, it was back in 1940, middle of WW2, when they were building guns in some form of metal class and the teacher was somewhat negligent when demonstrating. Or so the rumour went.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Tuesday January 10 2017, @12:53PM
Teach em proper respect for weapons and that don't happen nearly as often. That respect can't be created in the absence of them though.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.