America's Gun Control

It just breaks my heart to think of those children and teachers absolutely terrified. I don't understand the us gun laws and why they can't be tightened etc but I know too many unstable people can get their hands on a gun, it needs to stop

This is a very good article on the second amendment and the NRA and politics, for anyone interested in any kind of smart in-depth conversation more nuanced than "Americans stupid."

https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/05/nra-guns-second-amendment-106856/

So you go and live in an area where these wild animals have lived for thousands of years then shoot them for daring to come near you

How many Americans die because they can’t afford health care ?

It's a cultural issue for them, I think. 😟

I'm American, living in the UK, and as anti-gun as it's possible to be.

However... it would be an interesting exercise for a statistician to tally up the number of people here who have died as a result of the self-inflicted wound that is the Brexit-induced decimation of the NHS vs Americans who have died from gun violence.

Your house in not even remotely in order.

They’ll do absolutely nothing and children will keep dying

Nixon wasn't shot. Did you mean Lincoln? Because, as much as I'm anti-gun, that's probably more comparable to Spencer Perceval here in the good old UK.

Agreed.

I think it's more likely that the US will split into 2 or more countries than they will ever enact significant restrictions on guns.

@route111 both can be true! This country voted Brexit and keep voting the atrocious excuse that is the Tory's and the USAs relationship with guns is truly awful!

Stop talking about "the government ". The concept is different in the USA. Think of fifty individual governments as well as the federal government.

But it doesn't answer it because the presence of easy access to guns in other countries doesn't result in huge, regular numbers of school shootings.

The cause of the shootings isn't the mere presence of guns. So this is a two-part problem removing the cause as well as the method.

Removing the method in the United States means removing the hold gun companies and lobbyists have over the government of the country. The majority of voters want change but year after year it isn't happening. Doesn't mean we shouldn't stop fighting for it but it's not happening any time soon.

So, at least start tackling the cause of the problem.

You've sort of answered your question with your first statement. Without a high body count, is there any point? Going on the rampage with a knife isn't have as effective so in many countries there isn't really the opportunity.

Just to bring things back full circle the original thread title was about Americans being stupid. I responded to it saying loads of people here are stupid for enabling the mess the country's in. And then I said that you're not allowed to call out their idiocy if you read my comment properly. I've lost count of the threads where people get on their high horses and start frothing if you dare suggest they were stupid, racist, xenophobic or just plain old selfish to vote for the Tories.

they are stupid mostly yes i agree. bUT the biggest problem why there is no gun control is because the goverment got MONEY from the gun. They get big donations and support from the NRA

Since when are you “not allowed” to criticise the tories?? Have you opened your eyes once for the last 5 years?
The tories have been criticised from all sides constantly over their failure regarding the brexit negotiations, boris lying in parliament, their handling of the pandemic, partygate, investigations into the dodgy contracts, trusseconomics?? You don’t remember a single one of these events and the widespread criticism of them?
You’re an absolute balloon if you think it’s not allowed or somehow unheard of to criticise the government in the uk.

I think that they are basically scared, that if they give up their guns but then no-one else does then they will be vulnerable. I've had this shout-typed at me in forums.
That if the law abiding people give up guns, the criminals breaking into their homes will still have guns so they will be at a major disadvantage.
Which I don't completely disagree with, even though I am completely anti-gun.

And also u can be angry at more than one thing.
And also I called it "weird anger" cause u have decided ur anger at our goverment means others cannot talk or think about other governments in other countries.

Well as I didn't vote this current government in , u can stop ur weird anger , so I guess I'm "allowed to criticise America about their insane gun culture"

No one is saying other countries are anywhere near perfect but we don’t have the gun massacres in schools as keep happening in the US.

But it is. People are wringing their hands at other countries while they should be taking a long hard look at their own. But you're not allowed to call out the idiocy of people voting for the most inept, yet destructive Govt ever who are systematically removing human rights and actually costing lives. "Let the bodies pile high" anyone? The sheer hypocrisy of people.

I'm angry because I have to live with the shitty choices people in this country have made and they have the temerity to criticise others.

AskingQuestionsAllTheTime ·

"A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

Put the commas where you want to, or miss them out altogether like New Jersey, it still does not mention guns.

Good luck getting that reading of the second amendment past the three quarters of the states that would be needed to ratify an amendment to it. And past the SCOTUS who are all about the historicity these days. And past the Americans with a genuine need for guns - a kind of need which generally doesn't exist in the UK. And if you can't imagine what those would be, you probably don't know enough about the variety of things in America.

You’re right, the US has no problem with guns and has nailed all those things too.
A wonderful land of opportunity and no poverty, long maternity leave, no one sneaking across the border, no ‘build a wall and make Mexico pay for it!’, no one crippled by medical bills, a police force known for how balanced it is and how categorically not racist it is, no riots on the streets due to racial tensions…

The thing that once made Americans great was a willingness to think differently. Instead of seeing problems, they tried out new and fantastic solutions. It came from rejecting the Old World and it's conservatism and heading out for a New World with boundless opportunities and endless possibilities.

That optimism has gone. Today's US is just as Old World as the European states those earlier generations of immigrants left behind.

As for how to fix the gun crisis? Don't go for the guns. Go for their money. Pass a law to make the previous owner of any gun used in a crime jointly liable for 100% of the compensation payable to the victims of that crime. So manufacturers pay for the crimes committed by purchasers, and former owners pay for the crimes committed by whoever they sold/gave/lost their guns to. And offer an amnesty and an absolute exemption from liability for anyone who has their gun officially destroyed. Then just watch how carefully people will keep their guns locked up. And how carefully manufacturers and gun shop owners (not the state) will vet anyone looking to buy one from them. And watch how expensive the insurance policies will be for anyone looking to transfer this liability. And then watch the numbers of guns available for misuse drop. And then watch how the numbers of guns used in crimes drops. And then watch how demand for guns drops. And so on, and so on. Then come back in 20 years, count the numbers of guns in circulation and count the number of mass shootings and wonder what all the fuss was about back in the bad old days. Simple. Just requires some creative thought.