In honor ofnit nearly being Independence Day, wibu to tell you

[PratStick]

That Bleu is not a common American name?

That we do have required biology lessons. (Obviously)

Baby showers were never meant to be massive affairs with enterence fees and that I never heard of such a thing before MN. Your mate threw a party, invited your other friends, you ate brownies and were given diapers artfully formed in to a cake.

We also didn't invent "destination weddings" if we did had done, no one would go as we get far less time off than you do. It's also the reason many Americans don't have a passport, nothing to with America being too awesome to bother leaving.

Only a third of us have guns.

I was never taught creationalism in school. It is illegal to mix church and state and we I never took any form of RE. We do not have state funded religious schools. Your nearest school will be a non religious state school.

Any Americans have anything else to add?

My dd and her friends keep going on about July 4th. They're 9 years old. It irrationally pisses me off A LOT. Yesterday I shouted at her to stop going on about the American Independence Day, it's got nothing to do with us! Who gives a fuck if they're doing fireworks?! It's another American "celebration" creeping it's way over here brainwashing people. Lidl sell American themed crap for July 4th, but why?! It's not like a religious celebration, it's a celebration for a whole other country. It's just completely odd. Why should we celebrate their independence?! It's totally bizarre!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimated_number_of_guns_per_capita_by_country

Irrespective of proportions of households owning guns, the above site suggests that for every 100 Americans, there are 112 guns

You know why there's a second amendment ? It's in case the government forget there's a first.

Am I the only one who took "only" in the OP to mean "fewer than is commonly thought"? As in contrary to popular belief, ONLY a third of Americans own guns.

I did 1/3 as in 1/3 of households and I clarified dawn's point earlier in the thread. It's weird she picked me up on it but then changed the numbers herself

In Canada, the ratmother of ownership varies significantly between provinces, and there is a rural/urban divide. In the Atlantic provinces the rate of ownership is as high as 35%, and in the Yukon and the NWT as high as 65%. Source: www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/jsp-sjp/wd98_4-dt98_4/p2.html#a22

There isn't anything like the rate of gun related deaths however. Canadian police are also armed, like American ones.

Gun violence is definitely more complex than just how many guns are floating around.

All those people with an issue about 1/3 of Americans owning guns, you do know the majority of those don't live in big cities but out in the country. The guns are used for hunting food and protecting properties from wild animals - bears, cougars etc. I'd want a gun if I might confront something like then when my kids were playing in the garden.

Happy 4th July xx

You appear to be the only one who understood that yes.

Or who didn't wilfully misrepresent me

Well, isn't that interesting, you've managed to get it to the same as Canada. Considering size of population, spread of population, age of population, we're talking interesting mathematical improbabilities here!

Thank you Annie!

Only:
no more than (implying that more was expected); merely.
"deaths from heart disease have only declined by 10 per cent"

Happy 4th!

RatMother? That should have said rate of gun ownership, sorry.

Those statistics are government of Canada statistics- apologies if they don't meet the exacting standards of those of you who prefer to quote Wikipedia

No USA today did Dawn. I assumed that was the point you were making earlier which is why I agreed with you. Or did you think that 1/3 of households some how worked out to more than 1/3 of gun owners?

The guns are used for hunting food and protecting properties from wild animals - bears, cougars etc

And in schools too! Don't forget! 😂

The ratmother of ownership?

Cross-posted.

How is ratmother in your dictionary?

According to the Small Arms survey, there are an estimated 270 million guns in the US. This works out as 89 firearms per 100 people. The largest gun ownership in the world.
Canada however, comes 13th on the list. 9.9 million firearms, making that 31 firearms per 100 residents.
Major difference.

I totally understand where you're coming from op! I am not American but lived and worked there for significant periods in different stages.
The amount of times I've heard people (usually who haven't visited the states) say "oh yea Americans do ... " and spout some random belief or behaviour makes me crazy. I don't usually comment though as I don't feel I have the authority to correct their total bullshit.

My favourite was "oh yea, Americans just call all fizzy drinks soda" I clarified that if you went to a restaurant etc you would need to order a 'coke' or whatever.

She went on to insist that it would be fine to sit at your table and order a "large soda"
Baffled as to how she expects a waiter would know what drink you wanted from that

who carried out the small arms survey?

Interesting turn about there, Prat. You initially said one third. I've not muddled anything, but thanks for your concern.

lidl sell American themed crap for July 4th, but why?
Why? Because they have especially events where you can buy supposedly authentic food for most of the major immigrant populations and the couple hundred thousand of us can be expected to buy it for our holiday. But your irrational dislike of something that doesn't affect you obviously proves no bias

It's an independent research project. Uncontrolled.

My favourite was "oh yea, Americans just call all fizzy drinks soda" I clarified that if you went to a restaurant etc you would need to order a 'coke' or whatever.

Our waiters are very good. Mind reading and everything

@jellybean85 are you sure she wasn't referring to places where you literally order a large soda - you're given the cup then self serve the fountain drinks?

major difference
No, there's a major difference in some people owning a vast quantity of guns but still not in individual gun ownership. Dig your heels in some more and explain how that means "Americans love guns" more than Canadians own guns