I've said it before. There's something about America that makes people feel like they have to solve their problems with violence. Maybe it's because this generation was raised on stuff like Cops and Die Hard and shit.
it's the same here and people still have guns. people still get shot. there's obviously a different mentality in each country, and here it means that the law has an affect that's the opposite of what it sets out to achieve... basic sociology right there.
I wanna preface by saying that I do believe in gun-control and think our lawmakers have done a piss-poor job thus far on this issue. With that said, a gun ban would never work because they don't want it to work. Like Casey pointed out, there's a reason the streets are flooded with EASILY obtainable guns and drugs. As long as the lower classes are getting fucked up and killing each other, they won't cause a fuss. That's the way it works. That's the way it's always worked. It sounds like some sort of conspiracy theory, psychobabble nonsense, but it's completely true. These school shooting catch the media headlines, but the amount of people that die in those is a relatively small number compared to the amount of people killed in random acts of gun-violence every year. Hell, in my home town there was incident recently where a gang member shot at police with an AK-47. Not to mention all of the drive-by's and gang-related shootings that have happened here (and America abroad) in the past year. Does anybody ever hear about this kind of stuff? No, because no one gives a fuck. This has been happening for years. Now that these school shootings have caught the attention of the world media, all of a sudden its a dire situation when in fact something should have been done decades ago. The problem lies strictly in the mentality of Americans. All day every day on tv it's violence, violence, violence. If movies don't satisfy your blood-lust, the evening news will happily accommodate you. Gun control would be a positive step, but it would by no means solve the problem.
That's all well and good in a perfect utopia where it rains candy, but let's get realistic here. Banning the sale of guns leads to a black market situation, where those with illegal guns can take advantage of a lack of legal guns and run the streets. You open up a whole new crime industry of gun-running. Canadians have a lot of guns that are used for hunting. Yet I have never heard of any of my friends families owning a gun for their own protection. Hell, none of my friends families own a gun. I do think it is an American mentality. I do think it's motivated by the amount of crime that occurs in the U.S.
LOL But if the parents are responsible, they won't have their guns easily-accessible to their kids. It's not the gun's fault if some kid shoots it at someone else.
My 2 cents... I believe the problem in the US is that children are brought up with guns around them in everyday life. They know guns are around and legal, and they know that its 'OK' for you to have one. Im not saying every family has guns lying around the house etc. Im saying that it is 'normal' and not frowned upon for people of any type to own a gun. Afterall, most people are responsibile with their weapons (thank god). So, when you have a disturbed person in the US who wants to lash out. All they need to do is get their (or their parents or friends) gun and go on their shooting rampage. Unfortunately any logic or good sense of responsibility they may have had goes out the window at that point in time. In other countries where guns are banned completely, most children are not even aware what a gun is or does until they are old enough to watch TV and see them in movies etc. And then when they do understand what they are, they are taught that only police etc have guns and that the rest of us are not allowed them. This I believe, is why there are no major shootings in these countries. Guns are just not brought into the picture at any stage for a child or adult. End of story. Sure there is a black market, but that will happen in every country for anything that is illegal. I think the US should put a ban on guns ASAP. Of course this is not going to solve the problem over night, or even in the next few years. But can we afford to keep having these shootings happen? The only way to stop them is to ban guns and gradually re-educate the population. The shootings are only getting more frequent and more violent as the years go on. Lets start the ban now and I would hope that in 10-20 years time the US can confidently say they dont have a major gun problem, which currently they do. I know a lot of people say yeah great idea but it wont work in the US. Sorry but thats crap. The US is a country just like any other. It is one of the most sophisticated counrties in the world. It may take a LOT of work to rectify the problem, but I think in the long run it will be worth it. Wouldnt you like to be able to say that your grandchildren will not grow up in fear of being shot up at school? Im sure I would! If we do nothing...I'd hate to think what will be happening in 20 years time (Just want to point out im not having a go at oneone, or anyones opinions. I respect everyone opinion. This is just mine )
We say it won't work for one main reason, it won't work. And I disagree with you, I don't think it will work in the US. A country is just a country sure, but different countries have different mentalities also. Would a Japanese Person think like an American? Do they have the same beliefs and ideas, the same morals? I'm pretty sure each is different. take culture for example. In the USA banning guns will absolutely positively cause more problems than it will ever solve. Perhaps it's the countries that have never had the right to bear arms, and to own a gun that think that banning them is a solution because they see that they're doing okay without any, but in the USA it is different. Guns aren't going to be banned here, people are use to having the right and it wouldn't help if they were taken away from the people, because the people will find a way to get them anyway., Cigarettes aren't going to be banned here, maybe regulated and prohibited in certain areas but never banned. On the issue of only the police owning a gun. I think that's a pretty bad idea. Just because someone has a label such as Police doesn't make them a good person. In fact I've seen some pretty big bastards whom were policemen. All that would do is give the police force an advantage in taking advantage of people with violence. The cop gets mad, shoots the person that he's in a struggle with. The cop had a gun he shot somebody, does that make him right just because he's a cop? Further more, why would the cops need guns if no one else has guns? I'm not saying that every cop is corrupt but there are a lot that are. I'll say it again, banning guns in America will not work at all. (these are only my opinions, no offense to anyone)
Exactly my point. They're more likely to go sit in their room and listen to Slipknot or something instead. @ Will: But my point is that the parents aren't always responsible, leading to situations like this one. Of course its not the guns fault, but if you wanna talk about a gun in that way, the gun also doesn't have feelings that are gonna be hurt by its being banned And thanks for the support Marj
Well, that's not an argument though, should we change nothing and wait for things to work out or wait for the world to go to hell? I also disagree that "national mentality" is something really big and important for one's personality, I believe that every person or group of people, even a country, has a potential for the worst and the best. It's true that USA has a big problem with violence and people living constantly in "fear", but thinking that can't change is kinda fatalist and wouldn't help moving forward. I agree with you on the police issue- I'd rather see a ban on the police and army for a start, haha.
Don't talk down on me. I was speaking metaphorically. The simple fact is that gun-control will not work in this country, period. It will cause far more problems than it will ever solve.
most of the world isn't the united states, though. and doesn't have widespread violence like the united states. i think we've come full circle on this issue, and now we're just tracing the circle we've already drawn.
that's all modern society, all institutions could put a metal detectors to improve security, but even if they put that, there will always be a patetic,neurotic,brainless junkie how will shoot/stab or whatever and nothing will stop it... i don't wonder if for few years everybody posses a gun :S...