I own several. Maybe its true most Americans might have never had a gun, however compared to western Europe far more Americans do own them. http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2007/en/Small-Arms-Survey-2007-Chapter-02-annexe-4-EN.pdfGun culture is in the blood. If you are an American, and you’re that scared of guns, maybe you should move to Europe.And you own how many guns Mid? No such thing as gun culture in the blood. Most Americans historically didn't even own one and that holds true today despite the pictures of militia type gun nuts "guarding" the recruiting stations. Cap't Jack
Do you mean you are not scared of guns? Are you at least scared of them for the sake of your loved ones?No. I've been around guns my whole life.
What would you do if faced with a loaded gun pointed at you? Would you just laugh it off and turn your back on the potential shooter? What if it was your kid or another loved child who was being aimed at? Would you laugh it off, feeling no fear whatsoever?I've had guns pointed at me before. The way you handle it depends on why the other person is pointing it at you.
And, please, do not show a further lack of intelligence by trotting out the old bromide, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." People with guns kill people and they kill infinitely more people than they could with any other weapon short of a bomb. And in the US there are millions of people with guns, many of them as crazy and unpredictable as loons.Check this out: Hoplophobia
If you are not afraid of people with guns you are an imbecile.OK, I'll take being an imbecile over being a neurotic, sheltered suburbanite. Useless analogy. Most suburbs are not protected. I have lived in suburbs all my life and there have been gun deaths in all of them. Some would have called them "sheltered". I find a lot more neurotic people in cities than in suburbs. I used to work in Manhattan and often traveled to the Bronx and Brooklyn on subways. They were crawling with neurotocs and there were plenty of gun deaths. I never came across so many obviously nutty people in my suburban towns, even accounting for the lower population. Lois All phobias are IRRATIONAL fears. Fear of guns is not irrational. There should be a word for people who are afraid of rational fears. It leads people to be reckless. Recklessness is a neurosis.
Do you mean you are not scared of guns? Are you at least scared of them for the sake of your loved ones?No. I've been around guns my whole life.
What would you do if faced with a loaded gun pointed at you? Would you just laugh it off and turn your back on the potential shooter? What if it was your kid or another loved child who was being aimed at? Would you laugh it off, feeling no fear whatsoever?I've had guns pointed at me before. The way you handle it depends on why the other person is pointing it at you.
And, please, do not show a further lack of intelligence by trotting out the old bromide, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." People with guns kill people and they kill infinitely more people than they could with any other weapon short of a bomb. And in the US there are millions of people with guns, many of them as crazy and unpredictable as loons.Check this out: Hoplophobia
If you are not afraid of people with guns you are an imbecile.OK, I'll take being an imbecile over being a neurotic, sheltered suburbanite. Useless analogy. Most suburbs are not protected. I have lived in suburbs all my life and there have been gun deaths in all of them. Some would have called them "sheltered". I find a lot more neurotic people in cities than in suburbs. I used to work in Manhattan and often traveled to the Bronx and Brooklyn on subways. They were crawling with neurotocs and there were plenty of gun deaths. I never came across so many obviously nutty people in my suburban towns, even accounting for the lower population. LoisWell, you're right about Manhattan being neurotic. You said you used to live and work there, so....
Do you mean you are not scared of guns? Are you at least scared of them for the sake of your loved ones?No. I've been around guns my whole life.
What would you do if faced with a loaded gun pointed at you? Would you just laugh it off and turn your back on the potential shooter? What if it was your kid or another loved child who was being aimed at? Would you laugh it off, feeling no fear whatsoever?I've had guns pointed at me before. The way you handle it depends on why the other person is pointing it at you.
And, please, do not show a further lack of intelligence by trotting out the old bromide, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." People with guns kill people and they kill infinitely more people than they could with any other weapon short of a bomb. And in the US there are millions of people with guns, many of them as crazy and unpredictable as loons.Check this out: Hoplophobia
If you are not afraid of people with guns you are an imbecile.OK, I'll take being an imbecile over being a neurotic, sheltered suburbanite. Useless analogy. Most suburbs are not protected. I have lived in suburbs all my life and there have been gun deaths in all of them. Some would have called them "sheltered". I find a lot more neurotic people in cities than in suburbs. I used to work in Manhattan and often traveled to the Bronx and Brooklyn on subways. They were crawling with neurotocs and there were plenty of gun deaths. I never came across so many obviously nutty people in my suburban towns, even accounting for the lower population. LoisWell, you're right about Manhattan being neurotic. You said you used to live and work there, so.... My fears were rational. Being fearless is being reckless, a much worse and more dangerous condition.
Do you mean you are not scared of guns? Are you at least scared of them for the sake of your loved ones?No. I've been around guns my whole life.
What would you do if faced with a loaded gun pointed at you? Would you just laugh it off and turn your back on the potential shooter? What if it was your kid or another loved child who was being aimed at? Would you laugh it off, feeling no fear whatsoever?I've had guns pointed at me before. The way you handle it depends on why the other person is pointing it at you.
And, please, do not show a further lack of intelligence by trotting out the old bromide, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." People with guns kill people and they kill infinitely more people than they could with any other weapon short of a bomb. And in the US there are millions of people with guns, many of them as crazy and unpredictable as loons.Check this out: Hoplophobia
If you are not afraid of people with guns you are an imbecile.OK, I'll take being an imbecile over being a neurotic, sheltered suburbanite. Useless analogy. Most suburbs are not protected. I have lived in suburbs all my life and there have been gun deaths in all of them. Some would have called them "sheltered". I find a lot more neurotic people in cities than in suburbs. I used to work in Manhattan and often traveled to the Bronx and Brooklyn on subways. They were crawling with neurotocs and there were plenty of gun deaths. I never came across so many obviously nutty people in my suburban towns, even accounting for the lower population. LoisWell, you're right about Manhattan being neurotic. You said you used to live and work there, so.... My fears were rational. Being fearless is being reckless, a much worse and more dangerous condition.Who said anything about being fearless? The point is that there's a right way and a wrong way to handle it.
Gun culture is in the blood. If you are an American, and you're that scared of guns, maybe you should move to Europe.I assume by "in the blood" you mean cultural. Obviously there is nothing genetic or biological about this paranoia that motivates Americans to own guns at a higher rate than other countries. Culture can change though as the graph above shows.Paranoia is biological, but its not paranoia (not for most people, yet) that causes people to own guns, its the fact that guns are fun and useful. The personality traits which incline a person to find guns appealing are obviously genetically based - as are all personality traits. Ask the people who lost loved ones, including children, in mass shootings, such as Sandy Hook, and iin thousands if llegal police shootings if they think guns are "fun and useful." Ask the people in civilized countries with effective gun control that have extremely low levels of such killings per capita compared to the US if they think guns are "fun and useful." You could make the same asinine argument for bombs and missiles.
I own several. Maybe its true most Americans might have never had a gun, however compared to western Europe far more Americans do own them. http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/A-Yearbook/2007/en/Small-Arms-Survey-2007-Chapter-02-annexe-4-EN.pdf And compared to Western Europe, we have an epidemic of gun deaths, including regular mass shootings, police brutaliity amd domestic violence, at a rate unheard of in civilized countries with effective gun control, but, oh well, that's a small price to pay for the freedom to own guns, isn't it? Why shouldn't everyone's loved ones pay with their lives for your right to own guns? Small price to pay.Gun culture is in the blood. If you are an American, and you’re that scared of guns, maybe you should move to Europe.And you own how many guns Mid? No such thing as gun culture in the blood. Most Americans historically didn't even own one and that holds true today despite the pictures of militia type gun nuts "guarding" the recruiting stations. Cap't Jack
Do you mean you are not scared of guns? Are you at least scared of them for the sake of your loved ones?No. I've been around guns my whole life.
What would you do if faced with a loaded gun pointed at you? Would you just laugh it off and turn your back on the potential shooter? What if it was your kid or another loved child who was being aimed at? Would you laugh it off, feeling no fear whatsoever?I've had guns pointed at me before. The way you handle it depends on why the other person is pointing it at you.
And, please, do not show a further lack of intelligence by trotting out the old bromide, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." People with guns kill people and they kill infinitely more people than they could with any other weapon short of a bomb. And in the US there are millions of people with guns, many of them as crazy and unpredictable as loons.Check this out: Hoplophobia
If you are not afraid of people with guns you are an imbecile.OK, I'll take being an imbecile over being a neurotic, sheltered suburbanite. Useless analogy. Most suburbs are not protected. I have lived in suburbs all my life and there have been gun deaths in all of them. Some would have called them "sheltered". I find a lot more neurotic people in cities than in suburbs. I used to work in Manhattan and often traveled to the Bronx and Brooklyn on subways. They were crawling with neurotocs and there were plenty of gun deaths. I never came across so many obviously nutty people in my suburban towns, even accounting for the lower population. LoisWell, you're right about Manhattan being neurotic. You said you used to live and work there, so.... Yessiree, I was the one causing neurosis in Manhattan. Stands to reason. Another indication of your rational thinking we've all come to love and admire here.
Do you mean you are not scared of guns? Are you at least scared of them for the sake of your loved ones?No. I've been around guns my whole life.
What would you do if faced with a loaded gun pointed at you? Would you just laugh it off and turn your back on the potential shooter? What if it was your kid or another loved child who was being aimed at? Would you laugh it off, feeling no fear whatsoever?I've had guns pointed at me before. The way you handle it depends on why the other person is pointing it at you.
And, please, do not show a further lack of intelligence by trotting out the old bromide, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." People with guns kill people and they kill infinitely more people than they could with any other weapon short of a bomb. And in the US there are millions of people with guns, many of them as crazy and unpredictable as loons.Check this out: Hoplophobia
If you are not afraid of people with guns you are an imbecile.OK, I'll take being an imbecile over being a neurotic, sheltered suburbanite. Useless analogy. Most suburbs are not protected. I have lived in suburbs all my life and there have been gun deaths in all of them. Some would have called them "sheltered". I find a lot more neurotic people in cities than in suburbs. I used to work in Manhattan and often traveled to the Bronx and Brooklyn on subways. They were crawling with neurotocs and there were plenty of gun deaths. I never came across so many obviously nutty people in my suburban towns, even accounting for the lower population. LoisWell, you're right about Manhattan being neurotic. You said you used to live and work there, so.... My fears were rational. Being fearless is being reckless, a much worse and more dangerous condition.Who said anything about being fearless? The point is that there's a right way and a wrong way to handle it. What, pray tell, is the right way?
... Ok, "imbecile" was hyperbole, but I still think that if you are not at least put off by the guns all around you there is something wrong. You are probably just inured to it, but I think you are fooling yourself. Your attitude can make you careless and vulnerable. I had a friend some years ago who lived in what was considered a bad neighborhood where guns were present. He never expressed any fear about guns, but he was shot and killed while walking near his home. A lone statistic, to be sure, but it was telling to me. LoisI am not inured to what guns are -- tools that have the primary purpose of readily inflicting death. I have had guns pointed at me before, either as a really really poorly advised attempt at humor, or inadvertently (oh, and once in a somewhat insane interpersonal interaction) . In each case, (except the one) even when believing the gun was unloaded, I reprimanded the offender, in order to insure it would not happen again. Guns are seriously deadly instruments. That is what they are meant to be. No one should ever be inured to that fact.
Just found this site in the news. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforcement_officers_in_the_United_States,_July_2015
Of the 20 people killed by police so far this month, only five had guns.
Just found this site in the news. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforcement_officers_in_the_United_States,_July_2015 Of the 20 people killed by police so far this month, only five had guns.This statement is disingenuous. Look at the explanations of the case and it appears 18 of the 20 were justified, one is too vague to form an opinion, and the policeman who shot Samuel Dubose is being charged with murder. I agree that our police have gotten out of control, but misleading statements help nothing.
I agree that misleading statements are unnecessary in promoting the idea that “our police have gotten out of control”. OTOH, this thread is titled “Gun culture”. Almost all of our police carry guns. We should, therefore, take a close look at their culture, I think, with regards to the use of guns.
It is possible that the Wikipedia page referenced, itself, is misleading. According to (web search Killed by Police) it is a gross under-report of people killed by police in this month, so far. Looks to me like 20 people, or more, died in run-ins with law enforcement officers in just the 1st week of July.
Looks to me like well over 100 people have been killed in incidents involving police interaction, so far this month.
Looks to me like well over 100 people have been killed in incidents involving police interaction, so far this month.Not arguing, but I'd like to see a citation. Edit: Just ran across this, which explains part of the problem with our police departments. Police departments can refuse to hire intelligent applicants]. It's an old story, but that means the policy has had time to have a large effect.
Looks to me like well over 100 people have been killed in incidents involving police interaction, so far this month.Not arguing, but I'd like to see a citation. Edit: Just ran across this, which explains part of the problem with our police departments. Police departments can refuse to hire intelligent applicants]. It's an old story, but that means the policy has had time to have a large effect. There is no good, well respected, and accepted database for this kind of info, AFAIK. Pardon me for being suspicious that law enforcement officials may like to keep it that way. Excellent reference, you provide, I think, in that it goes to the heart of one of the problems in the phenomena of wrongful use of force by police. It is much more likely that police will be involved in the wrongful use of force if they are not college grads, if the stats I recall are correct.
There is no good, well respected, and accepted database for this kind of info, AFAIK. Pardon me for being suspicious that law enforcement officials may like to keep it that way.Even worse, we have proof law enforcement in NYC falsified crime statistics to make themselves and their city look better. NYC... Systematically Falsifying Crime Statistics]
Excellent reference, you provide, I think, in that it goes to the heart of one of the problems in the phenomena of wrongful use of force by police. It is much more likely that police will be involved in the wrongful use of force if they are not college grads, if the stats I recall are correct.Undereducated cops are also involved in more unnecessary traffic stops. About 17 months ago I got pulled over in Round Rock, TX, by a local cop who thought my temporary license plate was expired. My wife bought a car in Oklahoma, where they put the purchase date on the temp tag. Texas uses the expiration date. The cop told me "I know the law in all 50 states" when I tried to explain his mistake. Luckily, I'm an older white guy so I got off with a warning. I should have used my iPhone to record the stop. The guy was an ignorant buffoon whom would not listen to anything that refuted his reality. I did call the station the next day to complain, but never heard anything further.
There is no good, well respected, and accepted database for this kind of info, AFAIK. Pardon me for being suspicious that law enforcement officials may like to keep it that way.Even worse, we have proof law enforcement in NYC falsified crime statistics to make themselves and their city look better. NYC... Systematically Falsifying Crime Statistics]
Excellent reference, you provide, I think, in that it goes to the heart of one of the problems in the phenomena of wrongful use of force by police. It is much more likely that police will be involved in the wrongful use of force if they are not college grads, if the stats I recall are correct.Undereducated cops are also involved in more unnecessary traffic stops. About 17 months ago I got pulled over in Round Rock, TX, by a local cop who thought my temporary license plate was expired. My wife bought a car in Oklahoma, where they put the purchase date on the temp tag. Texas uses the expiration date. The cop told me "I know the law in all 50 states" when I tried to explain his mistake. Luckily, I'm an older white guy so I got off with a warning. I should have used my iPhone to record the stop. The guy was an ignorant buffoon whom would not listen to anything that refuted his reality. I did call the station the next day to complain, but never heard anything further. You wouldn't, would you? Lois
Just found this site in the news. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforcement_officers_in_the_United_States,_July_2015 Of the 20 people killed by police so far this month, only five had guns.I'll bet that in all 20 cases, the cop(s) said he "thought" the victim was reaching for a gun and the cop "thought" his life was in danger. Nobody can prove that he didn't think it. Cops know they always have this ace in the hole and they'll use it whenever they need it. And it works! Lois