Is it time for gun control in America?

Came across this:

More Guns, Less Crime?
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/493636.html

The author is a Law and Economics professor, book published by Univ. of Chicago press.


M

 

Agree.

But how is me carrying a gun going to make any difference if I was robbed or assaulted at gunpoint?

Pete

 

Just a wild guess, but in Australia criminals can be nearly 100 percent certain that their intended victim in unarmed, which means your are defenseless, the criminal can do what they want with you, rob you, bash you, rape you (well maybe not you) or even kill you. You are a victim, along for the ride. Fortunately the incidence of firearms used in crimes in Australia is still very low (but appears to be rising) so the probability of it happening is minimal.

I don't think that's thats the case in parts of the USA, the criminal has to contend with the fact that their intended victim *might* be armed, and *might* fight back.

M

 

My point is: Even if I had a gun and was trained to use it properly how am I supposed to put up a fight if it is in my pocket and he/she already has hers pointing at my head or wife/child? Thus I am defenseless anyway.

I do get your point that an American criminal has to be more cautious/skilled but unless you are ready for battle a gun is useless. James Bond, etc. are just movies. Look at both our countries highly skilled military losses ... they had a gun and knew how to use it and it was probably ready for action. Unfortunately they still lost .

Pete

 

Hello, no one can answer that, only you can. Depends on your training and youre ability to defend yourself and family.

But the mere fact that you are carrying a firearm, may make the robber reconsider his plan. As a Armed guard (any armed person) would or may have made a differance to 20 children, 6 adults.

When I was a child living in Sydney(1963) I went to something called the Police Boys Club and we at a young age trained with firearms at a range, using I believe the Lee-Enfield rifle, could be wrong about the weapon but not the discipline it gave me. Are these clubs still open? As for me it was great.

 

Wow, both countries military never lost a battle, only Politicians lose the war.

 

So I have to advertise the fact, otherwise the firearm is impotent.

I assume then "I carry" type stickers are very popular bumper stickers in America?
Pete
ps: And yes of course I concede that an armed guard, etc. might have made a big difference in this very sad case, that is not the answer for all situations. It simply is not right to have armed people around children.

 

Hello, funny you say that about the bumper sticker as I have seen similiar stickers on cars and trucks here in the States.

Being exposed to firearms at a tender age myself, didnt turn me into a killer (I have gotten a few speeding tickets). Though I admit I dont play any video games, maybe we should ban those too.

 

Missed the point

The point is you *might* be carrying - the criminal does not know weather you do or not. That is the deterrent / increased risk for the criminal.
Also, it's not just that the intended victim might be carrying , a bystander might be armed and intervene.

In the US : victim & bystanders might be armed = increased risk to criminal

In Australia, the criminal can be certain you are *not* carrying and neither is any bystander
= no risk for the criminal.

M

 

Maybe it has?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/17/white-house-obama-gun-control-newtown

 

Speedcore, it took one major event for our country to unite and say enough is enough. and the US of A? how many events they had?!

i talk ****? walk down the street right now in Syd or Melb and ask 10 people, how many of them will tell you it's should be perfectly cool to have a gun at home and shoot intruders in australia? do that in the USA, see if the results will be the same. The difference is our culture believes being civil and peaceful doesn't involving actually owning weapons, would I be wrong for saying that? law aside, the underlying fact is our culture is Different, and that's how we are who we are, and the yanks are who they are.

 

And here I thought all along that crocodile Dundee was real.....
Ed

 

You mean like in Vietnam or Afghanistan ?

M

 

History has proven itself over and over again that to repress freedom, the first thing the government do is to restrict any "possibility" of citizens owning weapons (to prevent uprising). Would TianAnMeng Square being that easily cleared out by the military if every student protested had a gun? the military would have never been there at the first place. and let's not forget, army are people too.

we live in a lucky country where we don't really need to think about these things. but i can bloody assure you, some guy in China who's house was burnt down (with ther family in it) or being bulldosed over, wish their family had a few semi automatic rifles that would shoot up some people. Would you still drive your truck through his house if you knew there is six crazy chinamen with ak47 pointing at you?

sure, if we have better laws to protect its citizens we wouldn't have this problem. but what I'm saying is that the Yanks have gun deep embedded in their culture, it's like Chinese and Rice!!

 

Some states banned centre-fire semi auto rifles with a handgrip the wake of the Hoddle St shooting in 1987. All semi auto rifles, pump action shotguns and semi auto shotguns were banned after the Port Arthur shooting

No. In Australia handguns have always been tightly regulated. One always needed a license to purchase a longarm ( rifle/shotgun) in Australia. Licenses were available over the counter from the police station.

No, I think it was the Hoddle shootings in Melbourne.
There was some outrage about the Milperra thing, but at the end of the day it was mainly bikies wiping each other out, the public didn't get too outraged. There was a minor change to the NSW firearm laws, that's about it.

M

 

"When the government adopts a new infantry rifle, it sells the old ones to the public.

Reservists are encouraged to buy military ammunition (7.5 and 5.6mm-5.56 mm in other countries-for rifles and 9 and 7.65 mm Luger for pistols, which is sold at cost by the government, for target practice Non-military ammunition for long-gun hunting and .22 Long Rifle (LR) ammo are not subsidised, but are subiect to no sales controls. Non-military non-hunting ammunition more powerful than .22 LR (such as .38 Spl.) is registered at the time of sale.

Swiss military ammo must be registered if bought at a private store, but need not be registered if bought at a range The nation's 3,000 shooting ranges sell the overwhelming majority of ammunition. Technically, ammunition bought at the range must be used at the range, but the rule is barely known and almost never obeyed.

The army sells a variety of machine guns, submachine guns, anti-tank weapons, anti-aircraft guns, howitzers and cannons. Purchasers of these weapons require an easily obtained cantonal license, and the weapons are registered, In a nation of six million people, there are at least two million guns, including 600,00 fully automatic assault rifles, half a million pistols, and numerous machine guns. Virtually every home has a gun."

So the Swiss are the rednecks of Europe ? Who'da thunk it.

M

 

Some of us are red necks.......sticker on the back of the benz
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Errr.... compare apples with apples, not apples with oranges.

For the sake of this ridiculous argument, a 'rogue' US government would just nuke its own people if it were to go down that path...which it never would anyway (at the very least it would need the permission of Goldman Sachs, first. ).

The whole "tyranny and freedom" argument to justify the right to own an arsenal of weapons is just an emotive excuse and a result of brainwashing through the generations. If Americans don't like the government(s) of the day, they should put down their guns and go out and vote.

 

[

It wasn't one event. It was lots of events in a short period of time.

Australia wasn't united. John Howard forced the states to comply much like how we have Carbon Tax NSW has 2 seats that are members of the Shooting and Fishing Party, 2 seats of only 5% of the population that owns guns shows people aren't actually satisfied how things are going I would of thought...

Since the 1970's the states have had 60 mass shootings with a total of 500 deaths. China comes 2nd with 400 kills. Big picture, you have a better chance of slipping in the shower then being part of a mass shooting.


Ask 10 people if they like Gillard... You can have guns at home (in a safe).

 

interesting but true
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Understood.

Pete

 

Well said.

Pete

 

Must find that photo I saw of a demonstration in Sydney, dude was picketing a sign

"better to have an ICBM in my back yard than a Indonesian soldier on my wife"