Gun laws in USA??

[What'sinaname]

[David]

Reducing gun ownership will surely reduce suicide numbers. Not sure what the data is on that, but I think we can confidently assume that there will be a correlation between effective and easily available methods and higher incidence. Saying "mental issues are the problem, not the gun" is a non sequitur, because these (and other factors) obviously intersect. In life there's never just one "problem" that exists in isolation, and this is no exception.

It also, I think, goes without saying that reducing gun ownership reduces the number of guns that can be illegally purchased or stolen (illegal importation is a separate problem but presumably a fairly small one given how easy it is to get guns in the US: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/procon/guns.html). There are more and less effective methods of controlling supply – and some black market is inevitable – but it doesn't mean they shouldn't try.

As for the last part, if America weren't such a broken society then those four words (and the rest) could and should be the subject of a national referendum. But it is and they won't be, so it is, as you say, a moot point.

Aren't you glad we live in a country where we generally don't have to worry about any of this? Or do you look at the American situation with envy and think ... I'll have what they're having?

[watt price tully]

^ yes but the victims do have have the politicians GOP mostly and Murdoch press thoughts and prayers:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hk4TGuedxA

[Pies4shaw]

Every "law abiding" gun owner is "law abiding" until they shoot someone with their lethal weapon. They are all potential killers - because they own a lethal weapon.

[stui magpie]

So I guess all car owners are potential killers too.

[watt price tully]

[David]

^ Yep, exactly. It's an interesting comparison if you think about it for less than five minutes, but the fact is that if personal (i.e. "self-defence") guns had as much social utility as cars then the conversation would be very different. As it is, they exist only to enact or threaten violence on others, and they pretty clearly cause more harm than good. I doubt the number of lives saved each year in the US thanks to a personal gun is equivalent to even one major mass shooting.

[stui magpie]

Yes it's a poor comparison,guns were designed for war and to kill people and cars were designed for transport, but cars kill more people in Australia every year than guns do.

As a legal gun owner, I just find the statement that all legal gun owners are potential killers to be repugnant.

A more accurate statement would be that all people are potential killers. All they need are motive, means and opportunity, or just stupid carelessness in the case of car drivers.

Guns were designed to kill, but cars can be used as a weapon too. Remember this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eDkdimGntQ

[What'sinaname]

So I guess all knife owners are potential killers too given that all of us own a knife which has the sole purpose of cutting skin, fat and muscle of an animal.

We better ban butchers while we are at.....those crazy would be killers

[stui magpie]

Well the Victorian Government haven't banned butchers, yet, but they've as good as banned knives. The pocket knife that pretty much goes everywhere I do, as I've done since I was 6, is considered a prohibited weapon.

[eddiesmith]

[David]

[What'sinaname]

[stui magpie]

It doesn't help that if someone breaks into your house here, and you go out and hit them upside of the head with a cricket bat, you're likely to be charged with assault unless you can proved self defence or that they were armed.

Over there, in many states, if someone breaks into your house you shoot them first then ask the corpse what they're doing there , and walk away scott free.

[What'sinaname]

^ makes you wonder which is the broken society.