[News] American mass shootings

[METALMICKY]

Indeed, but it's a drop in the ocean when compared to the number of Americans who seem to find all that acceptable, and prefer guns to lives.
Until that balance shifts (and it won't), nothing whatsoever will change.

Which is why a lot of us continue to be all out of ' thoughts and prayers '. That's not harsh but Americans need to help themselves change their attitude towards guns. They love the second amendment until they lose a loved one or its kids en masse.

 

[vegster]

Over the Christmas period I was looking at The Guardian's US coverage and there were several shootings reported, in fact they probably only published the most bizarre or shocking... there was a police sergeant who killed his two kids and his wife then shot himself, a 10 year old who shot his sister dead in a row over presents and another 10 year old stole his dads gun to shoot another 10 year old after an argument ! Probably loads more not worthy of reporting.. oh, and there was a report on a fatal shooting by the police, a woman who had made complaints that she was being assaulted in her home was shot dead by a responding police officer within 5 seconds of him entering the house... tragic but it will be repeated...

 

[Triggaaar]

Over the Christmas period I was looking at The Guardian's US coverage and there were several shootings reported, in fact they probably only published the most bizarre or shocking... there was a police sergeant who killed his two kids and his wife then shot himself, a 10 year old who shot his sister dead in a row over presents and another 10 year old stole his dads gun to shoot another 10 year old after an argument ! Probably loads more not worthy of reporting.. oh, and there was a report on a fatal shooting by the police, a woman who had made complaints that she was being assaulted in her home was shot dead by a responding police officer within 5 seconds of him entering the house... tragic it but will be repeated...

America, f*** yeah

 

[Petunia]

A friend took this photo while waiting for a haircut in Portland, USA on Christmas Eve!
Madness

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Which is why a lot of us continue to be all out of ' thoughts and prayers '. That's not harsh but Americans need to help themselves change their attitude towards guns. They love the second amendment until they lose a loved one or its kids en masse.

The land of the free and simple

No sympathy

 

[BadFish]

Which is why a lot of us continue to be all out of ' thoughts and prayers '. That's not harsh but Americans need to help themselves change their attitude towards guns. They love the second amendment until they lose a loved one or its kids en masse.

Don't the polls says that the majority of Americans are supportive of tighter gun controls?

This suggests that it isn't the American attitude towards guns that is the problem. More the political system that prioritises the rich and powerful gun lobby over the opinions and desires of their electorate.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

45 times more likely to be killed by a gun in the USA than the UK. Remove guns and then will you be safer? No, you're already 30% more likely to murdered by a knife currently in the USA.

 

[Soton Seagull]

In case he wanted a bit more off the side?

 

[American Seagle]

45 times more likely to be killed by a gun in the USA than the UK. Remove guns and then will you be safer? No, you're already 30% more likely to murdered by a knife currently in the USA.

Ah it's ok as @Guinness Boy said previously: no one will miss me.

 

[METALMICKY]

Don't the polls says that the majority of Americans are supportive of tighter gun controls?

This suggests that it isn't the American attitude towards guns that is the problem. More the political system that prioritises the rich and powerful gun lobby over the opinions and desires of their electorate.

Partially correct I fear. Too many Americans only play lip service to the idea of tighter controls.

 

[schmunk]

"Sheriff Adam Infante says school hadn't started yet when the shots were fired, so very few students and teachers were in the building at the time of the shooting.

That led to a "good outcome" in terms of the number of people who were harmed, he says."

I'm struggling to get my head around this statement.

Whilst I get your point, it's clear he's talking in a relative sense, rather than an absolute.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Over the Christmas period I was looking at The Guardian's US coverage and there were several shootings reported, in fact they probably only published the most bizarre or shocking... there was a police sergeant who killed his two kids and his wife then shot himself, a 10 year old who shot his sister dead in a row over presents and another 10 year old stole his dads gun to shoot another 10 year old after an argument ! Probably loads more not worthy of reporting.. oh, and there was a report on a fatal shooting by the police, a woman who had made complaints that she was being assaulted in her home was shot dead by a responding police officer within 5 seconds of him entering the house... tragic but it will be repeated...

Thoughts and prayers.

Although, as an atheist, and somewhat bored with American intransigence over the bleedin' obvious that fails to map to their 18th century perspective....you can guess the rest.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Whilst I get your point, it's clear he's talking in a relative sense, rather than an absolute.

True. I just find it a strange choice of words.

 

[clapham_gull]

Unfortunately the horse has already bolted in the USA.

With so many guns in legal circulation it's not that surprising that people don't want to give them up.

Luckily no parallel in the UK where we have some of the most stringent gun control laws in the world.

What I find interesting is the countries like Germany and particularly Switzerland with high gun ownership but relatively little crime attached to them.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

45 times more likely to be killed by a gun in the USA than the UK. Remove guns and then will you be safer? No, you're already 30% more likely to murdered by a knife currently in the USA.

You do understand the difference between 45 times and 35% more, right?

If the UK number is 100, then 45 times is 4,500
And 30% more is 130.

So not 'no'. It's 'yes'. Safer.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

You do understand the difference between 45 times and 35% more, right?

If the UK number is 100, then 45 times is 4,500
And 30% more is 130.

So not 'no'. It's 'yes'. Safer.

Firearm deaths per 100,000 is USA 10.84 UK 0.24 = 45 times

Knife deaths per 100,000 is USA 0.6 UK is 0.08=7.5 times

I actually got the knife deaths wrong It is worse than I thought in the USA.

Point I'm making is removing guns are the good folk of the US of A be safer. I'm saying no because already you likely to die by 7.5 times by a knife living in the US of A. If they don't have guns then knife crime will grow hugely, that's my thought

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Firearm deaths per 100,000 is USA 10.84 UK 0.24 = 45 times

Knife deaths per 100,000 is USA 0.6 UK is 0.08=7.5 times

I actually got the knife deaths wrong It is worse than I thought in the USA.

Yes but 45 times a lot is a lot, whereas 7.5 times not a lot is ... (you can do the maths).

 

[Hugo Rune]

Firearm deaths per 100,000 is USA 10.84 UK 0.24 = 45 times

Knife deaths per 100,000 is USA 0.6 UK is 0.08=7.5 times

I actually got the knife deaths wrong It is worse than I thought in the USA.

Point I'm making is removing guns are the good folk of the US of A be safer. I'm saying no because already you likely to die by 7.5 times by a knife living in the US of A. If they don't have guns then knife crime will grow hugely, that's my thought.

I tend to agree.

Americans are well versed about not bringing a knife to a gun party.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Yes but 45 times a lot is a lot, whereas 7.5 times not a lot is (you can do the maths).

I may have confused you. You're 45 times more likely to be killed by a gun and 7.5 more likely by a knife compared to the UK. The figure I had originally (which was wrong) suggested there were 30% more deaths (by knife) per capita in the USA than the UK, it turns out it's far more.

 

[FatSuperman]

I may have confused you. You're 45 times more likely to be killed by a gun and 7.5 more likely by a knife compared to the UK. The figure I had originally (which was wrong) suggested there were 30% more deaths (by knife) per capita in the USA than the UK, it turns out it's far more.

This is the argument Americans give all the time. Criminals are criminals and if they have no guns, they’ll just use knives, trucks, IEDs, bazookas, nukes, whatever they can get their hands on.

But it’s a false assumption. In every country that has introduced tighter controls, the net murder rate has dropped significantly. I guess it‘a something to do with a lot of gun murders being spur of the moment and far more likely to be fatal.

Any prick can pull a trigger and then be full of regret, but to shank someone repeatedly whilst they try to flee / fight back is probably far more challenging.