Downtown Khazan: Ice Cold Utopia

[Nik Hasta]

Just reminding people that The Gun Violence Archive is an extremely useful resource when talking about this kind of stuff and the scale of the problem.

Sadly, it does look like America might be on track for a record bad year so far.

[bruceleegreyhulk]

[Sharpandpointies]

Just reminding people that The Gun Violence Archive is an extremely useful resource when talking about this kind of stuff and the scale of the problem.

Sadly, it does look like America might be on track for a record bad year so far.

It is interesting to note that unintentional shootings alone outweigh the 'defensive use' (and I'd be curious to hear how many of those are 'stand your ground' situations that are legally defensive in that state, but in reality not).

[The MunchKING]

Guns are dangerous. It's a strange American myth that guns magically only shoot 'bad guys' and that they are otherwise perfectly harmless.

As an American, I always heard that guns were dangerous and should be used only after understanding how to use them safely.

Like even on kids' TV they were talking about how dangerous guns were and how kids should never play with any real guns.

The stories of kids finding loaded guns are tragedies, but they are more the parents' fault for keeping loaded guns stored at all, but also keeping them somewhere a kid could get to them.

I don't even OWN guns and I know you aren't supposed to store them loaded, and ARE supposed to keep them in locked container.

It really seems like SUCH a basic safety thing...

It's a strange American myth just because you sell someone a gun, they won't use it.

Well the idea for that one is that a responsible user would only use one in self-defense, or legal target practice, or hunting or something. That's why the criminal background checks are supposed to prevent criminals from getting guns from stores. So they would only be sold to responsible people who would use them legally.

It doesn't always WORK like that, but that's where the idea that someone could buy a gun and have no intention of using it to commit crimes comes from.

It's a strange American myth that guns are like toys, that they are safe for all ages.

With enough safety training, I have heard of kids using guns safely (Admittedly under parental supervision).

Like so many things, it depends on the maturity of the child in question, moreso than a physical age. That said, the law can't judge each person's fitness to own a gun individually so they have to set arbitrary benchmarks for when most people should be mature enough to handle the responsibility.

That said, for licensed stores, there appears to be a Federal minimum age of 18. As well as certain states making a minimum age to even be in possession of a firearm at all.

Also 'immoral', I'm guessing.

Well I could make a joke about quickie marriages or one-night stands, but not to put to fine a point on it, significant amounts of alcohol lowers ALL your inhibitions.

So drunks getting ahold of guns is another reason there are shootings. Whether because it lowered their inhibitions to the point where they thought they could live with the consequences of intentionally shooting someone, or they get more careless and their reflexes are poorer, and they accidentally shoot someone (including themselves). Alcohol and any kind of dangerous activity don't mix.

But again, the government isn't STUPID. They have laws to try to curb the effects of that kind of thing, it's just hard to enforce because most of the time the first thing they hear about drunks being stupid is when the people are already in the hospital.

[The MunchKING]

It is interesting to note that unintentional shootings alone outweigh the 'defensive use' (and I'd be curious to hear how many of those are 'stand your ground' situations that are legally defensive in that state, but in reality not).

It WOULD be interesting to know, but unfortunately it's really hard to find out about, and thus keep records.

[Sharpandpointies]

It WOULD be interesting to know, but unfortunately it's really hard to find out about, and thus keep records.

It wouldn't be, actually. That kind of thing would be on the police and court records.

[The MunchKING]

It wouldn't be, actually. That kind of thing would be on the police and court records.

I was thinking you meant the law said they were permissible, but the person had actually engineered it to murder the other guy and claim it was defensible.

what else would you by "in reality not" (legally defensive)?

[Sharpandpointies]

I was thinking you meant the law said they were permissible, but the person had actually engineered it to murder the other guy and claim it was defensible.

what else would you by "in reality not" (legally defensive)?

I see the problem. I'll clarify by adding to my initial statement.

"And I'd be curious to hear how many of those are 'stand your ground' situations that are legally defensive in that state, but in reality not actually morally/ethically defensible as self-defensive because they actually had the ability to retreat, escape the situation, whatever, and still went with 'shoot that guy' as the first option."

But there, we're getting into a discussion that the moderators probably don't want in this particular venue, so if you have comments, feel free to fire them to me via PM. ^_^ I probably shouldn't have brought it up to begin with.

[The MunchKING]

But there, we're getting into a discussion that the moderators probably don't want in this particular venue, so if you have comments, feel free to fire them to me via PM. ^_^ I probably shouldn't have brought it up to begin with.

Oh, yeah. That gets into personal morality vs. legal, and I won't say more about it than, there are people in different states that think laws in other states are weird. That's not even a universal "America" thing.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Just to mention I’m an American and we only own one gun at my place. A .22 rifle. It’s only ever been used for target practice and for shooting muskrats that are destroying our lake.

That’s it.

Oh, and sort of a shotgun. But it’s so old I don’t even think it’s been used beyond target practice. Certainly never to shoot anything living.

I was always taught guns are dangerous tools. You use them under supervision until you know how to handle them, then you only use them when in specific safely set up scenarios. It always baffles me how people get hurt/killed in ‘accidents’. But, as others have mentioned, alcohol does add to the problem, sadly.

[Jcogginsa]

So, anyone here watch American Ninja Warrior?

[Miburo]

As an American, I always heard that guns were dangerous and should be used only after understanding how to use them safely.

Like even on kids' TV they were talking about how dangerous guns were and how kids should never play with any real guns.

The stories of kids finding loaded guns are tragedies, but they are more the parents' fault for keeping loaded guns stored at all, but also keeping them somewhere a kid could get to them.

I don't even OWN guns and I know you aren't supposed to store them loaded, and ARE supposed to keep them in locked container.

It really seems like SUCH a basic safety thing...

I don't show all my cards as a general principle, but this one does resonate with me.

I'll admit I've been tempted to get guns, but I also have Nephews, and even under lock and key, while I think they're smart enough not to do anything, they're magnificent bastards like their uncle, so they'd somehow get the key while I was sleep or something and guns have a really low margin for error if someone say...Loads it or something, so I've been unwilling to do so.

I'm not going to say a sword isn't dangerous, but I think it might take more than finger strength to melt your skull off, for instance.

It's an unlikely scenario with the boys in my estimation, but it's still a bit too concerning for my taste.

I do want to eventually take the eldest one (He's about 15) to a shooting range, just to know how to use one, just for the sake of knowing how.

Admittedly, I am also paranoid in the reverse way, in that I would like to have one in case I get swarmed by goons, but hey, I got melee weapons and ****, and I am a weapon. Also, I technically have high diplomacy rankings, so hey. Also, I'm paranoid, like I mentioned.

It's essentially "A lot of people in this country have guns....It might be imprudent to not have one in case I run afoul of one." in my case, but I digress.

I'll just have to John Wick it and hide them in a special place, and...stuff, if I ever decide to, err...Bite the bullet.

[Miburo]

We’re basically screwed. The pound today hit its lowest level in over two years (i.e. since the middle of the post-Brexit-referendum slump).

The economy knows. It knows.

Try to hold it together long enough for me to Marshall more resources.

I've been having trouble with Gladdy exerting her will and independence upon me, and Nik seems to take serious umbrage with outright conquest of his country.

But, word on the street is that there's about to be a serious sell on UK lane.

If you can't beat them, buy them.

Jokes aside, an unfortunate situation.

[Beadle]

Try to hold it together long enough for me to Marshall more resources.

I've been having trouble with Gladdy exerting her will and independence upon me, and Nik seems to take serious umbrage with outright conquest of his country.

But, word on the street is that there's about to be a serious sell on UK lane.

If you can't beat them, buy them.

Jokes aside, an unfortunate situation.

The pound is currently worth approximately 1.3 Cheetos.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

So, anyone here watch American Ninja Warrior?

When I can. Something awesome happen?