Having visited the States more times than I care to mention and having half my family living there, they will never give up their right to arm themselves with firearms, it's never going to happen, ever! RIP.
Having also visited the states more times than I care to mention, regularly travelling there for work, having several close American friends - of all political persuasions - who don't own a firearm between them, and dating an American woman (a Texan, no less!) born of a marine gunnery sergeant who also does not and will not have a gun in his house, I think it proves that American attitudes to gun ownership are extremely varied.
We have a very blinkered view of American views on gun control, but I think it's not as clear cut as we think. I used to believe they were all gun totin' rootin' tootin' lunatics, but I've changed my views on them in the last few years.
Agree with Leroy. We have visited 32 states over the last 10 years and there is a massive range of views and opinions on gun ownership and it is completely different in somewhere like rural Texas or Alabama than some of the more conservative places in the north east or West coast. Seriously - go to the middle of Texas and I remember getting some gas and the store owner asking where I was from (I am slightly tanned). When I said I was a quarter Japanese his response was 'Where is Japanese?'. With that awareness of life in the outside world, it shows the impossible job to action change in some areas. There is too much diversity in the country to get everyone regulated.
I've been living in the US for over 20 years, and as Leroy says, opinions are really diverse. Most reasonable people believe that gun laws need to be strengthened. Nobody believes you can ever get a constitutional amendment for ban guns. The problem is that the loud and wealthy NRA are able to undermine just about any law put forward. Even sensible registration laws and background checks are seen as a violation of their rights - the first step in taking their guns away.
The only real hope for change will be if the balance of the Supreme Court changes, and a legal challenge gets them to reinterpret the constitution. But that's a long way off - although it's more likely than the politicians growing some balls.
So sad, Oregon is my favourite state, really has it all in terms of scenery & Portland is a fantastic city. We don't feel so complacent up here in Alberta - there are a lot of drugs & bad things happening - often in the smaller rural communities - there was a terrible child murder here last week in the mountains to the South. Fentanyl abuse is really almost epidemic out here - not sure if this has hit the UK yet - but it seems to have a gripe old now in the West.
The problem is that 1 million people could die in a shooting, and it would just strengthen a lot of American's belief that more people should have guns.
Society (although not the victims) gets what it deserves when it has such a dogmatic, ignorant approach to such a topic. Americans are most certainly not our nearest cousins, we have the relationship we do with them because we have a same language, and there is obviously a history of British colonisation (although where isnt there?) Culturally, we are much closer to a country like Germany. I know a lot of people above have stated they have strong links to America, but the proportion (not all!!) people who are completely moronic is startling, and their pride in their ignorance is even more worrying.
2015 was already the worst year in American history for mass murders in July... The culture that leads to so many murders in the USA needs to be addressed, because gun ownership is undoubtedly a factor, but a lot of other countries have relaxed gun ownership lines but don't have these issues.
You are 40 times more likely to be murdered with a gun in the USA than you are in Britain. And I think Obama was right when he said people have become "numb" to these shootings. I for one saw it and shrugged. Columbine was huge, now it's just unsurprising
Unfortunately, guns are just part of the American culture. In some ways as much a part of their culture as a good old cup of tea is in England. There's no way it's going to change. They may manage to put in place more controls or restrictions but a total ban is just not going to happen. It's just got too big now and it's too engrained in their culture.
What does the term 'beta' mean in the context they're using?
Is that a 4chan thread? I guess so (can't open it at work)
If so then 'beta' is an ironic term to describe a meek and mild mannered man - literally the opposite if an 'alpha male'
Calling them all wrongens is like blaming video games or heavy metal. Everything that's posted on there is supposed to be humorous. The problem is some people are deranged enough to take it seriously. Like that fucker yesterday.
on the bbc news this morning they interviewed a pastor who had attended the school after the shooting, at the end of the interview he pronounced the right to carry guns and suggested that if the students had had guns they could have defended themselves
to me that is unbelievable but to him it seemed commen sense and I guess that is the heart of the problem that Obama faces re gun legislation
What does the term 'beta' mean in the context they're using?
If that's genuine then a few people should be getting their collars felt at some stage. It's all very well saying it's all light hearted 'bants' and not meant to be serious but encouraging someone to carry out this sort of thing even if you don't think they are serious is far, far from being anything approaching amusing.
on the bbc news this morning they interviewed a pastor who had attended the school after the shooting, at the end of the interview he pronounced the right to carry guns and suggested that if the students had had guns they could have defended themselves
to me that is unbelievable but to him it seemed commen sense and I guess that is the heart of the problem that Obama faces re gun legislation
A "man of god" supporting people carrying killing machines. Sums up what is wrong that country in a nutshell. Clearly it isn't every US citizen who feels that way though. I feel sorry for the normal ones.
It's reported that there have been more US deaths from civilian shootings than from the aggregate total of all nine wars that the US have been engaged in. That says it all for me.
Compare and contrast the figures over the border in Canada.
What does the term 'beta' mean in the context they're using?
Is that a 4chan thread? I guess so (can't open it at work)
If so then 'beta' is an ironic term to describe a meek and mild mannered man - literally the opposite if an 'alpha male'
Calling them all wrongens is like blaming video games or heavy metal. Everything that's posted on there is supposed to be humorous. The problem is some people are deranged enough to take it seriously. Like that fucker yesterday.
I dunno mate, theres some really disturbing chat on there. Perhaps its gone straight over my head.
Having also visited the states more times than I care to mention, regularly travelling there for work, having several close American friends - of all political persuasions - who don't own a firearm between them, and dating an American woman (a Texan, no less!) born of a marine gunnery sergeant who also does not and will not have a gun in his house, I think it proves that American attitudes to gun ownership are extremely varied.
We have a very blinkered view of American views on gun control, but I think it's not as clear cut as we think. I used to believe they were all gun totin' rootin' tootin' lunatics, but I've changed my views on them in the last few years.
Agree with Leroy. We have visited 32 states over the last 10 years and there is a massive range of views and opinions on gun ownership and it is completely different in somewhere like rural Texas or Alabama than some of the more conservative places in the north east or West coast. Seriously - go to the middle of Texas and I remember getting some gas and the store owner asking where I was from (I am slightly tanned). When I said I was a quarter Japanese his response was 'Where is Japanese?'. With that awareness of life in the outside world, it shows the impossible job to action change in some areas. There is too much diversity in the country to get everyone regulated.
I've been living in the US for over 20 years, and as Leroy says, opinions are really diverse. Most reasonable people believe that gun laws need to be strengthened. Nobody believes you can ever get a constitutional amendment for ban guns. The problem is that the loud and wealthy NRA are able to undermine just about any law put forward. Even sensible registration laws and background checks are seen as a violation of their rights - the first step in taking their guns away.
The only real hope for change will be if the balance of the Supreme Court changes, and a legal challenge gets them to reinterpret the constitution. But that's a long way off - although it's more likely than the politicians growing some balls.
Its nice that attitudes are changing here and there by a small minority of the more forward thinking of our American friends. No chance of dropping the right to own guns for non felons, absolutely none, the law may get a few non consequential changes to appease the anti gun lobby, but the amount of guns (millions) that are in circulation and in the hands of felons means that any law banning gun ownership is negated.
What does the term 'beta' mean in the context they're using?
Is that a 4chan thread? I guess so (can't open it at work)
If so then 'beta' is an ironic term to describe a meek and mild mannered man - literally the opposite if an 'alpha male'
Calling them all wrongens is like blaming video games or heavy metal. Everything that's posted on there is supposed to be humorous. The problem is some people are deranged enough to take it seriously. Like that fucker yesterday.
I dunno mate, theres some really disturbing chat on there. Perhaps its gone straight over my head.
Yeah, 4chan is a fucking weird place. There's some far more disturbing threads there than that, believe me. Thing is, it's not meant to be taken seriously. The problem is that there will always be some head the ball who thinks it's meant to be 'literal' - in the US that means they can go kill a bunch of people because you can buy a gun in a supermarket.
It needs to have a mental health suitability test at very least. May not catch em all but surely would catch out some?
Don't get me wrong mate, I'm all for restricted ownership with more checks than you care to mention, but even with mental illness/stress checks, whose to say that one day everything is fine the next day or week, someone who owns an AK (why do you need to have a friggin AK?) goes bok.
Comments
Many, not all, of the attitudes in that State towards gun ownership, and it's control, are astonishing.
Some eye witnesses saying the gunman was asking people to state their religion.
Sad story. Thoughts with deceased and their families.
Imagine what it might be like with a President who was opposed to gun control.
RIP.
We have a very blinkered view of American views on gun control, but I think it's not as clear cut as we think. I used to believe they were all gun totin' rootin' tootin' lunatics, but I've changed my views on them in the last few years.
The only real hope for change will be if the balance of the Supreme Court changes, and a legal challenge gets them to reinterpret the constitution. But that's a long way off - although it's more likely than the politicians growing some balls.
Society (although not the victims) gets what it deserves when it has such a dogmatic, ignorant approach to such a topic. Americans are most certainly not our nearest cousins, we have the relationship we do with them because we have a same language, and there is obviously a history of British colonisation (although where isnt there?) Culturally, we are much closer to a country like Germany. I know a lot of people above have stated they have strong links to America, but the proportion (not all!!) people who are completely moronic is startling, and their pride in their ignorance is even more worrying.
2015 was already the worst year in American history for mass murders in July... The culture that leads to so many murders in the USA needs to be addressed, because gun ownership is undoubtedly a factor, but a lot of other countries have relaxed gun ownership lines but don't have these issues.
You are 40 times more likely to be murdered with a gun in the USA than you are in Britain. And I think Obama was right when he said people have become "numb" to these shootings. I for one saw it and shrugged. Columbine was huge, now it's just unsurprising
It's a screwed up situation but one they have brought upon themselves and I can't see anything changing.
What does the term 'beta' mean in the context they're using?
If so then 'beta' is an ironic term to describe a meek and mild mannered man - literally the opposite if an 'alpha male'
Calling them all wrongens is like blaming video games or heavy metal. Everything that's posted on there is supposed to be humorous. The problem is some people are deranged enough to take it seriously. Like that fucker yesterday.
to me that is unbelievable but to him it seemed commen sense and I guess that is the heart of the problem that Obama faces re gun legislation
Compare and contrast the figures over the border in Canada.
Normal people getting told to f off for telling the guy not to do it and that he's messed up to have actually done it.
No chance of dropping the right to own guns for non felons, absolutely none, the law may get a few non consequential changes to appease the anti gun lobby, but the amount of guns (millions) that are in circulation and in the hands of felons means that any law banning gun ownership is negated.