The US and guns
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26 August 2015, 07:18 PM
#13
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26 August 2015, 07:22 PM
#14
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In the early 80s Reagan made drastic cuts in mental health funding. Cuts + over use of presciption drugs + guns everywhere = this.
26 August 2015, 09:59 PM
#15
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The U.S. is based on the premise that everyone can be successful & rich.
It's your own fault if you don't achieve & obtain everything you want.
This leads to people feeling abandoned & detached from that society.
Add plenty of guns into that mixture & ...............................
It's your own fault if you don't achieve & obtain everything you want.
This leads to people feeling abandoned & detached from that society.
Add plenty of guns into that mixture & ...............................
26 August 2015, 10:58 PM
#16
There are hundreds of millions of firearms of every description in public ownership in the US, and many millions of firearms owners. Considering these facts it's perhaps surprising there are not far more atrocities in the US than there are.
Even if registration in the US was agreed (unlikely) it would be next to impossible to keep track of who owned what and then to maintain an accurate record, especially when you include the trading of firearms.
Unfortunately, however draconian the firearms laws in any country they only affect the law abiding majority. By definition criminals ignore the law and will always get their hands on firearms if they want them, even in countries where firearms ownership is strictly controlled (the UK) or completely illegal.
Even if registration in the US was agreed (unlikely) it would be next to impossible to keep track of who owned what and then to maintain an accurate record, especially when you include the trading of firearms.
Unfortunately, however draconian the firearms laws in any country they only affect the law abiding majority. By definition criminals ignore the law and will always get their hands on firearms if they want them, even in countries where firearms ownership is strictly controlled (the UK) or completely illegal.
27 August 2015, 12:42 AM
#17
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There are hundreds of millions of firearms of every description in public ownership in the US, and many millions of firearms owners. Considering these facts it's perhaps surprising there are not far more atrocities in the US than there are.
Even if registration in the US was agreed (unlikely) it would be next to impossible to keep track of who owned what and then to maintain an accurate record, especially when you include the trading of firearms.
Unfortunately, however draconian the firearms laws in any country they only affect the law abiding majority. By definition criminals ignore the law and will always get their hands on firearms if they want them, even in countries where firearms ownership is strictly controlled (the UK) or completely illegal.
Even if registration in the US was agreed (unlikely) it would be next to impossible to keep track of who owned what and then to maintain an accurate record, especially when you include the trading of firearms.
Unfortunately, however draconian the firearms laws in any country they only affect the law abiding majority. By definition criminals ignore the law and will always get their hands on firearms if they want them, even in countries where firearms ownership is strictly controlled (the UK) or completely illegal.
27 August 2015, 10:23 PM
#19
I think most of you would be surprised at just how many guns are here in the UK, licensed and readily available if you're in the know. Let alone America! ...and I'm not talking shotguns either.
Last edited by LSherratt; 27 August 2015 at 10:26 PM.
28 August 2015, 10:39 AM
#20
Licensed guns and rifles in the UK are not the problem, they are owned by law abiding citizens and there are very few offences committed with them. Even these statistics are distorted since suicides with legally owned firearms are recorded as firearms incidents.
Panicked legislation following several UK firearms atrocities (Hungerford etc) have left loopholes and weak law. For instance it was declared, without consultation, that semi automatic and pump-action shotguns would no longer be legal with 5 cartridge magazines and that they must be reduced to 2 cartridge magazines. The intention was to make these guns two shot only, but completely overlooked that with a round chambered and two in the mag this created three-shot guns; never intended!
Far worse was that at the time this legislation was introduced UK registration of shotguns didn't exist. Because the costs of reducing the magazines from five to two had to be born by the owner, many of these shotguns were hidden away, sold down the pub, given away etc, illegal and untraceable. Commonsense would have had all guns registered first and then the required mods to the magazines made afterwards, when it would have been impossible to dispose of them illegally.
Imagine the fun and games trying to introduce any sort of meaningful legislation in the USA! It's not going to happen.
28 August 2015, 10:57 AM
#23
Panicked legislation following several UK firearms atrocities (Hungerford etc) have left loopholes and weak law. For instance it was declared, without consultation, that semi automatic and pump-action shotguns would no longer be legal with 5 cartridge magazines and that they must be reduced to 2 cartridge magazines. The intention was to make these guns two shot only, but completely overlooked that with a round chambered and two in the mag this created three-shot guns; never intended!
Last edited by LSherratt; 28 August 2015 at 11:01 AM.
28 August 2015, 11:02 AM
#24
It's a very grey area and even some forces don't know all the ins and outs. Shotguns with the capacity to shoot more than 3 cartridges are legal and you can get them on a section 1 Firearms licence. I know as I own one. Unlike pistols that are section 5, this means that they're outright banned in the UK, HOWEVER, you can still legally own a section 5 pistol and get it put on a section 1 Firearms under the condition of humane dispatch. I have a variation for this too. All I'm saying is that there's a lot firearms dealers dealing with these supposedly banned guns in the UK than most people think. Hell, I've got a chap coming to me tomorrow to buy my .410 shot pistol. He sent me a copy of his FAC and he's got all sorts of firearms on there that would make most people wonder why.
All true but essentially these firearms are registered, as are their owners so the ability to use them illegally or dispose of them illegally is severely limited. This does not apply to all those very many five-shot semis and pumps that disappeared underground pre registration.
06 September 2015, 07:56 PM
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All true but essentially these firearms are registered, as are their owners so the ability to use them illegally or dispose of them illegally is severely limited. This does not apply to all those very many five-shot semis and pumps that disappeared underground pre registration.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...-inquest-hears
.........come to light, they sound so horrific to us lot in the UK
, whereas the U.S. is inundated with gun crime incidences. I haven't looked into the figures, but alcohol fuelled glassing must be more common here in the UK than the gun crime. Cracking pint glasses and Budweiser's bottles on people head, or even stabbing them with broken ones, I mean.
08 September 2015, 12:10 PM
#28
09 September 2015, 01:38 AM
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As for the video, it is interesting. I'd like to know how many people still purchased a gun, even after knowing it's history, just so we can compare numbers of who did and did not. Plus the fact is, that the people you *really* want to try and shock are exactly those people who'll buy a gun regardless.