Too many guns

[KeithE]

[Rvaughn]

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

Gun control lobby gets shellacked even after these horrific events. Does any sane person think it possible to get 38 states to ratify?

[Tim Bonney]

We have a problem. We have more guns per capita than any other civilized country. We have more mass shootings than any other civilized country. We have had 18 school shootings this year and 29 mass shootings of all kinds since January 1. There is a mass shooting in the US now at a rate of one about every 60 hours.

We have a problem with guns and violence and instead of addressing any of it we are just going to sit around and argue while children die. Yep, that is what we are going to keep doing. We are going to watch children die month after month and not do a da*n thing.

I think we need to stop the partisan bickering, stop our fetishizing the possession of guns and actually do something.

Every time a congress persons says the phrase "thoughts and prayers" I now get nauseated. "Thoughts and prayers" has become an excuse for doing nothing. It time for prayers and actions.

The next time someone calls this country a "Christian nation" I may vomit.

[Haruo]

They can take all the guns away as far as I'm concerned as long as they don't infringe upon my sacred Second Amendment right to keep and bear Personal Tactical Nuclear Weapons.

[Jon Estes]

If Pew is correct, the majority of citizens either have a gun or can see themselves owning a gun.

Do we take away vehicles when the number of “drive into a crowd and kill people” rises?

Why the silence when non-mass shooting are happening at a much quicker rate? Over 17,000 (not all by gun) murdered in 2016.

I think making this tragedy political and not seeking a practical solution will be the failure of the argument... again.

[Haruo]

A large percentage of Americans own guns, but very few own semi- or fully-automatic guns. Most of these mass shootings seem to involve them, though.

[Jon Estes]

[Rvaughn]

[Sandy]

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/ar ... hs/448044/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... o/1969227/

Dispelling the conservative myth, stricter laws lead to less shooting.

[Jon Estes]

[KeithE]

[Rvaughn]

[KeithE]

[ET]

If there are too many guns, then how is the graphic below explained given these facts:

1) Per FBI data, the homicide rate now is approximately what it was in the early 1960s (graph in next post)
2) The number of semi-automatic rifles has grown significantly over the last 20 years even as the violent crime rate has dropped
3) Deaths by rifles constitute fewer than 300 homicides a year per FBI data in a nation of 310,000,000+

While I do not believe as a general rule that more guns equals less crime, I do not find any evidence that more guns leads to more crime. That has certainly not been the case in the U.S. as the graphic shows.

[ET]

Historical graph of homicide rate in the U.S.:

historical homicide rate

On a side note, the graph is also problematic for those that argue that increases in violent crime are a result of "taking prayer out of school", but that's another discussion and just shows that the rhetoric over many policy issues is simplified and largely useless.

[KeithE]

[ET]

[KeithE]

[ET]

Well, rock on my friend. I may go shop for an AR. The graph shows exactly what it needs to show. That an increase in the number of firearms doesn't lead to an increase in violent crime. Other factors are in play that are independent of the number of firearms.

I might put it in the corner and watch it and document how many folks it assaults.

It's quite telling that you didn't answer what your plan would be when the guy shows up with a revolver and shotgun. Only logical to assume you'll come for those too. No reason to believe otherwise. It's common-sense.

[KeithE]

[ET]

[Stephen Fox]

founding member of the US House Second Amendment Caucus I hope some of the Parkland Students can join him in SS this summer or fall. And Will Ainsworth of Grace Prez in Marshall Co Alabama runnin for LT governor in Bama.