The elephant in the room: CRIME

[Bham1982]

The debate is about whether banning guns is the right solution. I don't think it is.

I have never heard anyone seriously argue for the banning of guns in the U.S. Guns aren't even banned in Europe.

The debate is over whether or not guns should be regulated. Apparently the NRA and gun nuts have won this debate, and the answer is a clear no. Guns for everyone, everywhere!

[Gpwrangler]

I have never heard anyone seriously argue for the banning of guns in the U.S. Guns aren't even banned in Europe.

The debate is over whether or not guns should be regulated. Apparently the NRA and gun nuts have won this debate, and the answer is a clear no. Guns for everyone, everywhere!

^^^^^ lol wtf

[canuck]

^^^^^ lol wtf

Why laff? Guns are meant to protect, and hunt. Hunt and protect. The more guns there are, the more protection there will be. WTF is so hard to understand?

The murder rate has nothing to do with gun availability, it has everything to do with the willingness to use them to a good end, that's all there is to it. We have to be ready, like Clint Eastwood and his sniper friends.

[mwilbert]

You are correct. About 10k murders, and 20k suicides -- in rough numbers.

You're also right that its unacceptable.

The debate is about whether banning guns is the right solution. I don't think it is.

I also agree with you on the epidemiology. It is like a virus. Its is a public health issue. We don't ban sex because of aids [[like banning guns for violence) -- we work on other solutions like licensing, training, incarceration, peer pressure.

Rather than the sex analogy, you might consider the cigarette analogy. We can ban the cigarettes, but the real results have been because of public peer pressure.

If you prefer banning, go ban books please.

In what world is "getting the number of guns down to a sensible level" tantamount to banning? As Bham said, this isn't really something anyone, including me is proposing. And, as you presumably saw, I wasn't proposing anything anyway, because I think the benefits would not be in proportion to the effort involved.

[TheUsualSuspect]

In the lighthearted spirit of Art Buchwald...who said a number of years ago:

Guns don't kill people.
People don't kill people.

Bullets kill people. [[End of Buckwald's observation)

I always thought there was some profound simplicity in Art's wisdom. Just could never figure out how to make anything useful of the observation, except of course, to consider the banning of the bullets.

[Cliffy]

10 people were shot in one location tonight. I don't know what possesses someone to just start shooting everyone.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, that looks like a shoot out from what was a block party - about 400 people. No one is talking/ snitching.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/s...party/33693190

[Lombaowski]

Wow a shooting at Dexter and Tuxedo. Was it Young Boys Inc?

[Zacha341]

Yep, that's a pretty bad area as neighborhoods go. Has been for some time.

[Cliffy]

A woman was shot by a stray bullet in Greektown last night. Pretty crazy when people are shooting each other on Monroe and Beaubien. No matter what kind of trains or lofts they build, Detroit has a long way to go with crime.

[Hermod]

Yeah, that looks like a shoot out from what was a block party - about 400 people. No one is talking/ snitching.

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/s...party/33693190

I guess that black life don't matter as much as when the police shoot them.

[Wesley Mouch]

I guess that black life don't matter as much as when the police shoot them.

Gunned down by out-of-control white cops once a month. Gunned down in senseless urban violence every hour. Which is the problem? Which is political theatre?

[night-timer]

If my statistics are correct, there are 89 guns per 100 head of population in the US.



Politically neutral Switzerland [[which is superb at avoiding skirmishes, yet needs loads of guns?) also has a high gun ownership rate. Presumably they have no allies to protect them, and last time I was in Switzerland it seemed the other developed European nations were getting sick of Swiss separatism.

In Detroit, even fake guns [[replicas) are a problem because would-be young robbers from the hood can't afford a real piece. It's up to you if you want to test that it's a real gun before you hand over any valuables.

The neighborhoods you live and walk in, and who you associate with, play a big role in your safety. I think a lot of un-targeted randoms got shot at that recent block party incident on the basketball court.



Here's where I sourced my stats from, but I think unregistered guns and replica guns would be more common in the US than other countries:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number...ita_by_country

For a broad overview of crimes as they occur in Detroit, I occasionally visit this Facebook page, but it has no official law enforcement credentials or statistics-gathering bonafides:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/185357271554814/

Also, where are some stats on the amount of fatal versus non-fatal shootings in the US? It seems we've established that one-third of shootings in the US are homicides, the other two-thirds are suicides plus a few accidents. Does that include all types of shootings or only fatal shootings?

[Jimaz]

... Politically neutral Switzerland [[which is superb at avoiding skirmishes, yet needs loads of guns?) also has a high gun ownership rate. Presumably they have no allies to protect them, and last time I was in Switzerland it seemed the other developed European nations were getting sick of Swiss separatism....

I believe the Swiss are required to keep guns as part of their military service obligation. I could be wrong though.

[Hermod]

I believe the Swiss are required to keep guns as part of their military service obligation. I could be wrong though.

Full automatic with basic load of ammo [[in sealed can). When the practice alert sounds, you show up at your muster point in full field order with weapon and ammo [[and the can seal better be intact).

[Gpwrangler]

The problem is people. Period.

[Zacha341]

Yes, I've made note of that as it has occurred. But not to say police misconduct is not a problem, it is.

I guess that black life don't matter as much as when the police shoot them.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

The problem is people. Period.

+1 And the mentality of the user, in most cases.

[Hermod]

Yes, I've made note of that as it has occurred. But not to say police misconduct is not a problem, it is.

Zacha, the police do need policing. Too many of their actions are "ego driven" and they don't like to be "disrespected". In a perfect wo0rld, the police would operate with cool professionalism when dealing with the public. Funny, the police have been the politest with me when I have committed a traffic misdemeanor and the nastiest when I was a witness to an accident or a crime.

[Cliffy]

Only in Detroit can the chief call the shooting of 11 people urban terrorism and people come out against the chief finding that term offensive but these same people aren't out there telling the community to report who did the shooting. Its like for some the shootings are ok. They benefit from keeping the people in Detroit uneducated and unemployed.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, it's all about being offended by the superficialities, yet here we go. Senseless crime, running rampant in neighborhoods where people know names but are fearful to speak out. Which is a form of terrorism. Figure it out folks! Stop defending the indefensible while putting in orders for more coffins.

[Gpwrangler]

Yeah, it's all about being offended by the superficialities, yet her we go. Senseless crime, running rampant in neighborhoods were people know names but are fearful to speak out. Which is a form of terrorism. Figure it out folks! Stop defending the indefensible while putting in orders for more coffins.

Definitely putting a damper on Detroit's comeback. I think some people were hoping for this, well you got your wish.

[Honky Tonk]

Definitely putting a damper on Detroit's comeback. I think some people were hoping for this, well you got your wish.

I don't think anyone is "hoping for this", but it gets put on the back-burner and swept under the rug, and not addressed. There is more emphasis on peddling bull, than addressing the problem. Trust me, the stories that make the headlines are only the tip of the iceberg.

[Dan Wesson]

It's summertime! Too bad it ain't like this without the party poopers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr0tTbTbmVA

[Zacha341]

What a cool song... almost eh, 'corny' considering many forms of rap now. No wonder he ditched the music career.