184 replies to this topic

[mmmbeans]

I'm not taking issue with what he said, simply when he said it.

IF he just had to say something last night, then the gravity of the situation would have dictated that it be the first thing he said during the broadcast. By waiting until halftime he sent the message that it wasn't as important as any of the other minutia that he spoke on in the pregame.

Beyond that its bad form in my opinion to mix politics and sporting events. Bob has got a number of venues where this would have been a wholly appropriate topic and one that I would have been grateful to read/hear his opinion on the matter. This just isn't it.

i sat through 20 minutes of jingoism and flag waving at the jets/cardinals game...

does that apply as well?

[SZ James]

It takes a lot less conviction to pull a trigger and shoot someone in the head than taking a bat or a knife and getting dirty.

.

[TheOldBreed]

I am all for stricter gun control laws (including a renewal of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban which expired in 2004), but I'm not really sure that is the root of the problem. Take a look at the gun violence statistics in Norway (a country where the percentage of people who own guns is comparable to the percentage of gun owners here)....their gun violence/crimes are much, much lower percentage wise than ours. With the exception of that White Supremacist asshole from a while back, violent gun crime is virtually unheard of over there. The same is true for Switzerland....they rank 4 on the list (US is 1st), but violent crime over there is very rare.

[Dxterity]

It takes a lot less conviction to pull a trigger and shoot someone in the head than taking a bat or a knife and getting dirty.

Please Zod tell us about your days of getting in rumbles with Ponyboy, Sodapop and the rest of the outsiders.

[g5jamz]

I am all for stricter gun control laws (including a renewal of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban which expired in 2004), but I'm not really sure that is the root of the problem. Take a look at the gun violence statistics in Norway (a country where the percentage of people who own guns is comparable to the percentage of gun owners here)....their gun violence/crimes are much, much lower percentage wise than ours. With the exception of that White Supremacist asshole from a while back, violent gun crime is virtually unheard of over there. The same is true for Switzerland....they rank 4 on the list (US is 1st), but violent crime over there is very rare.

It's cultural.

I always bring this up...when PJ O'Rourke visited Sweden to learn about their economy for one of his books, his guide boasted to him that the unemployment rate in Sweden was staggeringly low. PJ, being the quick wit he is, responded that "among Swedes" the unemployment rate in the US is staggeringly low as well.

[mmmbeans]

if guns don't make it easier to kill then we might as well ban them because they're f*cking useless.

[Inimicus]

i sat through 20 minutes of jingoism and flag waving at the jets/cardinals game...

does that apply as well?

2 things...


Patriotism is not even remotely the same as politics.


I thought you were a better troll than that.

[Zod]

Please Zod tell us about your days of getting in rumbles with Ponyboy, Sodapop and the rest of the outsiders.

If wars today were fought like the civil war there would be far far fewer of them.

[CatofWar]

might as well ban football

[mmmbeans]

2 things...


Patriotism is not even remotely the same as politics.


I thought you were a better troll than that.

your personal feelings of patriotism and personal feelings about your country? sure, I'll buy that.


large scale exhibitions of flag waving, cheering and military might? Are you f*cking kidding me? If that's not politics, politics doesn't exist.

[MCCNASTY]

Nope.

Look at the countries we share space with

http://www.nationmas...per-100-000-pop

If we compared England to the United States they are almost equal to us (per capita) when it comes to violent crimes when guns are excluded.

When you factor in gun violence our numbers skyrocket.

So yes violent crimes will always happen. The greatest country in the world shouldnt have a gun murder rate only slightly worse than Zimbabwe and Mexico

I get the stats. But there is so much more influence on a culture's violent behavior than just one thing. Too many questions about society as a whole and peoples behavior. Comparing countries isnt a fool proof way to compare anything. Its too broad and too may variables. Gun violence is horrible but after an initial possible decrease in violence, if all of a sudden there were no more guns for the violent prone to use, wouldnt it still again increase back up to a level that reflects the current culture and values of the violent prone. They would merely find another tool to commit what they are already prone to do. I look at cities like chicago that have strict gun laws and how it hasnt done anything to curb violence. People are just gonna find a way. I really dont know the answer and got real long winded. My bad.

[MCCNASTY]

Dunno how this is quantifiable. We don't hear about the people who didn't kill someone because it wasn't as easy as shooting. It takes a certain sicko to use a knife or other hand weapon, whereas a gun is easy: point and pull.

It takes a certain sicko to murder regardless of the means.

[Rubi]

Of all the people in the world to comment on negative posts.

And I'm not attempting to be funny.

Do you see me consistently attacking OPs...

Lol

I see you doing it

Mr Negative...

[Delhommey]

You could never take away all guns in the US. It's too ingrained into the culture.

You could, however, make more sensible laws that would decrease the violent use of guns. Unfortunately we have a very vocal, well funded, fundamentalist minority that will not let that happen, no matter what goes down.

On one side you've got data and logic. On the other you have Ted Nugent.

[megadeth078]

What does gun control have to do with gun violence?