America & Guns

a reply to: UpIsNowDown

Are we as brits more patient than our American brothers, I doubt it, we are all just human, every nation has issues with mental health but most do not have access to firearms thrust upon them.

Here is a free tip, try not to paint yourself as superior to the people you are talking at if you actually want a civilized discussion.

As a yank that has spent some time in your country, and lived in Europe for a few years. I laugh at the Europeans on this board that like to think they understand or know exactly what Americas problems are, and have either never set foot in our country or only gone over for a few weeks holiday.

Guess what, I have seen all the same problems here in Europe and the UK that many of you like to complain about when discussing America or her people.

Ask questions to your hearts content and most americans will happily try to answer, say I am superior to you, change your ways to mimic mine and most of the time your going to be told to pound sand.

a reply to: GafferUK1981

You asked what it would take for me to agree to give up my guns so let me tell you. I will agree to go along with a nationwide gun ban IF every single police officer regardless if they're considered a tactical unit or not gives up their guns FIRST. If you can get our police to give up their guns then I will give up mine...However.

That will never happen.

a reply to: CulturalResilience

I'm not afraid of my government or other citizens, but I'm also a realist and have access to the news, so I do understand that bad things can and do happen.

Fear isn't the reason behind the 2nd Amendment, it's about the freedom to be prepared, just in case, for any reason that may necessitate a firearm.

I'm not afraid that I will ever be in a life-threatening situation, but I am prepared in case that happens, from many different angles, one of which is carrying a firearm.

A right to keep and bear arms is not a mandate to do so, nor is it the result of fearing everyday citizens and our government. It was, however, in response to England's controlling nature over its citizenry, and we didn't want that for our citizens when we defeated those ideals and created our own.

a reply to: Boadicea

You make a good point. I would rather die quickly by a gunshot than to suffer a slow death from knife wound.

Here's a question everyone should ask themselves...

Fourteen year old Aziz can walk down to the local market in Kabul, Afghanistan and buy a machine gun, a real one, with real ammunition. He can take that same machine gun down to his local school and shoot up the place, he can kill 17 and wound scores of others. But does Aziz do this? No, he doesn't.

Why?

It's living real-world proof positive, the problem isn't the guns...the problem is the people who use them.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Of the part you quoted, maybe I am missing something, how was I painting myself superior

I have been to America, not lived there admitally, I find the people and country amazing

So again where did I try to appear superior

Glad you laugh at us Europeans, I never stated any amusment in my response.

Have A nice day my friend

The big question here should be does the US congressmen accept campaign donations from the NRA? If they do (they do) then I feel like that is a bribe to vote a certain way and should be illegal! Our country is so corrupt to its very foundation that its unbelievable. We have way bigger problems here than just guns. Why does our government allow people on a terrorist watch list to buy guns? Why was the Florida shooter not allowed to purchase a handgun but he could buy an ar15? What kind off sense does that make?

a reply to: SlapMonkey

If you say you're not afraid of a life threatening situation you're either a liar or a Ghurka.

a reply to: CulturalResilience

I'm not afraid that I will ever be in a life-threatening situation,

Reading the entire comment helps.

Open corruption within Washington [Check]

Open bribery from corporations that prevent said representatives from doing what's in our best interest [Check]

Policemen across the country playing jude, jury, and executioner [Check]


Tell me again about the 2nd amendment and why we have to have our guns?

a reply to: CulturalResilience

Ha...yes, I've heard that comment before, too, but you're misusing it.

It's about being afraid to die, not about being afraid of being in a life-threatening situation.

Way to focus on zero actual substance in my comment, though.

A brave thread.

I was going to write something similar but I have learnt that there is about as much point in writing a anti-gun thread on ATS as there is writing a a thread about how the baby Jesus lay with dogs on a evangelical christian forum.

I have spent some time in the states, I have some American friends and lets face it I spend quite a bit of time conversing with Americans on ATS. On the issue of gun control my stance has became probably quite offensive to some Americans, basically I think of the Second amendment as a constitutionally insured penis enlargement, its part of the "macho-alpha male" culture in the States. You know the type of guys that think a AR-15 turns them into Rambo and spend their weekends dressed up as Action man sitting in the woods with other men is what almost could be confused as ahomo-errotic parody of Apocalypse now.

I 100% agree that a women should have the ability to defend her person and home with a gun and that a guy on a ranch is going to need a few guns to control his animals and protect them just like a hunter needs rifle to go kill bambie's mum (because apparently that kind of thing is fun)

Yet I cannot see any reason why anyone needs to own guns like the infamous AR-15, let alone own several gun and mountains of ammunition other than to fee like the big man around town.

Quite frankly the entire thing is pathetic, whats worse is that after one of their tools of death is used by some scum bag like this guy to kill a bunch of kids they still defend their "god given right" (makes me chuckle every time) to own a gun declaring that it can only be taken from "their cold dead hands".

I do not pretend to know what the solution is but I think it would even be obvious to a retarded fish that the reason for all of these shootings might have something to do with the fact that there are so many guns in private ownership in America.

OP seriously, good luck in actually trying to have any kind of meaningful debate about this issue with any of the second amendment advocates on this site.

a reply to: GafferUK1981


You must a young, or not old enough to remember WWII issues.

I've heard stories first hand from WWII survivors, about how they gave up their guns, only to have the military later come in and squash them.

The guns are not the issue, it's a breakdown of our society, and at the rate it's going we'll all need our guns in the USA.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

OP seriously, good luck in actually trying to have any kind of meaningful debate about this issue with any of the second amendment advocates on this site.

He says, after spending multiple paragraphs spewing ad-hominems about gun owners.

Neat.

a reply to: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I take extreme exception and offense being characterized as a "retarded fish".

(And before you come all unscrewed...that was a joke)

originally posted by: OtherSideOfTheCoin

I think of the Second amendment as a constitutionally insured penis enlargement, its part of the "macho-alpha male" culture in the States. You know the type of guys that think a AR-15 turns them into Rambo and spend their weekends dressed up as Action man sitting in the woods with other men is what almost could be confused as ahomo-errotic parody of Apocalypse now.

I do not pretend to know what the solution is but I think it would even be obvious to a retarded fish that the reason for all of these shootings might have something to do with the fact that there are so many guns in private ownership in America.

OP seriously, good luck in actually trying to have any kind of meaningful debate about this issue with any of the second amendment advocates on this site.

So you don't know what the solution is, however you find it constructive to attack people in the USA for their constitutional rights by belligerence, sexual innuendos, and attacking their private parts?

Well done!

Look at what is happening in wimpy Europe. Whether you agree or not, these are just examples. In the Netherlands it is mandatory that people become organ donors. Look at the sick things happening in Sweden and Germany with rapists getting off in the name of multiculturalism. Europeans have no leg to stand on and no rights. The guns would just be the beginning. The onion would slowly be peeled back and many rights taken away till there is nothing left. America's culture is the problem but there is no fixing that. It's too profitable.

originally posted by: SlapMonkey
a reply to: CulturalResilience

Ha...yes, I've heard that comment before, too, but you're misusing it.

It's about being afraid to die, not about being afraid of being in a life-threatening situation.

Way to focus on zero actual substance in my comment, though.

I took in the rest of your comment and what it meant. It didn't convince me. It told me that you, like many Americans say England when what you actually mean is Great Britain.

There's no point in discussing this topic.

At this point, I would rather leave America to somewhere else where mass shootings aren't a two-day occurance (forty five days, twenty eight mass shootings).

Vehicles are just as dangerous? When was the last time a student used a car to kill their classmates on the scale of mass shootings? When was the last time an American school was subject of a spoon, knife, machete, or grenade attack?

People on both sides of the issue have no interest in honesty - they're more interested in pushing a narrative.

Constituional rights like protesting shouldn't be allowed because it's disrespectful... but guns? Can't even debate them with Americans - again - on both sides.

I'm genuinely curious to see how many shootings Americans will endure in 2018 alone.

I want off of this crazy train, I want out of this sick and cold society.

originally posted by: RomeByFire
There's no point in discussing this topic.

But yet you continue to discuss the topic.

We can all vote with our feet, just move to an area that you feel safe in.