Is Anyone Else Surprised...
Very one sided and agenda driven, yes...... :wink:
Forum Discussion
XBL-Heretic wrote:
I continue to be pleasantly surprised by this forum and its members. This thread shows why I enjoy this forum so much. Even with such a sensitive topic like US gun control, most posts have been fairly even-handed regardless of view point. For sure there are strong opinions reflected in some comments, but overall a reasonable discussion which at least so far hasn't exploded into a heated debate.
Sorry to quote myself, but it would seem I spoke too soon. Extremist rhetoric on either side of an issue rarely contributes to a solution in a positive manner. The result is usually an even higher degree of extremist rhetoric coming from the other side, regardless on which side an individual happens to stand.
I will say there are legitimate reasons for personal firearm ownership in the US. One of my extended family members drives a truck in Alaska. He carries both a high powered hunting rifle and a high powered handgun in his cab for protection in case he breaks down while driving through some fairly desolate areas. I also have a mate whose parents own several hundred acres in the Midwest. They and all their employees carry weapons, and are expected to know how to use them, to protect themselves from wild animals. This isn't to say it justifies gun ownership in an urban area of the country - that's a different discussion. But there certainly are legitimate needs for legal personal gun ownership in certain areas of the US.
Regarding the quest line that started this discussion, taken at face value, I got a good chuckle out of some of the dialogue. It is, after all, a game. Herman is pretty passionate about the 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution. I would expect to see that passion, and it's underlying points, to be reflected in a The Simpsons game :)swmwshrk wrote:
Skyrim-mrp wrote:
swmwshrk wrote:
and what survey would that be? Could I have a link to that. Would be interesting read.cjryder625 wrote:
this quest is pretty much how people in the UK view the lunacy of the USA's right to bear arms.
And this is why you have people being hacked to death in your streets. Also explain why a recent survey showed 70% of people in the UK want the right to own handguns to defend themselves from these attacks?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10071072/Telegraph-new-law-competition-vote-now.html The survey is now at 86% wanting handguns back.
Thanks for the link :wink: but it would never pass. Not even for policemen. Just look of the uproar we had when sumone died from a taser- I agree. They are really over-doing it with the Herman story line.
I hear the Rich Texan is even worse. They even listed him under the 'Villains' category. Rosshk wrote:
I don't see him as a villian. Maybe when he was trying the cutdown the Forrest but besides that, I wouldn't say he's a bad person.
I agree. They are really over-doing it with the Herman story line.
I hear the Rich Texan is even worse. They even listed him under the 'Villains' category.HWick_Bluenose wrote:
Interesting debate. My wife and I love the US. New York is our favourite place, we got married in Vegas and honeymooned in Hawaii and San Francisco. But, in all honesty, the obsession with the right to bear arms, no matter how many fruit loops get a gun legally and kill innocent people makes us think many fine Americans are just a little crazy. :wink:
And what about the hundreds of lives saved everyday by law abiding gun owners? Studies have shown that less than 1% of guns used in crimes were obtained legally. So even in the UK where guns are outlawed, you have gun crimes. Explain that. Explain how that when Washington DC banned handgun ownership murders went up while in the rest of the country they went down. Murders in DC have been going up steadily in the last 30 years while in the rest of the US crime rates have gone down. Meanwhile gun ownership is at an all time high. So if guns are so dangerous explain why there has never been a mass shooting at an NRA event, in a gun show, at a police station, during a pro 2nd rally or other event where guns a present? All mass shootings take place where the law makes it illegal to carry a gun.Skyrim-mrp wrote:
Rosshk wrote:
I don't see him as a villian. Maybe when he was trying the cutdown the Forrest but besides that, I wouldn't say he's a bad person.
I agree. They are really over-doing it with the Herman story line.
I hear the Rich Texan is even worse. They even listed him under the 'Villains' category.
Yeah, he's not a villian on the show, but the liberal story writers for the game have chosen to put him in that category. They have Herman as an 'Oddball', instead of a 'Business Owner'.
At least they didn't screw up Dr. Hibbert.swmwshrk wrote:
HWick_Bluenose wrote:
Interesting debate. My wife and I love the US. New York is our favourite place, we got married in Vegas and honeymooned in Hawaii and San Francisco. But, in all honesty, the obsession with the right to bear arms, no matter how many fruit loops get a gun legally and kill innocent people makes us think many fine Americans are just a little crazy. :wink:
And what about the hundreds of lies saved everyday by law abiding gun owners? Studies hae shown that less than 1% of guns used in crimes were obtained legally. So even in the UK where guns are outlawed, you have gun crimes. Explain that. Explain how that when Washington DC banned handgun ownership murders went up while in the rest of the country they went down. Murders in DC have been going up steadily in the last 30 years while in the rest of the US crime rates have gone down. Meanwhile gun ownership is at an all time high. So if guns are so dangerous explain why there has never been a mass shooting at an NRA event, in a gun show, at a police station, during a pro 2nd rally or other event where guns a present? All mass shootings take place where the law makes it illegal to carry a gun.
I bet 95% ov uk gun crimes are ment to hurt sumone. I bet 5% or even lower would be accidental or for protection(by law bidding ppl)- I can't believe anyone is shocked that the Simpsons has a liberal bias. Remember the recent Burns Romney commercial? They always skewer Fox News despite being on the Fox network. It's one of the major reasons I love the Simpsons. My town is a liberal town. No sprawl mart, lots of parks, and when these quests are done Ol Herman is going into storage with the dog track.
Jeebus42 wrote:
GeekJen wrote:
Gun owners should be locked away in a mental home. They need therapy.
That might be taking it a bit far, unless you're being sarcastic in which case high five.
No. I was not sarcastic.
There is NO reason whatsoever to privately own a gun (I don't speak of military, police or security/body guard use. That's ok). There could be exception for sport shooting in a club (where the guns are kept locked away and never leave the premises)
The reason people wan to own a gun is either
a) they have fun killing (humans and animals)
b) irrationally think that they could bring down a dictator (laughable)
c) think they could be a super hero and fight against a villain.
All three reasons are signs of mental illness that need to be treated. Any sane person doesn't need or want a gun.
Having a gun or a rifle does not help at all against a dictatorship with Apache gunship helicopters and hellfire missiles, tanks, fighter jets, SEALS, Marines, Delta Corp, Army Rangers, etc.
Having a gun does NOT level the field and protects you. Instead it raises the stakes and makes pretty sure that you will be shot. In addition is statistically proven that owning a gun increases the risk that a family member will be killed multiple times over. For example by a gun accident. Happens all the times.
a many people (including your ancestors used guns to hunt for food. Many people still do today. Until my local supermarket stocks Venison, Elk, etc... my only source for this meat (which is healthier than beef) is hunting. As for hunting humans no law abiding citizen would do so. Only those intent on committing a crime. What if you were the target of some lunatic like this? How would you defend yourself? Call 911? How about the lady who was told sorry no officer is available to help you while her ex broke down her door and raped and beat her while the 911 operator listened. How about the face the national response time of 911 is 23 minutes. can you fight off a 6'4" 200lb man stoned on pcp for 23 minutes waiting for a cop to come save you? This does happen in this country and people use guns to stop the attack daily. Would you deny my 93 year old grandmother her ability to defend herself from 16 year old gangbangers who break into peoples houses and steal stuff and beat the owners?
B Really? \Can't bring down dictators? Lets look at history. 1947 in TN citizens brought down a corrupt gov't using firearms. The Afghan Freedom Fighters drove the Russians out, and there are many other examples showing an armed determined group can stop a larger better armed and trained force. So yes stopping tyrant and dictators is not only possible it is the duty of every free person.
C. Superhero's are for movies and comic books. Yet there are hundreds of crimes stopped on a daily basis in the US because an armed citizen shows the criminal a gun so the criminal runs off and not a single shot is fired. That is not being a superhero. These people don't go looking for the criminal, they just choose to not to be a victim.
When police stop a mass shooting the average number of dead is 14.7, when stopped by an armed citizen the average dead is 2.3. Seems like an armed society is a safer society.
When a rapist tries to * a woman, those who fight back even if unsuccessfully suffer less injuries and psychological trauma. When a guns is used to stop the * injuries and almost none exsistent and there is no psychological trauma.
So if defending those I love and myself is insane and owning guns makes me unbalanced then that is what I am, but guess what I'll be alive and those who try to hurt me and mine (and yes you too) will either be in jail or dead.cl891 wrote:
Skyrim-mrp wrote:
swmwshrk wrote:
and what survey would that be? Could I have a link to that. Would be interesting read.
And this is why you have people being hacked to death in your streets. Also explain why a recent survey showed 70% of people in the UK want the right to own handguns to defend themselves from these attacks?
+1. I wouldn't be surprised if 70% of the UK population want police officers to carry handguns but I would be surprised that 70% of the UK population wanted the right to own a gun themselves.
I would be very surprised if 70% of the general population in the UK would want the police to carry firearms. It might be the case in a few big cities but not generally. In fact most people don't even like the idea of them carrying tasers.
