More school shootings in america

Discussion in 'News & Current Affairs' started by LeeTheMackem, Feb 14, 2008.

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  1. Conway

    Conway helmet Staff

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    There was over 30,000 deaths in America last year that were gun related.

    Don't try and put this down to media hype/bias, its because out of the developed world there's no nation that comes close to that for gun deaths (or even gun possession).

    There are over 80 MILLION americans that have one or more registered firearms. That figure is probably higher when you take into account unregistered and illegal weapons.

    Have you actually checked to see how many kids in Brazil or SA take guns to school and then shoot up their teachers and class mates, and how many people own guns? The figure is far lower than the US.

    It makes headline news because it's horrific, no kid/teenager in their right mind should be shooting up their school!

    this makes interesting reading:

    According to the 1997 Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from -

    * a flea market or gun show for fewer than 2%
    * a retail store or pawnshop for about 12%
    * family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%

    # According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in 2005, 477,040 victims of violent crimes stated that they faced an offender with a firearm.

    # Incidents involving a firearm represented 9% of the 4.7 million violent crimes of rape and sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault in 2005.

    # The FBI's Crime in the United States estimated that 66% of the 16,137 murders in 2004 were committed with firearms.
  2. Ferox

    Ferox Shamanic Tea

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    I think what we are seeing in America is a case of copycat effect. We are seeing it now in Wales with the suicides. Media and popular culture trigger these things (lyrics in songs etc). Shootings will keep happening in America, guaranteed. Its in peoples minds now. If guns were more readily available to kids in the UK, we would see the same thing. My point was about calling all Americans retards because of these types of shootings.

    The vast majority of those gun related deaths you have just pointed out are suicides. And I think if you look at murder rates by firearms, America is way down on the list, with countries such as Columbia, South Africa, Jamaica, Russia, Thailand and so on way way above them. Agreed though, America has a higher rate of gun crime than 'developed' nations (I hate that term developed anyway, it just means industrialised). By far he most violent city in America is Washington DC, do some research on its demographics.... Columbia has the highest murder rate in the world. I don't hear many calling Colombians fucking retards, nor coverage on the news (wey, they make good coke don't they!?). There's probably some poor family getting slain right now for not growing coca.

    Of course fewer people are going to own guns in South Africa, there are only 40 million people there. The overall percentage of people owning guns will be similar if not greater IMO. Every white family in South Africa had a gun when I was there (for protection apparently, the old American argument). You can buy an AK-47 on the black market for 6000 rand in South Africa, which is 500 quid. These are old militia weapons which were used in the civil war in Mozambique in the early 90's. Perhaps these guns aren't used by Marilyn Manson loving loners who want to get revenge in the world, but they are used for all sorts of terrible shit. Go to sabcnews.co.za and search for murder - shooting of babies in car jackings, babies being shot on their mothers back whilst she was getting mugged etc.

    Anyway, I agree that there should be more gun control in America, my point was just about the media bias, anti-American comments, and disproportionate coverage and attention that these school shootings are given. There are all sorts of heinous things happening all over the world, and as a 'developed' nation, we should concentrate on those issues, instead of waiting for the next Columbine to laugh at Americans.

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