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[Electric_Andy]

restrictions on knife sales have not eliminated knife crime

I think sales/possession of military type blades and hunting knives have probably helped a bit, but anyone with ID can buy a large kitchen knife in Morrisons, or just grab one from their kitchen. It's impossible to ban blades as they have so many other uses. Guns however, far easier to ban because they have no other use apart from killing or pretending to kill (shooting ranges).

If people want to shoot at a range or hunt in the woods, it would be fairly straightforward to have facilities in approved hunting areas, you could rent the latest weapons and drool over them if that's your thing. Much like my local MTB place in Haldon Forest, Exeter. Production of ID of course. Yes a shooter could still run off with one but it would be harder to do and might at least reduce the element of impulsive shootings.

 

[AndyRM]

American culture is perfuse with violence.

It's not just the guns

That is a wild stereotype.

 

[mudsticks]

If people want to shoot at a range or hunt in the woods, it would be fairly straightforward to have facilities in approved hunting areas, you could rent the latest weapons and drool over them if that's your thing. Much like my local MTB place in Haldon Forest, Exeter. Production of ID of course. Yes a shooter could still run off with one but it would be harder to do and might at least reduce the element of impulsive shootings.

Yikes, are they giving people the option of doing moving target practice on the black trail now..??

Well I suppose that makes things more exciting.

View: https://twitter.com/thegoodliars/status/1641124990870339602?s=61&t=IaNHN0MzKohAo3Ktl0DsFQ

Help !!!! 👀

But as someone else said

"You can't reason a person out of a view that they never reasoned themselves into in the first place"

 

[newfhouse]

"You can't reason a person out of a view that they never reasoned themselves into in the first place"

That’s a reasonable point.

 

[multitool]

That is a wild stereotype.

Not really. It's normalised to the extent that we are inured to it. It has pervaded other cultures too given that we are consumers of US culture.

 

[BoldonLad]

I think sales/possession of military type blades and hunting knives have probably helped a bit, but anyone with ID can buy a large kitchen knife in Morrisons, or just grab one from their kitchen. It's impossible to ban blades as they have so many other uses. Guns however, far easier to ban because they have no other use apart from killing or pretending to kill (shooting ranges).

If people want to shoot at a range or hunt in the woods, it would be fairly straightforward to have facilities in approved hunting areas, you could rent the latest weapons and drool over them if that's your thing. Much like my local MTB place in Haldon Forest, Exeter. Production of ID of course. Yes a shooter could still run off with one but it would be harder to do and might at least reduce the element of impulsive shootings.

I’d agree with most of that.

On my trips to mainland Europe, I do observe that some pretty dangerous looking knives are on open sale, even at street markets, particularly in France. Perhaps they (mainland Europeans) don’t have a knife crime problem? Like many things, I doubt there is a “magic bullet” solution, societal problems are normally more complex than that, in my experience.

 

[AndyRM]

Not really. It's normalised to the extent that we are inured to it. It has pervaded other cultures too given that we are consumers of US culture.

It is. I've lived there, travelled around the country, and suggesting that violence is "perfuse" is stereotypical nonsense.

It's like watching a Guy Ritchie film and thinking everyone in England is some low rent gangster.

 

[multitool]

It is. I've lived there, travelled around the country, and suggesting that violence is "perfuse" is stereotypical nonsense.

It's like watching a Guy Ritchie film and thinking everyone in England is some low rent gangster.

If you look really carefully, you'll see that I'm talking about "culture". To be clear, by this I meant cinema, TV, literature, music etc.

 

[AndyRM]

If you look really carefully, you'll see that I'm talking about "culture". To be clear, by this I meant cinema, TV, literature, music etc.

You can do one with your patronising bullshit.

I know full well what you meant, and you're wrong.

 

[multitool]

You can do one with your patronising bullshit.

I know full well what you meant, and you're wrong.

Yeah...I've never seen a violent US film or TV show. You are quite right.

It's unheard of for people to try and emulate what they have seen on the screen.

I mean that shootout scene in 'Heat' looked nothing like what happened a few years later in North Hollywood.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout

 

[icowden]

Yeah...I've never seen a violent US film or TV show. You are quite right.

I heard a joke a while ago about the best way to get a naked breast past the censors onto US TV is to put a bullet through it. Then it's wholesome...

 

[monkers]

Interesting.

We in the UK have a perception that American Streets and bars are chock-full of people with concealed hand guns, that the schools and colleges are full of bullying gangs led by 'jocks'. We tend to believe that exactly because we see the presence of that in American film.

At the same time, we heard Trump saying that in England the cities have become no go areas where you take your life in your hands every time you take a walk.

What I do notice though is that America itself acknowledges there is a problem with gun culture. As Jon Stewart says, 50 000 or so gun related deaths each year is not an opinion, it is an open source fact.

There are campaigns within America to do something about gun ownership. Ex presidents have resented the power of the NRA. Women's group campaign because the number of women shot during domestic disputes is so high (they say - I don't know the number).

My observation is this, that the wording of the constitution is well-taught in America, people tend to know the amendments, often word perfect and in numerical order. Ask an English student about the UNDHR and they'll mostly know little, because it isn't taught beyond a one-hour lesson in all of school, and even then what is taught tends to be wrong.

I don't know so much about the American Constitution or culture having never visited the place. I know one fact that influences my thinking, that there is one amendment that for some at least is inalienable, the right to keep and bear arms. It's a paradox to me that the right to keep and bear arms is inalienable but the right to life is not.

 

[Poacher]

I don't know so much about the American Constitution or culture having never visited the place. I know one fact that influences my thinking, that there is one amendment that for some at least is inalienable, the right to keep and bear arms. It's a paradox to me that the right to keep and bear arms is inalienable but the right to life is not.

The most strident supporters of the second amendment always seem to neglect the bit about "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State", in favour of "mah freedumb".

 

[multitool]

Weird how some people seem to have interpreted my post as meaning that US streets are just constant shootouts, SWAT raids, sci-fi battles with aliens, Marvel baddies fighting Batman etc

 

[monkers]

The most strident supporters of the second amendment always seem to neglect the bit about "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State", in favour of "mah freedumb".

... and the only amendment to include the words, 'shall not be infringed'.

For some time now I've subscribed to a youtube channel where Jon Stewart interviews politicians and others. You might say it has become my main source of information. Here you can hear Republicans under interview saying the same as Trump - the problem is not too many guns, but not enough guns.

30% of Americans keep at least one gun. 40% of American households keep at least one gun. That we are no longer talking handguns, but assault rifles seems extraordinary.

Police are required to make decisions based on the rights of victims and the rights of gun owners who will say that officers have no right to infringe their second amendment rights.

This may be an outlier case I'm going to mention, but it does show the nature of the problem. One woman was protected by a restraining order against one man due to his violence. He had been threatening to shoot her. The police visited and found that he owned 74 guns. He had 73 in the house and one in his truck. So they confiscated the 73 in the house but left the one in the truck so as not to infringe his second amendment rights. Shortly after, he went out to the truck to fetch his gun and shot the woman dead.

Interpretation of gun ownership rights seem to deem registration of gun ownership illegal. To me it's a paradox that the legal status of the second amendment trumps the right to life.