Why the US is violent place to live in?

[Pekka]

I would be protesting in the streets for pro guns for us too, but I know people in here are stupid, and if they had guns, all the hell would brake loose.

[Giancarlo]

Originally posted by Pekka
Fez, I agree with you. Gun control doesn't have to be total control.. you can get a gun in here if you want to, it's just not that easy.

In some parts of the US it isn't easy at all to get one.

And of course there's nothing wrong with defending your house against armed attacker..
If everyone kept their guns in their homes, in a safe place where kids can't reach or take them, there shouldn't be any problems. And the owner of a gun is responsible, and doesn't open the door with gun in his hand and knees shaking.

Background checks must be more rigorious and standards must be raised, however I disagree with any further control on guns.

[FemmeAdonis]

Why the US is violent place to live in?

because there are too many stupid people here and they should be eradicated.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Pekka
So what is it about your culture, that makes the US many times more violent than other countries (not including 3rd would etc countries)? You gave no reasons?
The only thing I see different with the US and other countries, is that other countries have more strict gun control... what makes US more violent place to live than others?

I wonder what the comparable statistics were for, say, 1890? 1920? 1950?

Look, the fact is that WW1 and WW2 beat the living **** out of you and after 1945 European civilization was weary: Tired of all the fighting, tired of guns and bullets, and most importantly, tired of all the responsibility and effort it took to maintain a global civilization which you had done for the past 500 years. So you got rid of it: the empires, the weapons, the pursuit of individual responsibility and economic competition, especially on a global scale. You retreated to lick your wounds, pacified (one minor step of which, is when you got rid of your guns), and re-evaluated the past.

One thing that stands out in latter European history is that y'all just EXPLODE into huge ideological or military conflicts every 100 or so years - 1517, 1618, 1701, 1789 (got started early with that one), 1914. From reading your (all Euro's, not just you Pekka) posts, it seems that a major effort has been expended to inculcate an ideology of international pacifism into you kids, and it's working pretty damned well. Y'all have no stomach for any decisive action that leads to bloodshed and tend to believe that most every conflict can be resolved by the mere passing of time and endless discussions - and what good are guns to the debate team?

[Pekka]

I think you can get a gun in about every country with rigorous backround check and after thousands of papers written. Owning a gun does not make one bad or scared automatically.

... so what makes US so violent place with so high murder rate?

Maybe it has passed the point, where reducing guns might be impossible, because everybody already has them?
If Americans didn't have that right from the start, would things be better? There would be less guns..

Not one reason has been aired yet.. are killing in the genes of Americans? Seems pretty unbelievable.

What about bullet control? In the documentary, a guy went to an ordinary supermarket and bought ALL the ammunition there. No questions asked. Maybe this is not the standard in selling ammunition in the US, at least I hope so. Mr. Moore went to a bank, opened an account and got a rifle as a gift! Sounds like wild west to me .

Maybe you should do like Chris Rock said and charge $5000 per bullet. That way there'll be no innocent by stander victims. And if you want to kill someone, you need to get a second job .

[SlowwHand]

Re: Why the US is violent place to live in?

Originally posted by Pekka
Yeah yeah, I just saw 'Bowling for Columbine', a documentary by Michael Moore.. it was great in my opinion. Makes you think few things, even if you don't agree with its message.. anyone who haven't seen it, I recommend with my open heart. It was about gun control and school shootings etc.

So my question is: Why the US is such a violent place, with high murder rate etc? This seems very hard to understand for foreigner like me, so maybe you can chip in and throw some ideas around. I think it's valuable, because you have to understand the reasons to make it better.

The documentary had few good arguments, it's very entertaining and educational.

Please, try to avoid answers and arguments like 'you don't live in the US, so you have no clue'. You're right. I have no clue, why is it so violent towards others? This is what I want to know.

People in this documentary (Heston for example, main man in NRA) said the US has violent history.. that is very true, but so has Germany, Russia, Japan, Great Britain.. you name it. Also poverty was named one of the reasons. There are poverty in other western nations too, and the US is supposed to have the best economy. Still doesn't add. The violent movies, entertainment, rock music, everything was said there.. but other countries have it too, even more so. Japan is the main producer and consumer of highly violent games. Movies are watched everywhere in the world. So is rock music, and Germany really loves it, still neither of these countries have the same problem. Why is the US so much more violent?

There are tons of decent and responsible gun owners, yet so much violence and murders? Why?

My own theory is, that people are scared. They are scared that someone could rob you, even kill you. And you have to have a gun to defend yourself. That's fair.. but this chance is possible in other countries too, yet no problem. Maybe.. just maybe people are scared, because everyone has guns, so they have to get too, to not lose the situation because the opponent might have a gun too. So really what people are afraid of, are the guns. And that's why they get them. Scared people with guns.. is a bad bad bad thing, wouldn't you agree?
How can you reduce killings, if everyone has guns?!

Criminals have guns yes.. but that's why the police is there, right? Some woman said in the documentary, that you have to protect the home, because police can't do that. So when robberer breaks into your home, who do you call? The cops.. Why? Because they have guns. She said it's better to cut the middleman and get a gun to yourself. Isn't that almost the same as taking the justice to your own hands? Why even need police, if citizens already have guns, they can protect themselves, right?
If I have a problem with my toilet, I don't call the plummer, because he has the tools for it. I call him to fix the problem.

So you get a gun to protect yourself. From what? Do you know the threat? Or is it just some random dude, who might attack? That's scary. I'd hate to walk in the streets, and suspecting everyone who looks suspicious as a possible attacker, maybe even killer, and be ready to counter and have a gun fight. Or should I just make a special group for people to look out.. suspicious looking people.. perhaps black man? All I see in the news when I'm in states is black man killed, black man robber, black men had a gun fight, gangs fought and by standers where killed.. right? So scared if a black man is looking me, I mean they all have guns right and kill each other and decent white people.. right? So I get a gun because of fear of the black man, because the news says so. Or others, who I might be scared of for reasons unknown.

My post is not about bashing Americans, NRA or whatever. Just chip in and give your thoughts about this, and maybe throw some arguments too. I haven't personally decided my mind on this issue, so I'm not anti-anything.

And I end this post with a quote from the documentary 'If guns were to make place safer, then the US must be the safest country in the world'.

I'm just trying to understand. Why all the violence?

We try harder.

[FemmeAdonis]

Maybe you should do like Chris Rock said and charge $5000 per bullet. That way there'll be no innocent by stander victims. And if you want to kill someone, you need to get a second job

Word. I saw that

[Docfeelgood]

Hell, we gotta be #1 at something

[Pekka]

JohnT, So... you suggest Americans just have killing spirit in them? Isn't that bad? Isn't being tired of fighting good?

Guns bring killings to debating table. It makes debating.. hmm.. less discussing, more fighting? That doesn't mean one shouldn't defend if it's needed.

Then what about Russia.. they were winners too, and fight in wars.. but they don't have guns like you guys?
And they sure have poor people too..

[FemmeAdonis]

the leaders in teen pregnancy and violence! GOOO USA

U S A.. U S A...U S A!!!

WOOP WOOP WOOP!!

[MikeH]

From reading your (all Euro's, not just you Pekka) posts, it seems that a major effort has been expended to inculcate an ideology of international pacifism into you kids, and it's working pretty damned well. Y'all have no stomach for any decisive action that leads to bloodshed and tend to believe that most every conflict can be resolved by the mere passing of time and endless discussions - and what good are guns to the debate team?

You Americans seem to be brought up thinking that war is the first and only possible response. We just don't have your irrational bloodlust or disregard for the 'collatoral damage' any more since in the last couple of wars the collatoral damage was our families.

[Gangerolf]

Americans are afraid of the "crazy people". That's why they all have guns and you never see kids outdoors there.

[Pekka]

JohnT, And don't take it on me, I'm pro-killing and all that . If I had a chance, I'd buy myself my own patriot missile system to my backyard and mines all the way to my post box. I'm just talking from the other side, so the debate won't die.. and I still can't understand the violence in you guys! I don't mean international stuff, wars and so, but you kill each other more than small wars.

[Pekka]

Well we are still number one in young male suicides!!

[FemmeAdonis]

You Americans seem to be brought up thinking that war is the first and only possible response. We just don't have your irrational bloodlust or disregard for the 'collatoral damage' any more since in the last couple of wars the collatoral damage was our families.

so thats why Bush IMMEDIATELY bombed the taliban when they blew up our WTC...because it was our FIRST response right?

Americans are afraid of the "crazy people". That's why they all have guns and you never see kids outdoors there.

arent YOU afraid of "crazy people"

I think thats human instinct

I don't have a gun. I played outside as a child and I see MANY children outdoors running around, with little fear of anything other than maybe the neighborhood chihuahuha that may have gotten loose

Ignorance is bliss...so keep smiling.