Guns don't kill people. Americans with guns kill people.

[Zkribbler]

Until recently, I assumed that the U.S. high rate of homicide was due to the availability of guns. People have guns stashed in drawers, get liquored up, get into an argument, and BLAM, another homicide.

But with the shooting at the Finnish school, I learned that guns are also widely available in Finland. And a European told me that every Swiss adult male is a member of their military (albeit most of them in the reserves), and they keep their military weapons at home.

These means that other nations have an equivalent number of guns in their homes as we in the U.S. have. Yet their murder rates are a miniscule fraction of ours.

If we all have access to guns, if we all get liquored up, if we all get into arguments, why is it then that USAians commit homicides at such a greater rate??

[DaShi]

And holes. Don't forget holes.

[SlowwHand]

And don't forget that shootings in Finland means Texas is ****ed up.

[Proteus_MST]

Maybe in those countries the prerequisites to get guns are still higher than in america.
As you cite switzerland:
Yes, former soldiers keep their assault guns at home, but the prerequisite is still, that you have served (and thereby were taught how to handle the gun and especially how to securely lock it away [which is AFAIK another prerequisites, i.e. that the gun is being kept locked away if it isn´t used]).

You also have to pass a medical examination prior to military service to confirm that you´re capable to serve your time in the army.

In contrast to this it seems (to me as an european) like in america every idiot is able to go into a shop and buy a gun (and might keep it where he/she wants, even if it is in reach of small children)

[dannubis]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
And don't forget that shootings in Finland means Texas is ****ed up.

Texas was already ****ed before the shooting in Finland

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
And don't forget that shootings in Finland means Texas is ****ed up.

[Tattila the Hun]

Originally posted by DaShi
And holes. Don't forget holes.

Bullet holes? Or has this something to do with cake?

[Lorizael]

I'd like to point out, btw, that Finland actually has a pretty high murder rate when compared to other EU countries.

[Kidlicious]

Re: Guns don't kill people. Americans with guns kill people.

Originally posted by Zkribbler
If we all have access to guns, if we all get liquored up, if we all get into arguments, why is it then that USAians commit homicides at such a greater rate??

Gang warfare.

[Spec]

Originally posted by Lorizael
I'd like to point out, btw, that Finland actually has a pretty high murder rate when compared to other EU countries.

Of course, Pekka lives there.

Spec.

[Traianvs]

If we all have access to guns, if we all get liquored up, if we all get into arguments, why is it then that USAians commit homicides at such a greater rate??

You have more gang wars, guns are much more available like Proteus said, you're an agressive bunch of people, and you have more chicken**** losers who can only feel safe with a loaded smith&wesson on their body

[Kontiki]

Re: Guns don't kill people. Americans with guns kill people.

Originally posted by Zkribbler
These means that other nations have an equivalent number of guns in their homes as we in the U.S. have. Yet their murder rates are a miniscule fraction of ours.

Try comparing the number of handguns across countries.

[Pekka]

Right on, baby.

You know what I also find interesting? Now, that this latest school shooting took place, they have arrested some kids in Sweden for threatning to do harm, and they JUST arrested some kids in Köln (Germany)... and the German kids had ****loads of weapons adn explosives, a hit list and so forth. Those kids were going to get their rampage on, but fortunately they were caught!

I mean ****... kids get inspiration from these things. Before, it never occured to them, to the problem kids. Now, they get an idea that hey, I can do that too. It's a real problem of copy cats always just after some big incident. With any bad luck, they might have bunch of kids dead in Germany right now, they were serious as cancer too.

They ALL seem to be idolizing the Columbine thingie. Like everyone has their idols there, not the Virginia Tech *******, but the Columbine ones. Ohh, guess who made it more popular than ever? That's right, Michael Moore. Irony is a ***** Too bad the consequences are real. I'm not saying it's the fault of Moore, I'm saying giving large international exposure is an extra motivation for these kids, they prepare media packages, I mean they want to be known and infamous. And that's exactly what they will be when they carry out their deeds, so in a way how do you even combat that? It's pretty sick to know that there's always bunch of kids with large stash of weapons that are ready to kill and in fact plan to do so. At all moments, in Europe and in the US at least.

Of course the odds are that you never get hurt from these but it has a psychological effect... plus it's not exactly cool to get casualties from these kind of things. And the last really big shooting was in fact in Germany.

I think it's fair to realize that these crazy ones will get their hands on guns no matter high tight the laws are. They simply don't care, they want the guns, they'll get them either legally or illegally and oh yes, it might be even easier to get them illegally so it's not even an issue when it comes to these school shootings.