Gun accidents? Guns are dangrous?

[Shoe]

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but no way he kills 32 before killing himself.

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People don't kill that many people in spur-of-the-moment confrontations like a bar fight. Mass killings like this are premeditated.

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However, if everyone carried a gun, this guy would not have been able to get off more than a few shots before he was dead himself, no matter how pre-meditated his actions were.

Whether everyone carrying a gun would increase random murders elsewhere is up for debate. If everyone in society was trained properly, everyone being armed would be a good thing. However, in the reality we live in there are a lot of people that cannot control their temper -- or are just plain idiots -- but then again if everyone was armed they would learn to control it or die (if you consistently start pulling out your gun for no reason you would end up shot).

I personally support concealed-carry permit laws but only slightly and can see the arguement both ways. The only way i would support an anti-gun law is if all guns could be eliminated. But since that isn't possible, I believe in the sayings "If guns were outlawed, only outlaws would have guns" and "A criminals biggest fear is that his or her next victim will be armed."

[AlexM]

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Other than the 900 accidental deaths, how many people are killed by guns each year?

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How many people are killed by katanas each year? I assume the lack of deaths makes them completely safe?

[PLOlover]

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Whether everyone carrying a gun would increase random murders elsewhere is up for debate. If everyone in society was trained properly, everyone being armed would be a good thing. However, in the reality we live in there are a lot of people that cannot control their temper -- or are just plain idiots -- but then again if everyone was armed they would learn to control it or die (if you consistently start pulling out your gun for no reason you would end up shot).

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THis argument was prevalent about ten years ago when the state of florida was going to super liberal carry laws. In the ten years or whatever since florida went to super easy conceal carry, the empirical evidence is overwhelming that the argument that gunfights would spring up over minor squabbles is totally false. It's just not true.

[Shoe]

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Whether everyone carrying a gun would increase random murders elsewhere is up for debate. If everyone in society was trained properly, everyone being armed would be a good thing. However, in the reality we live in there are a lot of people that cannot control their temper -- or are just plain idiots -- but then again if everyone was armed they would learn to control it or die (if you consistently start pulling out your gun for no reason you would end up shot).

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THis argument was prevalent about ten years ago when the state of florida was going to super liberal carry laws. In the ten years or whatever since florida went to super easy conceal carry, the empirical evidence is overwhelming that the argument that gunfights would spring up over minor squabbles is totally false. It's just not true.

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I agree with you -- and I also agree that conceal carry laws reduce the violent crime rate. However, I do not feel there has ever been a study done that can honestly evaulate the true impact of conceal carry laws. The trend of violent crime is based on too many other factors (such as the local economy) to get an accurate reading of the impact of the conceal carry laws that are passed. The only way we could get a more accurate reading is if a much larger percentage of the population applied for conceal carry permits and then used them (assuming they were only given out to responsible citizens as they are today).

[Huh?]

anyone know how many people are killed by handguns each year in the US...not including suicides?

[PLOlover]

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The only way we could get a more accurate reading is if a much larger percentage of the population applied for conceal carry permits and then used them (assuming they were only given out to responsible citizens as they are today).

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I think you're missing the point. In florida they give them out to everybody basically. The law says that unless you're a convicted felon or something you cannot be denied a permit. In the years since that law went into effect basically no concealed weapon permit holder has been involved in a barfight/roadrage/escalating argument type of shooting. And that's saying a lot for an entire state over an entire decade.

[Huh?]

why so many gun related deaths in us compared to other countries...is it simply the mass quantity? 250 million or something like that?

[Shoe]

I think we are trying to say the same thing... I just worded it really badly.

[BCPVP]

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why so many gun related deaths in us compared to other countries...is it simply the mass quantity? 250 million or something like that?

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It is most assuredly not just the quantity. Every Swiss male between a certain age is required to keep a machine gun and ammunition in their house as well as train in their national guard. Yet the Swiss have pretty low amounts of gun crime.

[PLOlover]

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why so many gun related deaths in us compared to other countries...is it simply the mass quantity? 250 million or something like that?

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according to tony blair it's the blacks.