What makes the United States Different?

[S.A. Boggs]

Our country is made up of people from all over the world, we are a world leader and have been for over 70 years. What sets us apart from say our neighbors Canada and Mexico? Why is our political system basically stable while other's are not. From my standpoint that is several things, for one we are not a Democracy but a real Republic. The other is our Constitution with the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights basically spells out what our government CANNOT do. These are rights that cannot be "taken" away but some are willing to give up for "security" of some sort. Each year someone has an idea to make us safer and are willing to have government do "something!" without understanding that the individual is responsible for their own safety. We have laws now that are not enforced and more people want more laws for more perceived safety. Violence of any type with anything is the basic issue that society faces. Road rage shootings, drive by shootings have something in common and that is vehicles. People want further restrictions on firearms, why not on vehicles? Without vehicles you cannot have either, now can you? The problem is not the vehicle but who is in them, that is the root cause of any issue that society faces. Society has to quit looking at the object, but the person who uses the object. A person murders and is kept on death row for 20-30 years while society goes back and forth on the person's rights. Then we argue over how to eliminate the criminal in regards to their "rights" of "Cruel and Unusual Punishment." One thing for sure, a dead murder cannot murder again! Many mental health people do not want their client reported being in treatment due to the fear that people won't come in for help. On the other side, society need to know who has issues that are temporary or permeant and prevent them from access to any thing that the person can use for harm. Many people are killed with knives, should they be restricted like firearms? How about golf clubs, baseball bars, a 2x4? More people die from alcohol each year, how about restrictions on who can purchase alcohol. How would society respond to the same restrictions, I am all for it the same as those who want further restrictions on firearms. If we debate about one, we need to debate about all.
Sam

[free1954]

it's our culture. our media is filled with violence. where violent people are glorified. t.v. shows were everyone empties the magazine in a gun fight. have you seen the internet games where the player shoots up everything in sight and comes out the other end a hero? now give someone a drug where they can't tell fantasy from reality, a gun, and a reason.

[togor]

Mass shootings tear at the fabric of public life in a way that other crimes don't, because of their "can happen anywhere" quality. It is expected that people would react strongly to it. Eventually something is going to be done, if for no other reason than the one already given in this forum, that the newer generations produce a greater number of social misfits with serious issues. Most obvious answer is to increase the number of hoops one jumps through in order to own some kinds of firearms.

[leftyo]

what has changed and whats different is how we raise our kids. making more stuff illegal or harder to get will not deter a criminal. never has, never will. that mentality just makes the tards feel good right up until the next disaster when they start screaming yet again for more laws and restrictions that ultimately make NO DIFFERENCE. it is the liberal agenda that has force on us how kids are raised, and caused this problem, and it is the liberal agenda that refuses to deal with it, they just want to take away more stuff from everyone else despite the fact it wont do any good.

[Vern Humphrey]

One thing that should be considered is we are a very LARGE country. Canada is much smaller -- and while Canada has far fewer shooting incidents like this, on a per-capita basis they have as many as the US.

[JB White]

One thing that should be considered is we are a very LARGE country. Canada is much smaller -- and while Canada has far fewer shooting incidents like this, on a per-capita basis they have as many as the US.

I know what you meant but it needs to be clarified Canada is larger than the USA but has a smaller population. Interesting...take the number of shootings total in Canada and see if they are equal to 1/10th of those in the USA. If so, that should prove your per capita comment. I think you may be very close to correct.

[Mark in Ottawa]

According to Wikipedia Canada has 1.97 firearms deaths per 100,000 population per year. The USA has 10.54 firearms deaths per 100,000 population per year. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ted_death_rate. For comparison the UK has 0.23 while Venezuela has 59.13.

I am not sure about other countries but I think that the Canadian rate includes accidents and suicides when a firearm is involved.

One very important difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada, firearms ownership is a privilege and not a right. That allows the government to set limits on firearms ownership. For example to get a basic permit you have to take course on firearms knowledge and safety, pass both a written and practical exam, have two good references (who are always phoned) and pass a so-called criminal indices check. On occasion they will call your spouse to ask if you are likely to present a risk to the family. In addition, although the legislation allows for a permit to carry, they are so rare as to be almost non-existent - literally one in a million. To get a handgun you have to take a second training course and then you are only authorized to transport it to and from the range and it must be double locked and unloaded. We also have regulations that require proper storage of firearms.

That is not to say that we don't have murders, many using knives and other devices but it is far lower than that in the USA. In 2016 we had 611 homicides or a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 people. The US rate that year was 6.8 per 100,000.

[Mark in Ottawa]

SECOND REPLY

A Canadian newspaper, the National Post just published an interesting article examining whether the mass shootings of the last few years in the USA could have happened under Canada's firearms legislation. The article seems to be reasonably balanced and the answer varies depending o the particular case. See http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/...#comments-area

[Sandpebble]

According to Wikipedia Canada has 1.97 firearms deaths per 100,000 population per year. The USA has 10.54 firearms deaths per 100,000 population per year. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...ted_death_rate. For comparison the UK has 0.23 while Venezuela has 59.13.

I am not sure about other countries but I think that the Canadian rate includes accidents and suicides when a firearm is involved.

One very important difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada, firearms ownership is a privilege and not a right. That allows the government to set limits on firearms ownership. For example to get a basic permit you have to take course on firearms knowledge and safety, pass both a written and practical exam, have two good references (who are always phoned) and pass a so-called criminal indices check. On occasion they will call your spouse to ask if you are likely to present a risk to the family. In addition, although the legislation allows for a permit to carry, they are so rare as to be almost non-existent - literally one in a million. To get a handgun you have to take a second training course and then you are only authorized to transport it to and from the range and it must be double locked and unloaded. We also have regulations that require proper storage of firearms.

That is not to say that we don't have murders, many using knives and other devices but it is far lower than that in the USA. In 2016 we had 611 homicides or a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 people. The US rate that year was 6.8 per 100,000.

I would like to thank you Mark for the post... it was something all gun owners in my country should read... and be aware of .

Your country... like many ... recognize guns as needing to be attached to a social responsibility .

When I go to the range here in the US now and watch the endless rapid fire fron stubby barreled semis... and endless talk of the "xxxx hitting the Fan" ... I'm a little embarrased

[Vern Humphrey]

SECOND REPLY

A Canadian newspaper, the National Post just published an interesting article examining whether the mass shootings of the last few years in the USA could have happened under Canada's firearms legislation. The article seems to be reasonably balanced and the answer varies depending o the particular case. See http://nationalpost.com/news/canada/...#comments-area

The question, though, is not "could this have happened in Canada" but rather "what HAS happened in Canada." There have been shootings with multiple victims, and the things I have read have indicated that on a per capita basis, Canada closely tracks the US.

[S.A. Boggs]

I would like to thank you Mark for the post... it was something all gun owners in my country should read... and be aware of .

Your country... like many ... recognize guns as needing to be attached to a social responsibility .

When I go to the range here in the US now and watch the endless rapid fire fron stubby barreled semis... and endless talk of the "xxxx hitting the Fan" ... I'm a little embarrased

Many are "Walter Mitty Syndrome" akin to locker room talk. Those that talk never did and those that just smiled...well you know.
Sam