Things Noticeable this week

[Sam Spade]

Originally Posted by rupertramjet

There are illegal weapons here, and through out Europe, but the only people who go looking for them are wrong doers, people with nasty things on their minds, normally to deal with their own kind.

We have no fear of guns, at all, and you know what? It is kind of nice!

The thing to remember is that any criminal in the UK will prefer to use a gun to frighten or intimidate people, they know they would be very foolish to actually use it as the consequences would be severe, for the most part the people who go on these mass shootings are not criminals, at least not before they open fire, they are ordinary (usually) white guys who for some reason have gone off the deep end, and if we had access to guns in the UK I am sure we would also have these mass shootings.

As much as I respect the U.S.A., and it's people (I'm engaged to an American) I would never want to live there, even before that loathsome slug Trump became President.

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by Rogerbh

Your comparison of stats is off Wendigo, the 101 "mass shootings" uses the definition of four or more people being shot. Your second stat of 42 occurring in a school involves a gun going off in a school setting, no requirement that anyone even gets hit.

With such a definition, it isn't 42 out of 101 but more like 42 out of tens of thousands of non-lawful firearm discharges.

For a little bit more clarity, there have been no fatal school shootings in Europe since 2015. In 2017 there were two mass shootings, both in the Russian Federation. In 2018 so far, no mass shootings in Europe.

In the USA: 346 mass shootings in 2017 and 5 school shootings versus 2 and none in Europe, including Britain. 346 and 5 strikes me as depressingly usual and commonplace rather than rare.

[Sam Spade]

It is more dangerous to go to school in the U.S.A. than it is to be on active service.



Let that sink in.

I wonder which school is next, and how many children will be shot to death by a man using a legally held firearm that can fire hundreds of rounds per minute?

[rupertramjet]

I used to collect my second daughter from school on occasion, those with daughters will understand it is an incredible relationship, it was a strange time as I was usually away, but for a couple of years I was based in one place and the World was becalmed!

She used to walk down a long field, in that dream world that only thirteen year old girls know, and then she would spot me, I would get that special smile, she would jump in and we would go off and have some tea or something, while mum was still at work, it is one of the delights of having kids, those special moments, all parents will understand.

It never crossed my mind she would not be there, it never had to, I would hate to be in the place so many American families are, fearing when they get to school, their child will not be there. My heart aches for them.

[CARLTON BROWN]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

For a little bit more clarity, there have been no fatal school shootings in Europe since 2015. In 2017 there were two mass shootings, both in the Russian Federation. In 2018 so far, no mass shootings in Europe.

In the USA: 346 mass shootings in 2017 and 5 school shootings versus 2 and none in Europe, including Britain. 346 and 5 strikes me as depressingly usual and commonplace rather than rare.

Sorry to be a bit pedantic about this, but the detail is not quite right. On 22 July 2016, Ali Sonboly - the Muslim son of an Iranian immigrant who was armed with a 9mm Glock pistol killed 10 people and caused dozens of injuries in the centre of Munich.

[Wendigo]

Originally Posted by CARLTON BROWN

Sorry to be a bit pedantic about this, but the detail is not quite right. On 22 July 2016, Ali Sonboly - the Muslim son of an Iranian immigrant who was armed with a 9mm Glock pistol killed 10 people and caused dozens of injuries in the centre of Munich.

He did say he referred to school shootings though, In Europe deranged Muslim fundamentalist throwbacks are widely recognised as the main threat with regards to major attacks.
That pathetically sad bastard Sonboly who like so many mass murderers committed suicide is included here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...illers_(Europe)

[rotobott]

I'm glad I didn't have access to weapons, when I was at school, I'd probably be still in jail

Teenage angst guns, not a good combination

[DTravel]

Originally Posted by Wendigo

It's all relative to what you class as rare.
https://www.abc15.com/news/data/mass...curred-in-2018

That's 101 mass shootings this year

Of those 40 were in school's
https://www.abc15.com/news/data/scho...curred-in-2018

As a Brit living in a country were guns have never been part of our national psyche those numbers are shocking and impossible to treat as being rare but in a country were guns are pretty much classed as everyday utensils you see things differently

As Santee said we have just been brought up in different cultures and as the saying goes "never the twain shall meet"

While yes part of it is cultural, both in terms of gun ownership AND in terms of media coverage, part of it also how and what you are comparing against. If you want to make a comparison based on comparable size and population, you need to compare the US against the entirety of Europe.

[Wendigo]

Originally Posted by DTravel

While yes part of it is cultural, both in terms of gun ownership AND in terms of media coverage, part of it also how and what you are comparing against. If you want to make a comparison based on comparable size and population, you need to compare the US against the entirety of Europe.

The link I added before did just that DT

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...illers_(Europe)

[otokonomidori]

Originally Posted by rotobott

I'm glad I didn't have access to weapons, when I was at school, I'd probably be still in jail

Me too ! If I'd had a gun I'd have kneecapped most of my classmates and offed all the teachers