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Samantha Bee tells NRA members to join Scientology instead

Enthetan

Master of Disaster

In one of her comedy skits in her cable show, Full Frontal, she characterizes the NRA as a "cult", and advises NRA members to join a safer cult, Scientology.

Scientology is increasingly being positioned in popular media as a crazy cult that only a nutjob would join.
 

Enthetan

Master of Disaster

Voodoo

Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow
The 2nd Amendment doesn't grant us the right to keep and bear arms. It merely affirms the existence of a pre-existing natural right that is innate to all human beings, and informs the federal government that this right shall not be infringed.

Hell, even animals possess the natural right of self defense.
 

Karakorum

supressively reasonable
Hell, even animals possess the natural right of self defense.
I'd prefer to exercise my right for self defence using my fists against another dude using my fists, rather then exercise that same right with a firearm against another dude with a firearm. The former is less likely to leave one or both of us dead.

There's tooo many people who exercise their 2nd amendment rights in the process of robbing a cornerstore or negotiating drug deals.

I'd prefer what I have here ("even-decent-people-will-likely-not-get-a-permit") to the USA "every-drunken-nutjob-loser-has-a-gun" situation.
 

Voodoo

Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow
I'd prefer to exercise my right for self defence using my fists against another dude using my fists, rather then exercise that same right with a firearm against another dude with a firearm. The former is less likely to leave one or both of us dead.

There's tooo many people who exercise their 2nd amendment rights in the process of robbing a cornerstore or negotiating drug deals.

I'd prefer what I have here ("even-decent-people-will-likely-not-get-a-permit") to the USA "every-drunken-nutjob-loser-has-a-gun" situation.
Well, my friend, life doesn't always give us the ideal circumstances in which we can choose lofty idealism over basic survival.

If you're accosted by one or more thugs who have the ability and the inclination to hurt or kill you, you'd best be prepared to mount an adequate defense, or you're toast.

Face facts. Guns have been around for centuries, and both good and bad people have them, planetwide. Even in countries where they're supposedly banned. They will always be with us in one form or another.

I don't mean to be critical, but it's naive to entrust your life and the lives of your loved ones to the police, locked doors, dogs, pepper spray, strict gun prohibitions, cameras and monitors, TRs, your buddies, passersby, your neighbors, or the inmate goodness of your fellow human beings.

If you're fine with taking that risk, more power to you, but remember - when seconds count, the police are just minutes away.

All that aside, your willingness or unwillingness to inflict mortal injury to another in self defense is a personal choice, but one you have the God given right to make for yourself. Men may suppress that natural right, but it's still an inalienable right.
 

Voodoo

Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow
I'd prefer what I have here ("even-decent-people-will-likely-not-get-a-permit") to the USA "every-drunken-nutjob-loser-has-a-gun" situation.
I suggest you study up on the violent crime statistics of countries that have banned guns, versus those of the USA.

Oddly enough, you'll find that violent crime stats are much lower in places where there's a high degree of gun ownership. It's called deterrence.

"More guns equals less crime."
~ John Lott

"An armed society is a polite society."
~ Robert Heinlein
 

Karakorum

supressively reasonable
I suggest you study up on the violent crime statistics of countries that have banned guns, versus those of the USA.

Oddly enough, you'll find that violent crime stats are much lower in places where there's a high degree of gun ownership. It's called deterrence.

"More guns equals less crime."
~ John Lott

"An armed society is a polite society."
~ Robert Heinlein
I think the key is the "totality" of the law. super-tough anti-gun laws in Chicago or LA are useless if someone can obtain a gun a few counties away (or in another state) and bring them over.

My current country has some of the toughest gun laws and some of the lowest gun-per-person ratios in Europe. It also has a much lower rate of violent crime (especially firearms related) than the US, or even the UK.

Yet to prove this, I'd need to bring up the data, which would disclose what is my current country of residence. I'm unwilling to provide this information in public here. Thus, I apologize for the "no hard data, trust-my-word" approach, I hope you understand my reasons to do so. I would not normally take this approach.

I guess we just need to "agree to disagree".
 

Dotey OT

Cyclops Duck of the North - BEWARE
Guns are being somewhat successfully blamed for horrible events. For full disclosure, I'm not an NRA member. Since cars kill far more people, shouldn't we outlaw those? Actually we should outlaw Reese's Cups candy, that will probably be my death.

Also, I can see a possible outcome that I don't like in a society denied weapons of defense.

That being said, there are some things to fix in the USA.
 

Karakorum

supressively reasonable
Since cars kill far more people, shouldn't we outlaw those?

Well, we can point to countries with restrictive gun laws that are doing perfectly fine economy-wise. Can we point to a car-free country with a decent economy?

I know in my previous post I mentioned my unwillingness to use data, but (without disclosing personal info) I think I can point to three separate EU countries (different regions, different language, ethnic compositions and cultural groups) with quite restrictive gun laws and compare the homicide rates with USA:

Netherlands, 0.55 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.
Italy, 0.67 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.
Czech Republic, 0.61 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

USA? 5.35 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

The EU country with the highest homicide rate is:
Latvia, with 3.36 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

Still quite a lot lower than the USA, don't you think?
 

Dotey OT

Cyclops Duck of the North - BEWARE
Well, we can point to countries with restrictive gun laws that are doing perfectly fine economy-wise. Can we point to a car-free country with a decent economy?

I know in my previous post I mentioned my unwillingness to use data, but (without disclosing personal info) I think I can point to three separate EU countries (different regions, different language, ethnic compositions and cultural groups) with quite restrictive gun laws and compare the homicide rates with USA:

Netherlands, 0.55 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.
Italy, 0.67 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.
Czech Republic, 0.61 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

USA? 5.35 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

The EU country with the highest homicide rate is:
Latvia, with 3.36 intentional homicide victims per 100,000 inhabitants.

Still quite a lot lower than the USA, don't you think?
Those numbers. Well, there you go. Pesky "Facts". 10X difference. Impossible to ignore. I'm in agreement. The factor of "Guns Only" seems to drop out from these numbers. One could stop there. But, I wonder. I'm certain that the prevalence and availability of guns brings that number up in the U.S. So therefore, guns should be not allowed to be distributed somewhat freely throughout the population because of this? In the U.S, is it possible that other factors are also involved? Or does it just boil down to "Guns Only"?
 

Karakorum

supressively reasonable
Those numbers. Well, there you go. Pesky "Facts". 10X difference. Impossible to ignore. I'm in agreement. The factor of "Guns Only" seems to drop out from these numbers. One could stop there. But, I wonder. I'm certain that the prevalence and availability of guns brings that number up in the U.S. So therefore, guns should be not allowed to be distributed somewhat freely throughout the population because of this? In the U.S, is it possible that other factors are also involved? Or does it just boil down to "Guns Only"?
Nothing boils to "guns only". Crime, even homicide alone, will have many factors behind it. But I think the picture suggests that guns are certainly a big part in this. That's why I posted countries that are different from one another:

Netherlands has race and immigrant issues. Italy has high corruption and overall high non-violent crime for an EU country. Czech Republic has neither. Latvia is a poor ex-Soviet country.
 

George Layton

Silver Meritorious Patron
I'd prefer to exercise my right for self defence using my fists against another dude using my fists, rather then exercise that same right with a firearm against another dude with a firearm. The former is less likely to leave one or both of us dead.

There's tooo many people who exercise their 2nd amendment rights in the process of robbing a cornerstore or negotiating drug deals.

I'd prefer what I have here ("even-decent-people-will-likely-not-get-a-permit") to the USA "every-drunken-nutjob-loser-has-a-gun" situation.
I'm related to gun owners that have gotten into fist fights. No guns were involved and no one died. There were some hangovers involved.
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
From the perspective of a criminal who makes his living via burglaries, or various means of violent crime, they absolutely love "gun-free zones" as it makes their work much safer.

If ALL guns in the U.S. were banned (in violation of our Constitution) the violent criminals and gangs would be the last ones to give them up, and that would make those people even more dangerous than they already are.

And, as it was pointed out above, if you're in a situation where your life is threatened (such as in a home invasion) the average time for a police response is unlikely to help you, especially in some rural areas where the closest police may be over an hour away.

In order to protect oneself and ones family from criminals and the insane, sometimes it IS necessary to have a gun.

I wish it weren't that way but that is the reality.
 

Voodoo

Free Your Mind And Your Ass Will Follow
I think the key is the "totality" of the law. super-tough anti-gun laws in Chicago or LA are useless if someone can obtain a gun a few counties away (or in another state) and bring them over.

My current country has some of the toughest gun laws and some of the lowest gun-per-person ratios in Europe. It also has a much lower rate of violent crime (especially firearms related) than the US, or even the UK.
Well, as Anonymous famously says, dox or STFU. You made the claim, you back it up.

Of course, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If required, I'm sure anyone on this thread will be more than happy to provide you the violent crime statistics for your country and the US, to compare.

You point out how easy it is for criminals to obtain guns in America, but it's no different where you live. Criminals will always find a clandestine source for firearms - even in countries where they're banned or highly restricted. Always. It's the law abiding, disarmed citizens who wind up at a disadvantage because (drum roll please...) they obey the law.

It's also a fact that criminalizing guns does not mean that people with bad intent won't procure non-criminalized weapons to kill and maim others with. Knife crime is through the roof in Great Britain, since private gun ownership was banned. Now some UK politicians want to ban them, too.

That is sheer insanity, and proves the point that you can't protect innocent people by disarming innocent people. You don't want to own a firearm to protect yourself, that's your choice, but it's quite another thing to insist that others give up their natural rights to keep and bear arms because you're scared of guns.
 

Karakorum

supressively reasonable
Well, as Anonymous famously says, dox or STFU. You made the claim, you back it up.

Of course, what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If required, I'm sure anyone on this thread will be more than happy to provide you the violent crime statistics for your country and the US, to compare.

You point out how easy it is for criminals to obtain guns in America, but it's no different where you live. Criminals will always find a clandestine source for firearms - even in countries where they're banned or highly restricted. Always. It's the law abiding, disarmed citizens who wind up at a disadvantage because (drum roll please...) they obey the law.

It's also a fact that criminalizing guns does not mean that people with bad intent won't procure non-criminalized weapons to kill and maim others with. Knife crime is through the roof in Great Britain, since private gun ownership was banned. Now some UK politicians want to ban them, too.

That is sheer insanity, and proves the point that you can't protect innocent people by disarming innocent people. You don't want to own a firearm to protect yourself, that's your choice, but it's quite another thing to insist that others give up their natural rights to keep and bear arms because you're scared of guns.
Ok, so let us stick with the 3 specific examples I made before: Italy, Czech Republic and Netherlands. If you are arguing that it is as easy for criminals in said countries to obtain guns as it is in the US, then what would be your explanation for the lower homicide-per-capita ratios? Are you saying Americans are inherently more violent that people in Italy, Netherlands and the CR?

Knife crime is indeed an issue, as we have seen in recent terrorist attacks. But even with those included, the crime statistics for the US still end up several time higher than for the 3 countries in question.

My approach is one of Ockham's razor: "The simplest explanation why gun crime stats are lower, is because there's less guns and access to guns is limited. Other explanations are more complex, thus not acceptable without further evidence".
 

Type4_PTS

Diamond Invictus SP
My approach is one of Ockham's razor: "The simplest explanation why gun crime stats are lower, is because there's less guns and access to guns is limited. Other explanations are more complex, thus not acceptable without further evidence".
It might be the "simplest" explanation, but not the most accurate one. :no::D

If less access to guns and less guns equals less violent crime by the use of guns then how do you explain Switzerland?
 

Karakorum

supressively reasonable
It might be the "simplest" explanation, but not the most accurate one. :no::D

If less access to guns and less guns equals less violent crime by the use of guns then how do you explain Switzerland?
Switzerland is extremely wealthy (2nd country in the world in terms of average wage), has relatively low income disproportions, no large race or immigrant issues and is very picky on who to make a citizen.
Also, has long standing local government tradition.

All of that produces very low crime in general.

again: I never said gun laws are the only factor. But it is a factor.
 
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