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This is not to harp on the gun control thing, god knows the Post has been doing that for me. I just found this graph extremely easy to read and draw conclusions from.
I've always followed the logic that we might as well take guns away and then see where that leaves us in terms of violent deaths. I am of the opinion that at the very least it can't hurt. This graph seems to back me up.
Okay, I may be harping a bit. But it's a damn shame that mainstream media sources only talk about gun control with the rabidness they've displayed this month when actual tragedies occur.
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Captain_Ozone · 2397 days ago · link ·
I wonder why that is. If it would be a poor health/living condition, wouldn't euthanasia be ranked in there (it could possibly go under suffocation)? Neurological degradation (Alzheimer's or Parkinson's) I think would make acquiring, holding, and firing a gun very difficult. Does anybody study geriatrics/neurology?
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flagamuffin · 2397 days ago · link ·
Keep in mind the graph displays violent deaths only.
Euthanasia is mercy killing. Mostly done by injecting a sleep drug and then an overdose of morphine to stop the heart. I think that in countries where euthanasia is forbidden sometimes the only recourse is a gunshot to the head. (Hopefully while asleep.) What's also sad is the drowning and suffocating of babies. Probably because abortion was forbidden too.
relevant_thing · 2395 days ago · link ·
I believe that guns are a perfectly worthwhile thing to regulate, however, I also think that given the second amendment's rather strong words it would represent a dangerous change from previous policy regarding the interpretation of the bill of rights. If we applied the same leniency to other parts of the constitution, I could see dangerous implications for free speech, habeas corpus, etc.
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Wile I agree with the dangerous implications for free speech, etc. if we applied the same leniency, I feel the need to establish that freedom of speech does not result in mass shootings or killings, while the same cannot be said about people using the right to bear arms as a way to obtain semi automatic rifles.
flagamuffin · 2395 days ago · link ·
Excellent points. I'm roughly in favor of a taking a very strong look at the Constitution (written constiutions being, it seems to me, a bad idea for a government), which would solve some of the problems you mentioned. That is, the second amendment is clearly out of date -- why do we still treat it like it's the second most important right of the people after freedom of expression?
icantsee99 · 2396 days ago · link ·
I'm a bit confused, how can there be a repeat in a column? Gun violence can't be the first AND fourth leading cause of death...?
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I admit, I'm coming from the perspective of a gun-owner, albeit one uneducated in gun related laws, but why not look at countries that already ban, or at least severely restrict the purchasing of, guns. Seems like a logical way to do it without writing up a law that may just have to be repealed if it doesn't help (Something that would be nigh impossible in Congress nowadays).
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The difficulty with trying to compare a country that has strict gun control with the US is that most of the countries that have it also have different demographics or a smaller population. That said, the stark contrast to me comes in the rate of firearm deaths between the US and the Uk. The US has a rate of about 10.5 deaths per 100,000 people, while the UK is something more like .25 per 100,000 people. Granted, that is in a smaller population, but the fact is that gun violence occurs less when there are fewer guns.
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Sure, and knife violence occurs less when there are less knives, and car accidents occur less with less cars. My point being is that there is less opportunity for less gun violence with less guns. What would be interesting to see is a chart of the ratio of gun violence to gun owners, which I feel would be more accurate.
flagamuffin · 2397 days ago · link ·
Many people have looked. The summary I give you will be biased (pro-control, obviously), so why don't you look through #guns here on hubski for articles, or maybe read a bit on the Wonkblog's past few entries if you're interested? That's pretty much what the hashtag system is for. Wikipedia also has some pretty good articles in that direction, shout if you want me to link them.