Unintended Consequences?

[CharlesHarris]

[Devonian]

[Mortblanc]

If you want me to change that I can go edit Wikipedia for you!

[Devonian]

If you want me to change that I can go edit Wikipedia for you!

Why would you do that?

I've only just reworded it to say what I want

But on a serious matter, the definition and classification of Violent Crimes in the US and UK are also completely different, many of the crimes that are classed as being violent in the UK, are placed under different classifications in the US, so it's pretty much impossible to make comparisons.

[bigpaul]

"gun" crimes are very few in this country and are noticeable when they do occur because of that, most crimes with a weapon are mostly knives and other bladed weapons. most seem to be gang related.

[Tigs]

you also have to look at the newspaper its from . the daily mail is know in the UK as a bit of a scaremonger! with stories such as immigrants are swamping the us /taking all our jobs/are all terrorists in disguise/ scrounging benefits ,new pandemics will kill us all in a week, bird flu found in chicken nuggets, red meat kills faster than cyanide etc
look at the isle of man were gun control is not as strict as the rest of the UK and they have even less violent crime , its been said it all comes down to how you see violent crime , in the UK a fist fight will be added to the figures were as in the USA or rest of Europe it might not be, were violent crime might have to involve a weapon

[Mortblanc]

Yes, you folks get a very sensationalized view of the US.

One of our major statistical jokes is that the highest rates of violent crime are in the urban areas where gun control is the most strict.

I live in an urban area where every household is armed and our crime rate is almost zero.

We claim it is because everyone knows everyone else is armed and therefore minds their manners. In the city where GC is strict there is no fear of self defense and the criminals are bold.

And you folks do not count things we do in both directions. If you guys had to count whining until everyone around you slit their wrists in frustration as a violent crime your murder rates would be higher than ours.

---

Sorry, but I meant to say that I lived in a rural area, although in my region even the cities are less strict.

My state specifically prevents local governments from passing their own restrictive GC laws just to keep the crime rate down.

[Straight Shooter]

Dunblaine Scotland...children killed in a school.........sound familiar to you over the pond........ the founding fathers gave you the rights to bear arms.......sandy hook ....and all the rest is the way your gov will try to strip away your rights ....same as the UK gov did.....problem.....reaction.......soluion ......in the USA there are loads of vets....if I was a cop .....I would not want to come up against anyone with a gun .....and against a vet who has been well trained.....you can f... right off ! Thank you very much.?

[Scythe13]

I'd rather live in the US! The gun is the great equaliser.

In the UK if a guy wants to mug grandma, he can just go and do it. In the US, grandma pulls out a gun, as does grandma's friends. Suddenly the frail and old become self-protected.

Why do the massacres happen in gun free zones?

Why do the people causing them all take medication that has noticeable side effects, e.g. psychosis?

Why has nobody tried to bust into a gun toting area of Texas and tried to shoot a load of people?

Why do the areas with the most legally owned guns have the lowest overall crime rate?


The truth is that in the UK we're massively more likely to be caught up (as in become a 'victim') in a crime, especially a violent crime, than out cousins in the US are to be involved in a crime (as a victim); especially a violent crime in the US. The US is statistically much safer than the UK. Granted the odds of getting shot in the US are much higher than in the UK. But you're so much more likely to be victim of ANY violent crime in the UK.

Odds of dying from a gun in the US, very very low.
Odds of dying from a gun in the UK, very very very low.

Odds of being a victim of violent crime in the US, very very low.
Odds of being a victim of violent crime in the UK, very very high.

We'll add one more statistic, made simple, for fun...odds of being a victim of a shooting in the US in a heavily gun populated area...near enough zero!

Let's not even start talking about what happens if you beat the crap out of the person trying to mug you...UK - you get arrested for defending yourself. US - the police buy you a Happy Meal and the local newspaper says you're awesome.

[Devonian]