tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post30485123559122429..comments2024-01-12T01:16:16.429+01:00Comments on The world from my windows: If I were a "responsible gun owner" in the USA...Betty Carlsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post-80932976154068811102012-12-22T09:13:21.079+01:002012-12-22T09:13:21.079+01:00@Nadege Yes, the NRA did lay out a clear and creep...@Nadege Yes, the NRA did lay out a clear and creepy vision for a solution. Crazy as I find their proposed policy, AT LEAST they seem to have changed some of their rhetoric. I find it pretty ironic, however, that they lay blame on gun-related video games, entertainment, and media coverage of gun-related events...would they then support a federal ban on violent video games? I pretty much doubt it. <br /><br />Anyway, it was a very strange speech. They seem to try to be setting themselves as some sort of citizen's militia, which has perhaps been their dream all along. <br /><br />Personally, if the sad day were to come where we did have armed guards in front of schools -- not that they did much good at Columbine -- I certainly wouldn't want "retired NRA volunteers" to be doing the guarding, or the NRA to be in charge of recruitment. But I bet some communities are going to buy into their plan.Betty Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post-89425330932566301562012-12-22T09:05:54.248+01:002012-12-22T09:05:54.248+01:00@Megan, yes, of course, per capita is the most tel...@Megan, yes, of course, per capita is the most telling figure statistically (don't think the US does well there, actually) but I cannot bear people using that argument to say every shooting is somehow ok, just part of life, etc. What if our goal were to have WAY FEWER shootings than other large countries, whether it be total or per capita? I can't accept the fatalistic idea that the US is just always going to have at least as many shooting sprees, and probably more, than other countries and that this is just "the price we pay for freedom." Betty Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post-46516987085681467862012-12-21T19:34:45.177+01:002012-12-21T19:34:45.177+01:00Well, as on 12/21, the NRA has spoken! I am not s...Well, as on 12/21, the NRA has spoken! I am not sure there is a solution as the country is so divided. I don't own a gun and don't want one. It is still very sad as mass shooting continues in spite of gun control talks!Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06031276247743743680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post-709173842508267432012-12-21T07:41:05.354+01:002012-12-21T07:41:05.354+01:00Well, I do agree that:
a) It's not just a US t...Well, I do agree that:<br />a) It's not just a US thing, and<br />b) That one does have to consider total population/total number of gun deaths, for example a country of 1000 people and one gun death is comparable statistically to a country of 100,000 people and 100 gun deaths. Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07991742540996769458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post-61719664893753622942012-12-17T06:32:09.283+01:002012-12-17T06:32:09.283+01:00Well said. I too have been reading all the comment...Well said. I too have been reading all the comments on gun control articles and shake my head in sadness/disgust. Things need to change.sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16811369855951820791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post-57724450618903344922012-12-16T19:58:07.615+01:002012-12-16T19:58:07.615+01:00Thank you for your comment. Maybe I'm feeling ...Thank you for your comment. Maybe I'm feeling like this could be "a defining moment" for this issue. The NRA's silence is deafening.Betty Carlsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17155852272383173880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2346907309197209366.post-79403083085709773872012-12-16T19:47:27.583+01:002012-12-16T19:47:27.583+01:00Excellent post, particularly your last sentence. ...Excellent post, particularly your last sentence. But therein lies the problem. We DID miss something about what it means to be an American, because those of us who think that guns should be much more fiercely regulated are so far fighting a losing battle, as so many of our fellow Americans disagree. And, they have the NRA and most House members on their side. It's nearly intractable, this problem, and yet I don't think we should give up the fight, even from our French vantage points, to fix it.Katherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16148984113186294070noreply@blogger.com