I just saw a documentary called Guns in America. It seemed both interesting and frightening.

I just tried to pull that up Peter and it says ‘Content not available’ - this content is not available for your location (US).  Interesting that it’s about America, but not available in America.  LOL!  I’m sure it’s a copyright issue but I am still amused.  Nevertheless, I have to agree with LaMa.  This country does have some good points somewhere BUT not in the area of its economic and social issues.  It seems to me that this country is based on a mass system of unruly teenagers left to continue growing like wild weeds who have never grasped or known the ideas of nurture, empathy or discipline. 

‘Freedom’ within the confines of a snakepit cannot be considered ‘freedom’.

And in the meanwhile there was another one.

Thank you Unfairly.  There was also an idiot caught today who fired 50 rounds off into the air and onto the ground at a shopping mall here in the United States.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/kristof-do-we-have-the-courage-to-stop-this.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

Other countries offer a road map. In Australia in 1996, a mass killing of 35 people galvanized the nation’s conservative prime minister to ban certain rapid-fire long guns. The “national firearms agreement,” as it was known, led to the buyback of 650,000 guns and to tighter rules for licensing and safe storage of those remaining in public hands.

The law did not end gun ownership in Australia. It reduced the number of firearms in private hands by one-fifth, and they were the kinds most likely to be used in mass shootings.

In the 18 years before the law, Australia suffered 13 mass shootings — but not one in the 14 years after the law took full effect. The murder rate with firearms has dropped by more than 40 percent, according to data compiled by the Harvard Injury Control Research Center, and the suicide rate with firearms has dropped by more than half.

Or we can look north to Canada. It now requires a 28-day waiting period to buy a handgun, and it imposes a clever safeguard: gun buyers should have the support of two people vouching for them.

For that matter, we can look for inspiration at our own history on auto safety. As with guns, some auto deaths are caused by people who break laws or behave irresponsibly. But we don’t shrug and say, “Cars don’t kill people, drunks do.”

Instead, we have required seat belts, air bags, child seats and crash safety standards. We have introduced limited licenses for young drivers and tried to curb the use of mobile phones while driving. All this has reduced America’s traffic fatality rate per mile driven by nearly 90 percent since the 1950s.

And ofcourse the usual idiot.

hulitoons - 16 December 2012 07:57 AM

I just tried to pull that up Peter and it says ‘Content not available’ - this content is not available for your location (US).  Interesting that it’s about America, but not available in America.  LOL!  I’m sure it’s a copyright issue but I am still amused.  Nevertheless, I have to agree with LaMa.  This country does have some good points somewhere BUT not in the area of its economic and social issues.  It seems to me that this country is based on a mass system of unruly teenagers left to continue growing like wild weeds who have never grasped or known the ideas of nurture, empathy or discipline. 

‘Freedom’ within the confines of a snakepit cannot be considered ‘freedom’.

The documentary was made in the US by a US journalist. You might find it on a local station’s web site, or maybe Youtube.

hulitoons - 16 December 2012 10:40 AM

Thank you Unfairly.  There was also an idiot caught today who fired 50 rounds off into the air and onto the ground at a shopping mall here in the United States.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/16/opinion/sunday/kristof-do-we-have-the-courage-to-stop-this.html?emc=eta1&_r=0

Or we can look north to Canada. It now requires a 28-day waiting period to buy a handgun, and it imposes a clever safeguard: gun buyers should have the support of two people vouching for them.

.....
Instead, we have required seat belts, air bags, child seats and crash safety standards. We have introduced limited licenses for young drivers and tried to curb the use of mobile phones while driving. All this has reduced America’s traffic fatality rate per mile driven by nearly 90 percent since the 1950s.

I always have to roll my eyes when journalists use selective, incorrect statistics to prove their point. Its what infuriates people that DO know the facts, and why the anti-gun movement cant gain traction to change ideas - because nobody trusts anything they say.

There is no 28 day waiting period to buy a handgun in Canada. You could say it takes 28 days+(a lot more actually) to first get licenced to be able to own firearms. But once you do, you can go to a store and walk away with shotguns, some centerfire rifles, and unlimited capacity .22 rifles. Handguns wait vary from province to province, but its a few days in some, to a few hours in others, before you can take possession of it.

So, with access to firearms that can be just as deadly as the less restricted US available guns, why are there only 200 deaths per year compared to nearly 10000 in US(as per previous posters stats). If you know the answer to that then perhaps you can target whats really wrong with the US.

Chance of removing all guns from all Americans: 0%. If you want to stop massacres, start looking for real causes and solutions.

Exactly Aussie, which is why both LaMa and I both posted Mark Ames book, Going ‘Postal’ and I posted an interview the author granted some years ago concerning the ‘real’ problems in the U.S. earlier: 

Mark Ames gave a painfully interesting interview about his book some time ago.  I read down through the interview and found his ideas very enlightening:  http://www.alternet.org/story/24796/a_brief_history_of_rage,_murder_and_rebellion

Even the interview is difficult to read yet I understand what he outlines.  We have set ourselves up on the fragile eggshells of too many ideals from too many sides and platforms without accounting what happens to the most vulnerable standing beneath.

In Michigan Governor Rick Snyder is currently considering legislation changes that will eliminate “gun free zones” such as schools, churches, bars, and event arenas. Last Thursday (12/13), Senate Bill 59, Michigan’s Concealed Carry law was passed and delivered to Gov. Snyder mere hours before the Sandy Hook (Connecticut) shootings Friday morning.

Just received this via e-mail:

Dear Rebecca,

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has vetoed the bill that would have eliminated gun-free zones in Michigan.

I will write more later but for the moment I want to simply say THANK YOU!

Here are some links with stories about the Governor’s decision: Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, MLive

Thank you for working to Keep Gun Free Zones in Michigan!

Eric

So not to worry yet Oppie!

I was actually a supporter of the legislation… ...
I am a gun owner.
(I do not own a hand gun, but am not opposed to self protection - my best friend does own and carry one)

I have raised my children to respect firearms as “dangerous tools” to be respected and kept my firearms locked up when not being used for their purpose (hunting or self protection - I have used them for both). My son has gone into the military and expanded upon his understanding and respect for firearms… my daughter just completed Hunter’s Safety this year and went hunting with me.

Thank you AussieBruce for your intelligent discussion of the disparity between US & Canada… I do not know why there is such a difference aside from it seems that there are a LOT of idiots here in the US that probably SHOULDN’T own them. I got mine via inheritence and that may be one answer how some of these people got their hands on them… but I do not own an “assault rifle” nor do I aspire to for any purpose.

EDIT:
The reason for the veto:
Linky

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed legislation Tuesday that would have allowed gun owners with extra training to carry their concealed weapons in schools, churches, day care centers and stadiums.

In his veto letter sent to the Legislature, Snyder said the bill had a fatal loophole that didn’t allow for those institutions to opt out of the new legislation and prohibit weapons from their buildings.

“I believe that it is important that these public institutions have clear legal authority to ban weapons from their premises,” he said in his letter. “Each is entrusted with the care of a vulnerable population and should have the authority to determine whether its mission would be enhanced by the addition of concealed weapons.”