Lindens Please Help The Aussies

Unless they have a knife or a club or are physically stronger than you. Then you are at the mercy of their whims.

No it isn't. It's a fact - and it's common knowledge. You only have to read some of the stats about murder that have been posted in this thread to realise that. But you shouldn't even need those stats because it's common knowledge. Remove all guns from an evnironment and there will be less killing. End of story.

How do you get rid of the guns from the black market? All you can really do is take guns away from the law-abiding citizens. Criminals do not listen to laws.

This may well be so. But how do the per capita instances of home invasion compare? (That's a real question: I don't know the answer.)


Why would you imagine it is any different in Canada? The same logic applies.


Oh, ok, now you are playing dirty . . .

Of course not. But overall a woman is, I believe, far far safer, with respect to all sorts of violent crime, in a society with fewer guns. And most rapes occur in a context that would preclude a defence using a firearm anyway: they are perpetrated by family members, or through the use of date rape drugs, etc., etc. And, in Canada anyway, gun ownership is one of the top five "risk factors" in predicting the likelihood of spousal homicide. Having a gun in the house is actually far more of a threat, statistically, for the women who live there, than it is for any putative burglar.

http://www.prevention-violence.ca/English/PDFsEnglish/DomesticViolenceandFirearms.pdf

How do you get rid of the guns from the black market? All you can really do is take guns away from the law-abiding citizens. Criminals do not listen to laws.

This may well be so. But how do the per capita instances of home invasion compare? (That's a real question: I don't know the answer.)

Yes, it is only suggestive. According to the same document a Canadian woman is 2 1/2 times more likely to be raped than an American woman. People in the U.S. are 30% less likely to be the victim of a burglary (home invasion) than their Canadian counter part. I may be considered a cold hearted SOB but I would rather have a corpse on the floor than a rapist on the loose.

Firearms are inanimate, blaming them for peoples actions is like blaming the structure for killing the guy who jumps off a ten story building. Water and fire both kill hundreds of thousands of people a year, they do so with very little help from man. Where are the outcries against the elements?

I would be interest in the percentage of "hot B&Es"in Canada. But the mere fact that he is coming into your house while you are there makes you less safe.

How many of those spousal homicides were the wife shooting her rapist husband?

@Phil -- can't we leave the Americans to discuss guns amongst themselves? They know their country and the conditions there better than do we, and if they feel the need to arm themselves, then fair enough. You and I live in a country where we don't feel this need, but not everyone has our good fortune.

@Phil -- can't we leave the Americans to discuss guns amongst themselves? They know their country and the conditions there better than do we, and if they feel the need to arm themselves, then fair enough. You and I live in a country where we don't feel this need, but not everyone has our good fortune.

I suppose so, Innula, even though Scylla isn't an American

I feel very fortunate to live in a country where I feel safe enough to trust my fellow man.

ETA ~I trust the girls too, even the feminists

If they have a knife or whatever, and use it on me, I am more likely to live than if they have a gun and use it on me.

What you really need to do, Chris, is get a list of the states that allow the people to carry guns and get a % per capita of gun killings (offensive and defensive) in them over a period of, say, one year. Then compare that % to the % in a country that doesn't allow people to carry guns. Only then can you make a reasonably meaningful comparison.

ETA:
And you'll find that the country where guns are not allowed is a much safer place to live

Undoubtedly some were. But a woman is almost five times more likely to be a spousal murder victim in Canada than is a man; proportionately, as well, men are something like twice as likely to use a firearm to do the job than a woman is.

Ok, we will use Vermont. Vermont basically has no state laws restricting firearms. And we will use the UK. In 2002, the last year I can find numbers for the UK as a whole The UK had a murder rate of 2.03. Vermont had a rate of 2.1. The ten year average from 1999 -2008 for Vermont was 2.04.
If you want to just use England and Wales. the murder rate drops to 1.5 per 100,000. Still not a major increase in safety.

(The other part of your post only applies to the U.S.)

You need a bigger sample than just one state, including those have actually have RTC laws. BUT, it's been suggested that I drop out of this discussion and leave you on that side the pond to it, which is what I'll do.

I chose Vermont because it has the most liberal gun laws in the nation and has a population closer in demographics to the UK than Alaska has.

But if you want to just look at people who have received carry permits, their crime rate will be even lower.

Separatist state sounds good.

And when you have two choices, bad and worse? Which do you vote for? South Park got it right, we are given the choice between a douche bag and a shit sandwich and are supposed to like it.
Write in votes are not counted unless the candidate has filled out the proper forms. So, that isn't an option.
Give me the choice of "None of the above" and maybe I will cast a ballot. Until then, I can say, "Don't blame me, I didn't vote for either of the MFers."

Well . . . actually, two thirds of all illegal guns in Canada are smuggled in . . . from the US.

So you guys could do us a BIG favour if you'd just, um, cut back on the firearms a bit?

Thanks!

Fixed it for ya.

Another T Jefferson quote: "All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent." We don't have to have either shit sandwiches or douchebags - but it's up to us to make a filet mignon.

At first I thought this was funny.... Then I realized the awful truth of it. Be sure to read all the way to the end!



Tax his land,

Tax his bed,

Tax the table

At which he's fed.



Tax his tractor,

Tax his mule,

Teach him taxes

Are the rule.



Tax his work,

Tax his pay,

He works for peanuts

Anyway!



Tax his cow,

Tax his goat,

Tax his pants,

Tax his coat.



Tax his ties,

Tax his shirt,

Tax his work,

Tax his dirt.



Tax his tobacco,

Tax his drink,

Tax him if he

Tries to think.



Tax his cigars,

Tax his beers,

If he cries

Tax his tears..



Tax his car,

Tax his gas,

Find other ways

To tax his ass.



Tax all he has

Then let him know

That you won't be done

Till he has no dough.



When he screams and hollers;

Then tax him some more,

Tax him till

He's good and sore.



Then tax his coffin,

Tax his grave,

Tax the sod in

Which he's laid.



Put these words

Upon his tomb,

'Taxes drove me

To my doom...'



When he's gone,

Do not relax,

It’s time to apply

The inheritance tax.



Accounts Receivable Tax

Airline surcharge tax

Airline Fuel Tax

Airport Maintenance Tax

Building Permit Tax

Cigarette Tax

Corporate Income Tax

Death Tax

Dog License Tax

Driving Permit Tax

Environmental Tax (Fee)

Excise Taxes

Federal Income Tax

Federal Unemployment (UI)

Fishing License Tax

Food License Tax

Gasoline Tax (too much per litre)

Gross Receipts Tax

Health Tax

Hunting License Tax

Hydro Tax

Inheritance Tax

Interest Tax

Liquor Tax

Luxury Taxes

Marriage License Tax

Medicare Tax

Mortgage Tax

Personal Income Tax

Property Tax

Poverty Tax

Prescription Drug Tax

Provincial Income and sales tax

Real Estate Tax

Recreational Vehicle Tax

Retail Sales Tax

Service Charge Tax

School Tax

Telephone Federal Tax

Telephone Federal, Provincial and Local Surcharge Taxes

Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax

Vehicle License Registration Tax

Vehicle Sales Tax

Water Tax

Watercraft Registration Tax

Well Permit Tax

Workers Compensation Tax

--- and in 2010 the HST



STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?



Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was one of the most prosperous in the world.

We had absolutely no national debt, had a large middle class, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the hell happened? Can you spell 'politicians?' And I still have to 'press 1' for English!?!?!?!?

Notice how all the self protection nuts will sleep with a gun in fear but never wear or put their kids in bodyarmor?

LOL

Nice to know, Rafe. But you can afford to feel safe around us: you know we are unarmed.

We had absolutely no national debt, had a large middle class, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.