America and Gun Control

Expat Smoggie said:
My recent trip to Tennessee (Chattanooga) was an eye-opening experience as I never realized how much the southern states love their guns. I decided to go into the local sporting goods store for a browse and was really stunned by the amount of weapons on display. Everything from assault to pop guns was available with telescopic sights, camouflage outfits, tents and accessories— basically you could outfit a small army with the hardware they had on offer. Amusing and crazy at the same time.
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And sad

Many Americans' thinking hasn't really moved on from the 18th Century
 
Expat Smoggie said:
My recent trip to Tennessee (Chattanooga) was an eye-opening experience as I never realized how much the southern states love their guns. I decided to go into the local sporting goods store for a browse and was really stunned by the amount of weapons on display. Everything from assault to pop guns was available with telescopic sights, camouflage outfits, tents and accessories— basically you could outfit a small army with the hardware they had on offer. Amusing and crazy at the same time.
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I had a similar experience in the states. You walk into a department store and its got more weapons than an armory in a Navy base😂

Why does anyone need an assualt rifle? I 'get' hand guns for home defence etc. These assault weapons are basically military grade (the only difference is that they ain't fully automatic).
 
I read a couple of years ago that more children are shot in schools in the USA than in their amed forces.
 
S7DiscoDown said:
Apparently sales go through the roof of assault rifles (AR15s) and Hand guns around Xmas time.

I guess it's better than a pair of socks or Lynx Box set 😂

It's clearly strange to us. Yet owning a gun in America is like owning a dog. I doubt many (if any) homes won't own a variety of fire arms. I remember asking taxi drivers in florida 'do you have a gun?'. Almost all had one in the glove compartment or down the side of the seat. Just seems crackers
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The stats are crazy.
3% of the people own 50% of the guns
30% of the people have one gun
40% of households have a gun

But outside of the southern states it's not common to have a gun. Most of my friends live in either the NY/NJ/PA/CN area, or on the west coast. I don't know any of them have a gun. Some may but I seldom see or saw any civilian with a gun.
 
red_harrington said:
Is it?

It's my right to do all kinds of things, but doesn't mean to say I do them just cos I can
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The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
 
S7DiscoDown said:
I had a similar experience in the states. You walk into a department store and its got more weapons than an armory in a Navy base😂

Why does anyone need an assualt rifle? I 'get' hand guns for home defence etc. These assault weapons are basically military grade (the only difference is that they ain't fully automatic).
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American society seems to have an in-built love for destruction in many things they do. I mean it’s endemic in their society from how they speak, live and how government works— literally glorifying destruction in many formats. For instance, there seems to be real need to constantly demolish buildings of any type and rebuild them regardless if there’s a need and through it perhaps compromise communities.

Many TV ads (for instance) have an underlying trend for showing aggression of some sort or using graphics or just using dialogue with boom, kill or perhaps some other aggressive term in the script. Sport also has the same problems with an overly aggressive focus on playing what is just a game. Nonetheless, even though I love watching American sports I still feel it’s emphasis still is to reward players by their aggressiveness not their sporting attitude towards their fellow competitors. TV commentators (male and female) constantly glorify the hit on someone while weakness or a pure skill move is perhaps frowned upon.

I think that while most people are generally decent people here in the US the fact that we constantly see references to destruction, aggression or various terms of killing this society will never change and therefore the option to buy weapons (either for hunting or perhaps means of defence) will always be available and probably seen as perfectly acceptable and perhaps honorable.
 
Expat Smoggie said:
American society seems to have an in-built love for destruction in many things they do. I mean it’s endemic in their society from how they speak, live and how government works— literally glorifying destruction in many formats. For instance, there seems to be real need to constantly demolish buildings of any type and rebuild them regardless if there’s a need and through it perhaps compromise communities.

Many TV ads (for instance) have an underlying trend for showing aggression of some sort or using graphics or just using dialogue with boom, kill or perhaps some other aggressive term in the script. Sport also has the same problems with an overly aggressive focus on playing what is just a game. Nonetheless, even though I love watching American sports I still feel it’s emphasis still is to reward players by their aggressiveness not their sporting attitude towards their fellow competitors. TV commentators (male and female) constantly glorify the hit on someone while weakness or a pure skill move is perhaps frowned upon.

I think that while most people are generally decent people here in the US the fact that we constantly see references to destruction, aggression or various terms of killing this society will never change and therefore the option to buy weapons (either for hunting or perhaps means of defence) will always be available and probably seen as perfectly acceptable and perhaps honorable.
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That’s utter rubbish mate.
 
zorro_mfc said:
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
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As said earlier, they're living with an 18th century mindset.

Their right, is just wrong.
 
Soutra said:
The stats are crazy.
3% of the people own 50% of the guns
30% of the people have one gun
40% of households have a gun

But outside of the southern states it's not common to have a gun. Most of my friends live in either the NY/NJ/PA/CN area, or on the west coast. I don't know any of them have a gun. Some may but I seldom see or saw any civilian with a gun.
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Arizona and Nevada residents are gun crazy, especially in AZ where you can holster your gun. Many northern central states are gun-friendly, such as Montana and surrounding states.
 
To be fair I like guns. I'm not crazy or likely to go on a rampage.

My dad was a game keeper so brought up around and fired Shot guns and rifles. I served in the armed forces so fired SA80s/MPMGs/ Glocks etc . I'm 'comfortable' around them and more so respect them. I've done enough courses on the bloody things😂

I'd own one or more if we could. I would actually quite like going down a range and doing some shooting on a weekend. I imagine many gun owners in the States are exactly the same. No intention of shooting anyone and just owning as a hobby etc.

I've been to the States a few times and always go to a gun range. Firing WW2/Vietnam and modern day weapons is a 'buzz'. I can see why many when legal to own get obsessed.
 
Expat Smoggie said:
Arizona and Nevada residents are gun crazy, especially in AZ where you can holster your gun. Many northern central states are gun-friendly, such as Montana and surrounding states.
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Nevada, Arizona and Montana have incredibly low population densities though. Scotland has a population density of about 170 per square mile. Those three states are about 20-50 per square mile. Lots of the people that own guns in those states probably have some legitimate reason to do so. There's plenty of space for people to fire guns out there. If there's a road sign in Nevada not peppered with shot guns pellets I haven't see it (notwithstanding Reno and Las Vegas).

I'd rather plenty of guns in Missoula, Montana than Huntington NY.
 
They really need to pay their politicians more if he lives in a neighbourhood so rough that it requires that many weapons and his light machine gun for extra support.
 
Soutra said:
Nevada, Arizona and Montana have incredibly low population densities though. Scotland has a population density of about 170 per square mile. Those three states are about 20-50 per square mile. Lots of the people that own guns in those states probably have some legitimate reason to do so. There's plenty of space for people to fire guns out there. If there's a road sign in Nevada not peppered with shot guns pellets I haven't see it (notwithstanding Reno and Las Vegas).

I'd rather plenty of guns in Missoula, Montana than Huntington NY.
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If used correctly then guns are fine— kind of like a vehicle which is readily available for most people and if you obey the rules of the road you normally get by without any issue. But as we’ve seen recently with incidents in the Midwest etc vehicles can be used for mass murder.
 
Soutra said:
The stats are crazy.
3% of the people own 50% of the guns
30% of the people have one gun
40% of households have a gun

But outside of the southern states it's not common to have a gun. Most of my friends live in either the NY/NJ/PA/CN area, or on the west coast. I don't know any of them have a gun. Some may but I seldom see or saw any civilian with a gun.
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Again , what you can do with the said gun depends upon where you are ( like I mentioned in my prior post ) . Just because you have a permit for a hand gun in NY it does not mean you can walk around with it. Thus , you won' t see someone with a gun ( also they tend to be concealed ) . Also, I live on the East Coast & know a good % who have them so that point is moot , the overall % is , if you think about it, quite high.
The bottom line is , throughout the USA they are readily accessible but to what extend ( at least legally ) depends upon where you live ( and not just the State ) .
It was interested that you mentioned Huntington, NY - how well do you know that town ?
 
Soutra said:
I lived in Huntington NY for 7 years, working in Manhattan. I left in 1993.

I moved to Southern California for 20 years. Now in Edinburgh.
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Very nice , very close to where I live now although my first visit there was in 2001. I would guess the downtown section has changed a lot since you were there. I believe there was a Brit' pub called the Rose & Crown?
 
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