How many DPers own or support guns?

The point is, it would attract more vicous criminals and more then likely put your life in danger.

If you didn't carry a gun and just give up your iPod, you would probably walk away fine and you wouldn't be a target for anyone who takes a fancy to the gun on your belt.

The likelyhood of this happening does not warrant carrying a firearm in my opinion. Rapists do not act in the manner you are suggesting. They prey on lone women and certainly will not approach any woman with their bloke. That's a non-starter!

A gang of 15 thugs surround and beat the hell out of you. Well, everyone takes a beating in their life time but you don't here many stories of people dieing from them in such a way you are describing. Again, the chances of this happening do not warrant carrying a firearm.

Some racist wants to kill me because I'm black, white or whatever. This is highly unlikely also. Same applies.

I think you have the fear factor my friend. A firearm is likely to get you in to more trouble then it's worth - especially if you're carrying it in public and on display.

Pete

 

SAR
desert eagle but not the .50cal, its the .44 cal =[
HK .45
.38
12ga shot gun
and a tech nine
But I dont own them, my roomate does. I'm not allowed to own a firearm. =[

 

I'm calling the BS card on this. Prove it.

Criminals might be sick, sadistic, evil, whatever - but they aren't all stupid.

Vicous criminals like easy targets. I don't know how many times I have to say it now. Why do you think old ladies get robbed more than young males? Why do you think women get assault more than men? The same reasons the skinny and fat kids get picked on in school - THEY'RE EASY TARGETS.

 

And if everyone is carrying a gun then there are no easy targets anymore and criminals would have to take more drastic measures.

And the possibility to get trampled by a camel is far less then getting robbed from an Ipod don't you think?

Depends where you live of course

 

If any robber knew an old lady carried a gun you can bet they would rob her for it. Perhaps not in the same way as a handbag mugging - she may end up with a club over the head for it. Where does that leave her? Probably dead or suffering more then simply handing over her handbag and not putting up a fight.

And by the way, that story about the 13 year old - you honestly can't say because of freak incidents here and there that people are best off carrying guns. This is nonsense my friend. And a 13 year old? If she had her older brother or father with her, this wouldn't of happened either. There are alternatives to carrying guns to ensure your life is 'protected' you know.. most of it is common sense. Simply by carrying a gun on display ensures your life isn't protected. You may feel safe but come on.. now you've just put yourself at a very high risk of being a target yourself.

Pete

 

GADOOD until you prove having a gun makes you a bigger target, I'm no longer responding to anything you say.

Everyone doesn't carry a gun. it's legal here in Arizona and if I had to guess I'd say less than 1 in 1,000 people carry one. The important thing is that WE CAN if we want to. We have the FREEDOM to protect ourselves and feel safe if we desire.

Just imagine if you'd lived in New Orleans the day after that hurricane hit... when mobs were going around looting anything of value and people were being raped in broad daylight... you'd probably feel a little safer knowing you owned a gun then.

Of course you don't need it all the time. But that one time when you do need it - and it could (have) save(d) your life.. will you have it?

 

Like i said i don't have any troubles with guns inhouse so with an exceptional circumstance as Katrina you would be able to defend yourself and your loved ones.

Because such freedom exists in the states you will be more likely to be confronted with a gun by a criminal simply because of the easy access and cheaper prices.

 

And I'm more than happy to accept that risk for freedom.

That's the entire problem with America today. Everyone wants to give up all of our cherished freedoms in the name of safety. It makes me sick. Anyone willing to sacrifice freedom for safety = coward.

 

Why do I have to prove it? It's a fact derived from common sense.

Of course you have the freedom to feel safe if you desire. I feel safe knowing the likelyhood of anything remotely like what you have described on these pages happening to me is practically none and I have more chance of dieing just by driving my car.

I probably would of felt safer. I may of felt safer. Would I of been safer? I aren't sure about that. I'm sure during those times guns were highly sought after, and having one on my belt out in public would of seen me come to some harm for it.

You can't say where or when you might need it, so by your reckoning you would actually have to carry it all the time, in public, in your car and in your home, because freak occurances are freak occurances. They can happen anywhere and at anytime. A gun has just as much chance of saving your arse in these situations then it does creating more situations and thus endangering your life further.

Instead of handing over that wallet, you pulled your gun out.. the robber or his friend had a pistol too but wouldn't of used it, but now they have shot you dead because you put their life in danger instead of simply handing them over the stuff with as less hassle to them as possible. If you could re-live that scenario, you would of probably give up your car/posessions and your life would of remained intact. No gun needed.

Pete

 

I didn't say the UK has little crime. Also, I seriously don't understand how guns would help the minors who were beaten up or even the people set on fire or rapes? If the rapist had any sense, he would first frisk the target for weapons.

You've contradicted yourself. Prior to this, you kept talking about concealed weapons - now you're saying it's safer to have people brandishing guns on their belts.

Please tell me how often a gang of 20 thugs randomly comes at you? or 'a crazy person' with a knife runs at you?

War zone isn't the point, does it make you safer? The statistics don't agree.

 

Common sense tells me bad people like easy targets. They have no reason to go after me when I'm armed and theres other people who aren't.

Actually being mugged, assaulted, burgularized, vitcim of hate crime, etc is likely to happen at least once in your lifetime.

And I can use the same analogy about your argument of being a "bigger target" (which is bogus anyway)... I have more chance of dying in a car accident than being a "bigger target" for "vicious" criminals.. so why not carry a gun?

I don't have a source, but I have read somewhere that (in america at least) statistics are your home will be robbed once every 20 years.

 

If you walked by and saw that minor getting raped by 20 people you couldn't stop them on your own. You would either have to let it go on why you called for help, or threaten with a gun and if neccessary start shooting. Sure would have stopped them wouldn't it?

I never said anything about only concealed weapons, I said they're an option.

I suppose you've never been in a bad neighborhood. Or visited the US in the early 90's. In some lower class (and some middle class) neighborhood it happens to people on a daily basis.

I've got a friend in LA with a nice red sports car, 2 months ago at a stop light a couple gangsters walked over to his car and tried to carjack him. He pulled out a gun against their knife and guess what.. he still has his car.

Those statistics don't say if the murdered people had a gun to defend themselves do they? You can show all the slanted and skewed statistics you want, they don't fool me.

Not only that, but once again, I'd chose freedom over safety any time.

 

Please please please. You are being rather silly now.

Common sense and vigilance will see you OK.

And if they would of had a gun, they could of put one in his skull. They may have a gun the next time they see him and decide to sink one in him for his car and his gun that they know he carries.

He would of been just as safe handing the car over to them and claiming on the insurance and what-not.

Honestly, do you need the statistics on where people who had a gun fouled up and ended up being killed themselves by placing themself in more danger? Google.

You have the freedom not to fear unlikely events if you chose it. You can do it right now, without a gun.

Pete

 

- In 1996 your risk of being a victim of a crime in the United States was 5.079%, and of a violent crime 0.634%.

- Crime in the United States accounts for more death, injuries and loss of property then all Natural Disasters combined.

- Approximately thirteen million people (approximately 5% of the U.S. population) are victims of crime every year.

- Approximately one and a half million are victims of violent crime.

Arizona
Year: 2000
Population: 5,130,632
Violent: 27,281
Property: 271,811
Murders: 359
Forcible Rape: 1,577
Robbery: 7,504
Assault: 17,841
Burglary: 51,902
Larceny/Theft: 176,705
Vehicle Theft: 43,204
----------------------
299,092 crimes

Thats a 5.8% chance in a SINGLE YEAR of being a crime victim. Take that over 10 years and what are the chances?

For that year the State of Arizona had a total Crime Index of 5,829.5 reported incidents per 100,000 people. This ranked the state as having the 1st highest total Crime Index.

For Violent Crime Arizona had a reported incident rate of 531.7 per 100,000 people. This ranked the state as having the 14th highest occurrence for Violent Crime among the states.

For crimes against Property, the state had a reported incident rate of 5,297.8 per 100,000 people, which ranked as the state 1st highest.

Also in the year 2000 Arizona had 7.0 Murders per 100,000 people, ranking the state as having the 9th highest rate for Murder.

Arizona’s 30.7 reported Forced Rapes per 100,000 people, ranked the state 28th highest.

For Robbery, per 100,000 people, Arizona’s rate was 146.3 which ranked the state as having the 15th highest for Robbery.

The state also had 347.7 Aggravated Assaults for every 100,000 people, which indexed the state as having the 15th highest position for this crime among the states.

For every 100,000 people there were 1,011.6 Burglaries, which ranks Arizona as having the 5th highest standing among the states.

Larceny - Theft were reported 3,444.1 times per hundred thousand people in Arizona which standing is the 2nd highest among the states.

Vehicle Theft occurred 842.1 times per 100,000 people, which fixed the state as having the 1st highest for vehicle theft among the states.


Need I say more?

 

You can't see it, but those statistics mute any point you're making about protecting your life.

Pete

 

I don't see how this can be a justification for guns? If the '20 people' raping the minor had any sense they wouldn't be seen. If guns were easy to obtain, and I started shooting at them, they would shoot back.

Well, I think society has failed if everyone needs to walk around brandishing a gun for protection.

My area has one of the highest murder and crime rates in the UK. That said, it's not often that gangs of 20 people run at me, or 'a crazy person with a knife'. I think if you give these people guns, you'll only lead to more problems.

 

The law states you have the right to use deadly force in defense of yourself or another person who needs it.

How is that silly?

 

The event you described and the likelyhood of it transpiring was very silly.

I would be hard pushed to witness a single, lone rape of a woman in my lifetime. Nevermind a gang of 20 raping a minor.

You use these silly examples as your justification though when the likelyhood of you ever having to brandish a gun to protect your life, when given the alternatives, are very slim indeed. Dare I say not worth worrying about, nevermind tooling yourself up for 'just incase'.

Pete

 

I wonder if the 13 year old girl that was getting raped thought it was silly?

 

I wash my hands of you.

Pete