Stuart Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Apparently the best solution to the likes of Newtown is to arm the teachers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 What says it for me is that in *thousands* of American schools it is NORMAL for everyone to have to walk through a metal detector on their way in to school (or work if you're a teacher). Imagine if the government felt it NECESSARY to do this here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 "The best answer to a man with a gun is another man with a gun". Why stop there? Oh, they don' do they. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 It is the American way. Peace through superior firepower. Your neighbour buys a revolver, you buy a pistol. Your neighbour buys a rifle, you buy a semi-auto. Your neighbour buys a 12 gauge, you buy a 50cal "hunting" rifle, and maybe a spare and perhaps a gun for the car and one for church on Sundays. It's just a deadly game of upgrade-itis... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Nothing like a bit of casual xenophobia born through fear caused by a dreadful event, media-delivered stereotypes, an isolated mindless email gone viral, and inaccuracies readily accepted as truth because it's on the Interweb. I shall say no more on the subject, since my opinions cannot bring back the innocent dead or soothe the pain of those left behind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 But if the good stay silent, all the World hears is the hate and the bile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iain m Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 A week after Newtown I sold my Shotguns to a dealer, I had my first 12 gauge shotgun for my 13th birthday, now 57 years later I feel guns should not be kept in homes even with the enhanced security required. The dealer told me there are more unlicenced guns brough in from eastern europe during the past 10 years than there are licenced guns in the UK. I just received a letter this morning from Sussex Police to inform me they had cancelled my licence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Scott, I think what we're all finding difficult to understand is the mentality that stops the USA from doing something about gun control. We understand the constitution, we understand that the vast majority of gun owners are responsible people who own a small hand gun for self defence. But to have people and children gunned down for no reason other than twisted minds of people who have got hold of hugely powerful arsenals . and continue to do nothing to control gun ownership is just not understandable. As you may know, I have two first cousins in the States, neither own a gun and one campaigns for complete ban on guns. Sorry to cause you embarrassment but I felt that email needed publicising . Four years ago I had so much hope for Obama. I only hope he doesn't let us all down again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 I think Captain C should be embarrassed by his countrymens behaviour and lack of will to really take control. I am frequently embarrassed by the UK's elected representatives. I also think he should be embarrassed at levelling a charge of racism. It has nothing to do with race, colour or creed and I am offended at the accusation whether it is aimed at me or not. I may well be ignorant, but I am NOT a racist. If my ignorance offends you, then educate me. It is not casual nor xenephobic to abhorr the lack of common sense displayed by the pro gun lobby in the face of a terrible tragedy. I would be equally strident should such an obviously avoidable tragedy strike in any other first world country. Nor is it common sense that Americans are apparently panic buying more guns and ammo for fear that gun coming and availability may be curtailed. CBS News were running the story and I do realise the danger in believing the media without question. But it could be worse, it could be Fox News! I have met and count many US nationals as friends and stay at their houses when out in the US. They all own guns. It doesn't feel particularly safe because at the back of my mind I know that *everyone* has guns and a situation could go from bad to murderous all too easily. Americans as individuals are great people. As a group they often let themselves down really badly. But that goes for just about everyone else and their governments too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Blatman, can you clarify the third sentence of the first paragraph. I feel it can be misread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Blatters, it was not aimed at you or anyone in particular, but if you misinterpreted and read it that way simply because it followed your post, despite me not naming you or anyone else, I apologise. As for saying i should be embarrassed by my own countrymen, I'm not because there are 300,000,000+ of them and I don't own, control, or am personally responsible for a single one of them. Being embarrassed under those circumstances would be idiotic and pointless. The only reason to be embarrassed would be if I were the person who wrote the pile of drivel in the original post that Norman highlighted. (Xenophobia is not racism - it's an irrational dislike or fear of foreigners. Racism is based solely on ethnicity or ancestry.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 So "casual xenophobia" was aimed at everyone? If it was a "general observation" then IMO it was a particularly strong phrase to use to be applied generally. Norm, third sentence stands. Not sure what bit you're not sure about? I believe I am not racist or xenephobic. I believe I may be ignorant of many aspects of the right to bear arms and I may need to be better informed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norman Verona Posted December 29, 2012 Author Share Posted December 29, 2012 Your choice, but I never confuse xenophobia with racism, they are completely different. As Scott has explained his post wasn't aimed at anyone in particular, it just happened to follow yours. I never read it as being aimed at anyone in particular. I'll now do the right thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Racism and / or xenophobia are easily considered to be two halves of the same coin and whilst I do appreciate they have different specific meanings I suspect the nuances could well be lost on many readers... No doubt there will be those who are thinking "I think he dost protesteth too much". Not much I can do about that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stuart Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Coincidentally someone just posted this on another forum. I have checked on Snopes and it isn't listed there as a spo0f. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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