Why do Americans love guns so much?

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I could definitely write a book about that job, between the people I worked with and the people I delivered to, there are some stories that people would scoff at as not remotely plausible if presented as fiction. The restaurant industry in general is colorful, but delivery adds in a whole new level of f**kery, more of it armed than is commonly realized. One place I worked at probably still has some .22 slugs in the phone book in the office from the time my assistant manager wouldn't believe me that you could make an effective silencer from a pop bottle, and I demonstrated on the spot. Hmm, might have to review that manuscript to make sure everything in it is past the statute of limitations...

The idea of an armed pizza delivery guy sounds crazy at first, but the way you put it, it actually makes sense.

Mozzarella Madness!

It was the kind of night that you knew would end with burnt edges and soggy bottoms.

It was a dark and stormy night; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets, rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the pile of pizza boxes...

most of the country being where the minority of the US population is. of course there will be comparatively more crime in dense population centres

Before I was a WP regular, I used to post on a forum for delivery drivers, and let me tell you, a substantial number of them carry for exactly the reasons I've outlined. It's almost always against company policy, but the general consensus is that you can always get another delivery job, so it's better to be fired than the alternative.

Do you mean, like, that people can think / do mean, bad, evil things, withOUT the help of a gun?

COOL!!

It's kind-of a shame, though, that no one ever thought to call up to whatever floor, and have someone come-down with the money, and get the pizza.

Yeah, exactly----that's what makes me frustrated, as well. I can't remember when was the last time a long gun has been used, in the commission of a crime, in Baltimore, for instance----even most shop owners have handguns.

The use of knives in Baltimore, is, maybe, at least as popular as handguns----and then, after handguns and knives, people are bludgeoned to death (with bricks / rocks, mostly). The other thing that's quite common in Baltimore, is that people get beaten to death, and then set afire----that happened to a guy I had just worked-with, the night before (and, I had been wondering why I had been awakened by the helicopters; I mean, I suspected they were looking for a criminal, but).

The other thing I found interesting about the chart, was "poison"----and, even though there weren't that many, it's interesting that people are still using the ol' "rat poison trick" (or, whatever); and, if THAT'S not "premeditated", I don't know what is.

I think this goes back to what I was saying, before, about there being, basically, three types of "gun-toting" groups (gun-culture people, newbies, and criminals), and my money's on the gun-culture group; because, IMO, they follow laws, to a T, if, for no other reason, than because they don't want their guns taken-away from them.


There's no reason to be scared of the other guy / other guy's gun, if you have trained, properly / formally, on the care, safety, and shooting of a gun, if you're a newbie and are serious about it.


That's exactly right.


Yeah, but see, that's the problem, though. If people wanna cry about handguns, then they'd be saying, something; because, just from the first column of your link, long guns are used in only about a THIRD of the total firearm homicides (roughly); so, if handguns are used twice as often, why isn't anybody cryin' about THEM? I'll tell you why..... Because whenever a nutcake shoots-up a mall / school / movie theatre / whatever, they talk about the guns, used, on TV (and, if they actually show PICTURES of the shooter's stash, that garners even MORE of a "Oh, the horror" from all the Chicken Littles, in the audience, because it's, like, a natural brain response, or whatever, to take-in the biggest thing, in the picture [a long gun]), and then everybody starts cryin'-about getting rid of "those big guns"----when, in actuality, most of those guns are NO DIFFERENT from a regular hunting rifle, that have been "dressed-up" to LOOK scary, so Joe Schmoe can pretend he's G.I. Joe, on weekends!!


Yes, I totally agree with your first sentence----as for the second sentence..... I'm not so sure I agree with that one----for instance, I've known-of more than one person who has stabbed-to-death another person, with a butcher knife from the kitchen drawer, when there was a gun in the nightstand (meaning, because you said "harder to pull-off, on impulse", that's not necessarily true----ANYTHING, practically, can be used as a weapon, and on impulse, people grab whatever's most near).

I forget if I posted in this topic, but probably did..

Either way- I think people (everyone, not just Americans) love and obsess over guns because of the power. Unfortunately.. too many bad and evil people get guns. It's sickening how many shootings happen- and lawmakers still refuse to do better gun control! Good responsible gun owners shouldn't have anything to be afraid of- if you aren't breaking the law, you should support gun control in my view. Why let more bad people get guns? Because they can? Because it's in the consitition? People love to say "even if people can't get guns legally, black market is easy to get guns from". Well I say to that- law enforcement needs to do their jobs and PROTECT people by shutting down these black markets more.

Imagine if gun control laws were in place and helped! Many many innocents wouldn't die. Crime would be down and much more. But the sad truth here is much of congress in USA are paid off by NRA and their friends. So gun control laws wont be improved anytime soon I bet.

Also let's picture this- what if police actually did their jobs and busted gangs up? That would get rid of a huge gun problem right there!

Because they're afraid. And the fear is not unwarranted - there is a strong criminal element in the United States co-existing with peaceful/normal people. Much more so than most western countries unfortunately.

There is a lot of gang culture in the U.S that causes abnormal levels of violence that can spill over into an innocent persons life. At any moment in the U.S an innocent person can be carjacked, beaten to death, mugged, raped - all at random.

That's only one of the allures of guns.


According to this DOJ report, gun related crime has been on a downward trend. I realize that this only goes up to 2011 but it seems to be thier latest. It does show a significant decrease since 1993.
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fv9311.pdf


Other than to make people like you feel all warm and fuzzy why should they?
What would their rationale be other than losing their seat in congress at the next election?


1. We do have gun control.
2. Suddenly being made an instant felon by the latest feelgood law is something to be afraid of.


Yeah, that annoying constitution that obstructs the government from walking all over us worse than they already do. Have you ever read the constitution?


Yeah, they've done such a bang-up job with the war on drugs. Gee, I just can't wait to see how effective they'll be enforcing something that's really unpopular with the masses.


Refer back to the DOJ report. Just to tell you where I stand, even if the trend were up I'd still tell you that freedom has it's price.

This seems to something the left has been pinging on extra hard in recent years. Do you have any proof of this? What the NRA does do is publish a report card of politician's records on the subject of gun control with A for very pro-gun candidates and F for the most anti-gun. But hey, you don't believe in the constitution so I guess the NRA (or anyone else) should be lawfully forbidden for supplying information to voters.


Bust 'em up how, by arresting any group of yoots congregating just in case they are forming a gang? You really want to pull all the stops out and make this a full blown police state, don't you?

Zealots rarely think about the long-term consequences of their actions.

Jacoby circa age 8 with my dad's gun

the hair is incredible