Why the AR-15 is DIFFERENT

[_Jersey Girl]

Markkkk you wrote:

Kidding aside, your post lends to my point about underlying factors that lead to the root of the problem. If someone listens to violent music, and watches violent movies...there is a greater chance they might emulate these actions and basically become a product of their environment. Add not having parental support and structure...it compounds the chances for criminal behavior. And if they have mental issues...that is a perfect storm.

The perfect storm happens when you take that person who has varying environmental factors and arm them with an AR 15.

Why do you avoid that part of the equation?

[_honorentheos]

Let's start with ending America's gun fetish and see what happens.

[_Jersey Girl]

Markkk you could take a hypothetical 19 year old, who has never played a violent game, watched a violent movie in his life, who has great parents and an excellent family life...and give him schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and you've still got the same potential for gun violence, a mass shooting so long as this person is armed.

It seems to me that you avoid addressing the weapons issue repeatedly. You cannot avoid the object that is the very centerpiece of and the tool that is used in carrying out these mass shootings.

[_Some Schmo]

Let's start with ending America's gun fetish and see what happens.

For that to happen, you would indeed need to have a chat with Hollywood (among others).

[_honorentheos]

Possibly. But it's also the culture around guns and sub cultural expressions. Gun porn is a hot thing on YouTube.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hxq0UvWvxlE

Combine the fetishism around firearms with availability seems to be the mix that's making us #1in the worst available category among our national peers.

[_Some Schmo]

Yeah, I trust what you're saying Honor. I can't relate to gun loving at all, given my background, but I can believe it exists. People are into all kinds of crazy stuff.

America is certainly unique. That's not always a good thing.

[_Markk]

The perfect storm happens when you take that person who has varying environmental factors and arm them with an AR 15.

Why do you avoid that part of the equation?

I am not avoiding that at all, I get your point...but..there are millions that own guns, including AR-15's that don't shoot people. There are millions that watch violent movies and don't kill people. Millions of people don't want the constitution rights to bear arms infringed, just as millions don't want the 1st amendment rights infringed.

Do you believe the AR-15 is the problem, or guns in general? In other words, if the AR-15 is banned, would that stop gun violence? If no, after it is banned, should the government keep taking other models away until when? Do you want a total ban?

[_honorentheos]

To be fair it's anecdotal that I say that. But I can guarantee the people on Facebook I know posting now about how bad a threat gun control advocate are for taking advantage of tragedies are same people who will be posting videos of people with hardware making things blow up or shredded things again if and when the social flare up cools down. It clearly is getting some people's dicks hard.

[_Some Schmo]

I am not avoiding that at all, I get your point...but..there are millions that own guns, including AR-15's that don't shoot people. There are millions that watch violent movies and don't kill people. Millions of people don't want the constitution rights to bear arms infringed, just as millions don't want the 1st amendment rights infringed.

Fair enough.

Do you believe the AR-15 is the problem, or guns in general? In other words, if the AR-15 is banned, would that stop gun violence? If no, after it is banned, should the government keep taking other models away until when? Do you want a total ban?

I personally think it should be much more difficult to qualify for a gun, that's all. I'm uncertain how successful a complete ban would be in this country, so OK. If that's off the table, I don't understand why it has to be so easy to qualify for gun ownership and use. We have stricter rules for driving a car and drinking alcohol than we do for owning and shooting a gun. That's not freedom, that's insanity.

Real freedom comes with responsibility. If people have to own guns, they should have to regularly prove they can use them responsibly before they get and keep one. It's a tiny price to pay for the rest of us who aren't obsessed with gun ownership.

[_Paracelsus]

About Switzerland, my homeland...

GENEVA — The Swiss are armed to the teeth.

Only the United States and Yemen have more guns per capita than this Alpine nation of 8.5 million people.

But mass shootings are rare here unlike in the U.S.
...
So, what is Switzerland doing differently?
Vigilance is one factor.
That is something what is missing in US...
Read the whole article!
...
Swiss history of gun ownership

Since World War II, soldiers serving in the Swiss military kept their weapons and ammunition at home. This gave rise to the famous “gun in every closet” phrase pro-gun lobbyists in the U.S. and elsewhere used to tout Switzerland’s liberal arms law.

But that changed somewhat in 2007, a year after Swiss champion skier Corinne Rey-Bellet and her brother were shot by Corinne's estranged husband, who used his old military-issue rifle to commit the murder.

After that incident, the government ordered that ammunition for army weapons be left in arsenals, although the guns could still be kept at home.
...

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/21/switzerland-loves-its-guns-but-mass-shootings-rare/358500002/ .