23 thoughts on “Guns: ‘Somethin’s Happnin’ Here, What It is Ain’t Exactly Clear’ – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. “Guns, or at least the way too many of us use them, are a cancer. We must fight against them ..”

    How do you propose to stop people from building homemade bombs, like the ones used at the Boston Marathon? Anyone remember Timothy McVeigh?

      1. “We must restrict access to guns.”

        Real stupid Richard! Every horrible examples of blood-letting has occurred in legally mandated,
        “gun-free zones”, where these lunatics are assured that their victims will be unarmed and helpless!
        If you consider owning a gun as wrong, I’d suggest that your put a sign on your front door or in your front yard and we’ll see what happens. (THAT iS; if you REALLY don’t own one)
        Can you spell hypocrasy?

        “We are a proud, powerful country transformed into blubbering infants in the face of them.”
        Sorry, Speak for yourself. The only blubbering I hear is from left-wing pundits and their operatives

        As a veteran and proud member of Oath Keepers, all I can say is: “molon labe!”
        BTW, how do you feel about baseball clubs and tire irons?

  2. “Because of Aipac’s toxic role in U.S. foreign policy it’s virtually impossible for a U.S. president to play a constructive, robust role in resolving the conflict.”

    Several American presidents, from Carter to Obama, have made great efforts to make Arab and Jew sit down and build a lasting peace in the Middle East. Did AIPAC try to stop the U.S. presidents from making peace?

  3. I agree with what you write, and wish you all the best–it’s an uphill battle. Here in Canada our recent Conservative government–now thankfully defeated–also supported the gun lobby (albeit not nearly as strong up here). They abolished the long-gun registry introduced by the previous Liberal government, and voted against a UN arms control treaty because it might affect gun owners in Canada.
    Regarding the comment by “Barbar”: Yes, the Boston Marathon and Oklahoma City massacres were horrific, but your question about homemade bombs doesn’t negate in the slightest the arguments against guns, since far more killings are perpetrated (at least in North America) with guns than with homemade bombs.

  4. Richard, the real killer among guns are the cheapo nine-shot automatic had guns, the “Saturday night specials”, because most of the “shooting incidents” out of the 366 or so we have had this year in America have been small scale ones featuring those sorts of guns. The “long-livedness” of guns is another thing; the cheap ones circulate from one owner to the other for decades. As long as bullets are manufactured for the caliber the gun is, that gun is not obsolete (and hard-core gun users will make bullets for the ancient types.) This country is floating on a sea of guns; revolvers, automatics, hunting rifles, automatic rifles, machine pistols, ex-military rifles, historical machine guns, submachine guns, chainguns, the occasional working cannon…..

  5. Most of this is pretty accurate and should change as Richard suggests.

    The one point Richard makes huge mistake is comparing mentally ill murderers and other ideological murderers. There is no shred of resemblance. One is simply no responsible to his/her actions while the other kills by the name of some greater cause. Comparing the two is an apologetic move that dismisses the hardness of the heinous act.

    1. @ Arik: You make the mistake which I warned against in my post. The ultimate prevention of gun massacres will not be in addressing the ideological or mental health motivations of the killers (that’s a band-aid solution), but in removing access to the weapons. That removes access for all would-be killers.

      1. ” That removes access for all would-be killers.”
        Sorry, but that is hardly logical. There are always ways for those who want to commit a crime to get a gun. They just will need a connection and pay more.

      2. What are you smoking, Richard? Please tell us, HOW do you determine who is a “WOULD BE KILLER”,
        in advance?? The overwhelming majority of gun owners would ONLY kill someone in self-defense. WHY would you deny us that freedom!!!!!

        1. @ Dave Terry: You’re full of horse shit. A gun toting vigilante man shot & killed a guy shoplifting beer from an Arizona Circle K today. Idiot Oath Keepers like you will bring us a Trump State where Vigilante Man rules.

          You are limited to no more than 3 comments in any 24 hr period according to the comment rules. Read them if you plan to comment here again.

        2. @ Dave Terry: With gun control as enforced in all western nations, there is no need to determine who is a would-be killer. That’s the beauty of gun control. It permits guns for those who have good reasons for needing them, but takes that option away from many of the rest of us. That way, anyone who has a global grudge would have no gun option should they seek revenge for whatever reason or purpose.

  6. What is the ratio of men:women for murders committed with guns of all kinds? That ratio might give us the best direction for remedial action.

  7. The truth about guns in America, unfortunately, is that it is too late to do anything about it. All solutions that are floated are just hot air and political bluster. There are just too many guns already out there, with a prosperous (legal or otherwise) secondary market. And guns last forever. If guns sales were made illegal tomorrow, it would do nothing. Short of the US instituting martial law, going house to house and collecting weapons by force, which obviously would be politically untenable, nothing else would make any difference in the crime rate.
    I suggest listening to this
    http://freakonomics.com/2013/02/14/how-to-think-about-guns-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/

    The repercussions of this are truly severe. If in Europe, where gun control is strict, the terrorists are able of pull off the recent kind of attacks, imagine in the US–where anybody can walk into a Walmart and buy an assault rifle or a hunting knife–what will happen.

    1. @ Yehuda: This is a false, cynical & shameful display. Unlike Israel, where you’re raised to be cynical & view the I-P conflict as hopeless, we here in AMerica & the rest of the west don’t think that way. Countries like Australia had a gun culture which they brought under control after responsible public & politicians placed restrictions on them. It can be done.

      We’re not Israelis. We’re not educated for hopelessness & cynicism. Either we will whip the gun lobby, & eventually the Israel Lobby or we will go down the toilet as your country is.

      1. @Richard
        This is why you are an ideologue and I am not.
        I am reconciled to the fact that interests and power are the main motivator of human societies.
        You think that it is morality ( your perception of it).
        What was done in Australia could never be done in the US

  8. Principal Causes of death in U.S.
    & Percent of Total
    1. Diseases of the heart
    28.5
    2. Malignant tumors 22.8
    3. Cerebrovascular diseases 6.7
    4. Chronic lower respiratory diseases 5.1
    5. Accidents (unintentional injuries) 4.4
    6. Diabetes mellitus 3.0
    7. Influenza and pneumonia 2.7
    8. Alzheimer’s disease 2.4
    9. Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis 1.7
    10. Septicemia (blood poisoning) 1.4
    11. Suicide 1.3
    12. Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis 1.1
    13. Primary hypertension and hypertensive renal disease 0.8
    14. Parkinson’s disease (tied) 0.7
    15. Homicide (tied) 0.7
    Source: CDC/NHS, National Vital Statistics System

    There were almost twice as many people who killed themselves than murdered others!
    Both of these categories, added together equal only 2% of all deaths in the U.S.

    The “gun-nuts” are, contrary to your assumptions, on the left of the political spectrum.
    It is pure paranoia!!!

    1. @Dave Terry: What a stupid claim. I have no interest in death by natural causes (disease, old age). People will always die of natural causes.

      The only deaths that matter for our purposes are deaths by unnatural causes. Those you can control. In that category, guns are a major cause of death.

  9. There is no policy that can stop what these hucksters called politicians have wrought. They don’t know how to lead so they use obfuscation, outright lies, manipulation, back room decisions and divisiveness. This time they got sloppy and people pulled back due to too quick a scenery/wardrobe change or backfire. They couldn’t change the names and faces quick enough or so it seems. That’s what needs to be changed. Trying to fix the symptoms never work. We’ve got to get to the source of the matter. But just like the catholic choir boy scandal too many interconnected relationship prevent people from letting those who need to fall finally fall. The people who would have the most impact are in fact in cahoots with these perps. Good luck with them giving up the riches and their children’s future stint at Harvard or Stanford. Those lavish vacations and the insider trading secrets to prevent their loosing capital. Just saying it pays to know what you’re dealing with and this is a virulent on an epidemic level. Insidious.

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