holy sh*t!

[Matador]

Speaking of veers and gun's....t-minus 10 days until the GOP pulls the trigger on the gun they are holding to the head of the US (and frankly, world) economy. After which guns will certainly become far more valuable, since currency will look more like 5.56 ammo and canned beans.

 

[Gold]

Read Left of Bang and do a better job of situational awareness and reading your environment. If you let the thug get the drop on you, you've ceded the initiative. The best defense is avoiding the bad encounter by recognizing it before it happens. I agree that you probably shouldn't carry.

Also, modern striker-fired pistols have trigger safeties (no extra step required). But I wouldn't expect you'd know that given your bias.

This is your fantasy. You can do whatever you want!

 

[hodad]

Canada has less than 10% of the US population, no 2A, less gang activity, and very different demographics. Hardly a good comparison.

Looking at crimes per 100,000, not just number of crimes. You could look this stuff up, but I'm sure this would challenge your limited abilities. "Less gang activity?" What do you know about gang activity in Canada? Demographics are somewhat different, but it's also a very urban population, and a lot more diverse than you seem to believe.

But if you meant there aren't as many Black people in Canada, I'd have to concede you're correct about that. But you probably didn't want to say that out loud, because it makes you sound like a racist.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

This is your fantasy. You can do whatever you want!

No, I'm a law-abiding citizen with morals so my actions are constrained. I don't fantasize, I analyze. Good luck.

 

[ruffrecords]

Doesn't the US permit freedom of worship, so what about all the non-christians and atheists who might find the poster of the ten commandments offensive or at least irrelevant?

Cheers

Ian

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Looking at crimes per 100,000, not just number of crimes. You could look this stuff up, but I'm sure this would challenge your limited abilities. "Less gang activity?" What do you know about gang activity in Canada? Demographics are somewhat different, but it's also a very urban population, and a lot more diverse than you seem to believe.

I have many Canadian friends and had relatives by a former marriage, too. It isn't hard to get the basic data.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Canada

But if you meant there aren't as many Black people in Canada, I'd have to concede you're correct about that. But you probably didn't want to say that out loud, because it makes you sound like a racist.

Data is data.

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u....019/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-3.xls
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u....019/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-6.xls
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u....19/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-11.xls
As for the Canadian gang red herring...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_population
USA had ~900k gang members in 2009 out of 310M inhabitants which is 0.29% per capita. If Canada, population 33M, had an equal rate there would be 95,700 gang members there. But the numbers I see are more like 30k for Canada.

Or we can look at gang homicide rates. The whole of Canada had 184 gang related murders in 2021. Chicago alone had 797 homicides in that year and 50-60% were gang related. Do the math.

https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3510007501

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Doesn't the US permit freedom of worship, so what about all the non-christians and atheists who might find the poster of the ten commandments offensive or at least irrelevant?

Cheers

Ian

We don't "permit" it, it is an inalienable right. The failed TX bill was misguided.

 

[crazydoc]

Doesn't the US permit freedom of worship, so what about all the non-christians and atheists who might find the poster of the ten commandments offensive or at least irrelevant?

Cheers

Ian

Politicians waste their time trying to codify their own opinions and moral standards to force them on everybody, then let the judicial system waste everybody's time and money trying to sort it out. Sure keeps the legal machinery feeding on the money.

 

[JohnRoberts]

So this was pretty much fake news used to chum the political waters...
===
I hear the DeSantis' twitter reveal crashed the servers(?). I saw him do a long form sit down interview later on Fox and he sounds pretty solid. That doesn't mean he will make through the gauntlet.

Lately I have seen lots of slick anti-DeSantis ads on TV, so somebody is afraid of him. I can't read minds like you guys but that seems like a reasonable guess.

JR

 

[Recording Engineer]

So this was pretty much fake news used to chum the political waters...
===
I hear the DeSantis' twitter reveal crashed the servers(?). I saw him do a long form sit down interview later on Fox and he sounds pretty solid. That doesn't mean he will make through the gauntlet.

Lately I have seen lots of slick anti-DeSantis ads on TV, so somebody is afraid of him. I can't read minds like you guys but that seems like a reasonable guess.

JR

He sounds pretty solid because he’s pretty extreme. That works well for him in Florida, just like it works well for Newsom on the other extreme in CA. Take them nationally and they’re going to have a much harder time (not nearly as strong) selling their extreme brands. Obviously, the only question, as everyone has been saying for DeSantis, is if he can siphon off enough from Trump.

When are we going to get back to reasonableness? We’re nowhere near even trying to get to that realm with Trump and DeSantis (and Newsom, should he really go for it)! We’ll see if America can put even a genuine-try forward. I don’t think it will. I’d love to be wrong.

 

[AnalogPackrat]

He sounds pretty solid because he’s pretty extreme.

Hardly. He'd be a middle of the road moderate in 1960.

That works well for him in Florida, just like it works well for Newsom on the other extreme in CA. Take them nationally and they’re going to have a much harder time (not nearly as strong) selling their extreme brands.

DeSantis has a mostly positive record in FL, while Newsom has fleeing citizens and businesses, budget problems, failing infrastructure, and his authoritarian lock down stance (including his failure to adhere to his own mandates). Gavin is slimy and a lot of people can see that.

Obviously, the only question, as everyone has been saying for DeSantis, is if he can siphon off enough from Trump.

Hard to tell. It's early.

When are we going to get back to reasonableness? We’re nowhere near even trying to get to that realm with Trump and DeSantis (and Newsom, should he really go for it)! We’ll see if America can put even a genuine-try forward. I don’t think it will. I’d love to be wrong.

What's reasonable? Ceding more rights to a growing government bureaucratic nightmare? More censorship? Open borders? Increasing violent crime? No, thanks!

 

[Recording Engineer]

Hardly. He'd be a middle of the road moderate in 1960.

I bet you’re right, but this certainly isn’t 1960 and 1960 middle of the road moderate is pretty extreme today. Make America Great Again!

 

[Gold]

Speaking of that, where's the strong evidence that gun control lowers crime?

Take a look at Australia. They banned guns in 1996 and murders and suicides plummeted.

 

[JohnRoberts]

Take a look at Australia. They banned guns in 1996 and murders and suicides plummeted.

homicides down some 20%, I don't know about suicides.

Homicides peaked about three years after that law in '96 but are in a long term trend lower. There are likely other factors also involved complicating the simple analysis.

JR

 

[AnalogPackrat]

Take a look at Australia. They banned guns in 1996 and murders and suicides plummeted.

And the murder rate in the USA plummeted by 50% from 1991 to 2013. Because we got tough on criminals. The number of guns in private hands increased during this time. In recent years the murder rate has increased again as soft on crime policies returned.

 

[boji]

When are we going to get back to reasonableness?

Reduce time online, quality of life improves. Testimony on this appears unanimous.

When we start taking our 'capture' seriously, and take action to de-polarize ourselves instead of trying to polarize others, we'll begin the march back to reasonableness (and organizing power).

 

[ruffrecords]

From this side of the pond it is hard to tell if de Santis is a real contender or not.

Cheers

Ian

 

[JohnRoberts]

From this side of the pond it is hard to tell if de Santis is a real contender or not.

Cheers

Ian

The vote is over a year away so it is too early to call while the talking heads will try.

JR

 

[crazydoc]

Must be coincidence.

 

[living sounds]

Let's not jump to conclusions.

It's still an open question why crime rose and dropped as it did in the second half of the 20th century.

It happened around the western world and many factors were at play:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_drop
An aging population, contraceptives, legalized abortion, environmental toxins (see Lead–crime hypothesis - Wikipedia), drug proliferation, the economy, immigration, incarceration, policing and, yes, gun safety laws, may all have played a part.