Despite Recent Violence, Gun Laws Are Softening(freep the poll)

parade ^ | 6 June, 2009 | Rebecca Webber

[marktwain]

Thirteen killed at an immigration center in New York. Eight at a nursing home in North Carolina. Five in a house in California. These were among the 57 people killed in mass shootings in a 30-day period this spring in the U.S. Meanwhile, new laws are easing restrictions on guns.

Congress recently approved a bill to allow guns in national parks. Tennessee has passed similar measures for its state parks. In South Carolina, a bill under debate would allow weapons on school grounds. Texas may welcome guns into bars. In Montana, a new law requires landlords and hotel owners to allow firearms on their premises.

The bills' supporters say these measures may actually help head off greater violence. "Crime can happen anywhere," says Andrew Arulanandam of the National Rifle Association. "The only thing that can stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun. Law enforcement can't be everywhere, so law-abiding people should have as many options as possible if and when they are attacked."

Should states loosen restrictions on guns? Yes No

View Results Gun-control advocates argue that weakening laws is disastrous. While it wouldn't necessarily lead to more mass shootings, they say, it would almost certainly increase the number of gun-related murders in the U.S. There are currently more than 11,500 each year, and America has one of the world's highest firearm homicide rates. Per capita, our rate is 39 times greater than that of England, 13 times Australia's, and 6 times Canada's.

"We have the equivalent of a Virginia Tech massacre every day in this country. It's just not all in one place," says Daniel Webster of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. "It's what happens when a person gets mad and has easy access to a gun. Someone is shot over a game of dice. Had the gun not been in their hands, no one would have died."

— Rebecca Webber

[marktwain]

A stupid and silly anti-gun propaganda piece. There is a poll to freep at the article.

[Brilliant]

Possibly because the gun laws aren’t working.

[SandRat]

Should states loosen restrictions on guns?

Yes 83%

No 17%

[bmwcyle]

Yes 83%

No 17%

[marktwain]

The intellectual dishonesty is apparent in the focus on *gun* murders. It makes no difference to the person murdered if they are killed with a gun or a rock.

Switzerland requires an “machine gun” in each house, and has a lower homicide rate than most of the rest of Europe. I notice it is not mentioned.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

"Someone is shot over a game of dice".

Well, if someone is hanging out in an alley smoking dope and rolling dice I reckon they know what the risks are.

This problem isn't caused by anyone I associate with and I'm not in the mood to suffer for it.

[CodeMasterPhilzar]

Yes is up to 85%

[ExSoldier]

Yes 85%

No 15%

Continue the freep! Before DU jumps aboard.

[marktwain]

“It's what happens when a person gets mad and has easy access to a gun. Someone is shot over a game of dice. Had the gun not been in their hands, no one would have died.”

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This is the old, discredited “trigger pulls the finger” model. The problem with this model is that it simply is not true. The facts do not support it. If people are willing to kill others, guns do not make it more likely. A knife will do, or a rock, or hands and feet.

The most important thing in determining what the level of violence will be in any group is the culture that they come from. Japanese in the United States, with easy access to guns, have a lower homicide rate than Japanese in Japan.

Sub-Saharan Africa has extremely high rates of homicide, as does Mexico. Take the groups from those cultures out of the mix for United States homicide rates, and our rates are right in there with most of Europe.

[Dogbert41]

Wow. How long before they remove the poll?

[SWAMPSNIPER]

Most of my associates were too busy working 60 or 70 hour weeks, taking care of their families, to hang out and shoot craps. If you associate with trash the smell rubs off on you. I really resent being lumped in with people I have nothing in common with.

[dynachrome]

Looking good so far. Wonder if it will get pulled?

FREEP THIS POLL ***PING!*** FRmail me if you want to be added or removed from the Fearless Poll-Freeping Freepers Ping list. And be sure to ping me to any polls that need Freepin', if I miss them. (looks like a medium volume list) (gordongekko909, founder of the pinglist, stays on the list until his ghost signs up for the list)

[chris_bdba]

Up to 85% yes now

[chris_bdba]

I mean 86% Duh!

[Pontiac]

We have the equivalent of a Virginia Tech massacre every day in this country. It's just not all in one place," says Daniel Webster of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research. "It's what happens when a person gets mad and has easy access to a gun. Someone is shot over a game of dice. Had the gun not been in their hands, no one would have died." .

No it is what happens when somebody gets ‘Dissed’.

Most of these shootings that happen today are products of inner city gang culture.

They are turf wars over drug gangs. Some are initiation killings; a gang member getting his bones.

You are not going to stop this type of killing by passing laws against guns. The people that commit these murders are no respecters of law. Quite the contrary these people hate the law and hate the police and they despise people who do as weak.

[TheOldLady]

Thank you for voting!

Yes 86%

No 14%

[ChowChowFace]

Freeped

[marktwain]

I notice Parade does not allow comments.

[defal33]

87 yes

13 no

[marktwain]

Wow. How long before they remove the poll?

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Yes. We are strong. It is all the more impressive with a push-poll like this and the false last paragraph.