Gun Crime

[Nicko]

Right well the thread title covers a very broad topic I guess, but I just wanna talk a little about why I made this thread first.

Anyway I got to thinking about my holiday to America last August (due to the Florida thread) and I was thinking about my experience of going through customs. I had to go up to a booth on my own as my surname is different to the others that were on the trip. Anyway I'm stood at this booth and I look over the desk and there's a handgun sitting there. This obviously made me quite nervous, not because I thought the guard was gonna shoot me or anything, but because of the way and places I was brought up in, a gun is seen as a big deal in my eyes. In my head, if you physically see a gun, then alarm bells start going (excluding Army days, my only other experience of a gun was sadly not in the controlled environment of an airport). The obvious alarm at seeing the gun really didn't help do me any good with the customs guy asking me questions either.

Another thing that quite alarmed me on holiday was a shooting that was carried out in a Denny's approximately 100 yards from my hotel. The shooting got a 2 minute spot on the news, and the whole thing was forgotten about the next day (the Denny's was reopened the very next morning). Now to me, it seemed like the whole attitude toward the situation shown by the media/police etc.. was a bit too laissez-faire for my liking.

I know that we have a few Americans on this forum so I'd like to ask them about their views on guns:

Is it a big deal for you to see a gun, or is it just part of life living in a country with a culture such as the US? And do you think that the regularity of gun crime in the US has resulted in a lazy sort of attitude towards it? Do you think anything more (e.g. stricter laws) could be done in order to reduce gun crime, or will it still happen anyway and will it always be there?

As for the Brits:

Do you think the influx of guns into the UK is inevitable? Looking at gang related incidents such as what happened to Rhys Jones and Damilola Taylor do you worry about your/others personal safety? Do you think that gun crime will remain mainly restricted to gang wars, or do you believe we will end up with a similar attitude as the US (a gun in every home, so to speak)? If gun crime continues to increase would you yourself consider getting one in order to protect your family?

Anyway I've been pondering over this topic for some time now so I thought it'd be good to get some views from you guys.

Discuss.....

[skyman747]

I am really not freaked out by a gun.
Every police officer carries one, so I see them and are used to them.
And a gun crime doesn't really bother me, because most of the time, unless you are in LA, the police will contain the shooter very quickly.
Then I remember where I lived for 12 years, there was an escapee running through my neighborhood every 3 years, and one time it even happened on Easter Day. This never bothered me except for once. The houses all were pretty similar, and all the houses had a courtyard surrounded by a fence. One day, me and the nanny I was with heard something, so we looked out the window and saw someone run through our courtyard while there was a fugitive on the loose.
I think it is just the culture of the US.

[ynneBenny]

Damiolla Taylor was stabbed in the leg with a broken bottle.
There has been a few shootings in my neck of the woods in the past year. There was a young man shot dead in Edmonton, where I was born and raised recently. One 800 yards down the road from where my mum lives. A good friend of mine (R.I.P A.C) was shot dead in Tottenham 5 years ago-he was a big time "gangster" (there was a book written about him so I've heard). Another friend I used to knock about with is doing 34 years for kidnap and murder. In the height of my 'bad days' I was offered a gun on numerous occasions because of the things I was involved in (the less said the better). A lanlord I know has a gun-he is a Turkish mafia man. My bro went on holiday with him to Turkey where he was treated like a king by the locals, the police (CID eqivalent) and the Mayor. Society suffers round my way big time from crime (gang/drug related), which is why I had to move away. I was in a bad way for a while (2 years back) and only after some rehab, and breaking ties with my "friends" (and some Wii theropy!!!) I've managed to stay on track. All the while though, I held down my "day job" (essential), avoided the police somehow and can tell the tale.
I'm not proud of my past and am in no way bragging here. My experiences have made me appreciate the more normal things in life a hell of a lot more!!!

[NazzWii]

I see you "experiences" has helped you in MOH2 though Benny !

Seriously though, I take my hat off to you for achieveing what you have.

[ynneBenny]

Originally Posted by NazzWii

I see you "experiences" has helped you in MOH2 though Benny !

Seriously though, I take my hat off to you for achieveing what you have.

Thanks Nazz. I wasn't sure if I should post it tbh, but it's what life has thrown at me so no point in pretending. I can honestly say that my life is great now!! My girlfriend has stuck by me for 6 and a half years, it wasn't easy for her, but we got through it and if I didn't have her it would have been 10 times harder.

EDIT: It prepared me for MOHH2 no end!!! LOL!!

[biddenden_sue]

Skyman's post should make us all realise just how different our two cultures are.

All policemen carry guns. Police "contain shooters quickly". It's not unusual to see fugitives running from the cops.

I would be terrified if I lived in that environment!

I just hope to God that our current level of violence in the UK doesn't take us to this kind of culture as well, or I could be tempted to emigrate to Iceland or somewhere more civilised!

[ynneBenny]

My girlfriend's uncle lives in Las Vegas - I met him on the weekend for the first time (he was over for a week). He worked in a prison there for years and has just finished intensive 6 month training to become a highway patrol cop. He said that crime in Las Vegas is terrible. While he was out and about on his training he said it was unbelievable the amount of arrests he witnessed in a day let a lone a week!! He also said the women were the worst one's when it came to arresting them!!!!!

As part of his training he was sprayed in the eyes with pepper spray then had to "wrestle and restrain" an actor posing as a considerable threat. He also had to experience what a taser gun does to you......TWICE!!!!

Sue, I agree, let's hope it doesn't get like that here!!!

[<mojo>]

The thing is ... there are deadly weapons all around us everyday . I could easily stab someone in the eye with a pen if I was so inclined . I think the main problen is the people who use them .
Unfortunately in the US a lot of the population feel they need guns to protect themelves from other people with guns (I assume) . And the gun problems are perpetuated .

I blame the media to an extent . Such as those who create films and music (unwittingly i'm sure) that glorify guns which helps to intergrate a mindset of gun tolerance in modern culture .

To be honest I hate guns and what they stand for ... but its the no brained idiots of the world who I hate more ... gun or no gun .

I dont think we'll see firearms over here to the same extent of the US . I cant see us ever legalising them . Thank God !

[Caesar]

An interesting debate.

Mojo - You say it's not the guns but the people that are the problem. True. You can kill someone with almost any object larger than your fist or sharper than a kitchen knife, but that is not their primary use. Those objects and tools that can be made deadly were designed and produced for practical use. Guns on the other hand are designed and produced for the sole purpose of killing or fatally wounding a human. We don't arm our soldiers with kitchen knifes and office stationary for a reason.

Correct me if I'm wrong, my history isn't top-notch on this subject but the American's 'right to bear arms' is our fault. When the British invaded America, they found they could instantly mobilized hundreds of able-bodied troops to defend their settlement by simply giving the populace the right to defend themselves. That's why America has a huge Air force but a very small standing army. The only problem is, America is no longer under threat of a massive land invasion that would justify everyone, left, right and centre owning the latest assault rifle. You have a right to defend yourself. Sure. The Americans aren't defending themselves anymore, their killing themselves. The younger generation want the guns because they think they're cool and you get University massacres. So really, is it really worth having a whole population army themselves to the teeth to feel safer? As Sue said, I wouldn't feel very safe knowing that all the strangers that live within walking distance of my residence have easy access to a lethal weapon that they could turn on me for any reason just for the sake of having the damned thing. But not to worry, even if they can kill you, all you have to do is get your own gun and bingo, every one's safe! Don't think so.

[Nicko]

Who are you and what have you done with Caesar?!

On a serious note, good post.