If guns = ratings, it's my turn

[art vandelay]

It doesn't matter either way. Criminals will get guns and use them for evil. That's what criminals do.

using this logic, what is the use in having any laws, being that criminals will disobey them?

people will drink and drive no matter what. i guess we might as well repeal laws against drunk driving.

[Riccardo]

No one knows who owns guns

That's one way to frame it. The other way is to say that only 32 percent of Americans own a gun. And evidence suggests that the percentage is in sharp decline. In the 70's, the percentage was over 50 percent.

Part of the gun problem solution in this country will come from simple attrition. As the gun nutz die off over the next several decades, new generations won't be taking up ownership in the same numbers.

If you believe Gallup polling, little has changed. Their numbers bounce around year to year but if you draw a regression line it's basically flat the last 40 years. And of course your notion that every gun owner is a "gun nut" is ludicrous.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/1645/guns.aspx

[Eagle Road]

That's one way to frame it. The other way is to say that only 32 percent of Americans own a gun. And evidence suggests that the percentage is in sharp decline. In the 70's, the percentage was over 50 percent.

Part of the gun problem solution in this country will come from simple attrition. As the gun nutz die off over the next several decades, new generations won't be taking up ownership in the same numbers.

Not only do I think that the "reported" number of gun owners is wrong, ( because I like CW and others, if asked would say no) I think your logic/math is off.

Even using your numbers of 32% of appox. 300 million being 100 million gun owners is correct,

HOWEVER, if you look at the 1970 pop. census which recorded 203 million, even 50% ownership would be again, a 100 million gun owners.

So, at the very least, gun ownership is the same, and I think that 32% number is VERY susceptible.

[Ground_Meat]

using this logic, what is the use in having any laws, being that criminals will disobey them?

people will drink and drive no matter what. i guess we might as well repeal laws against drunk driving.

i hear what youre saying, but people act like stricter gun laws are going to stop horrible shootings like this. they wont.

i hate these shootings as much as anyone...

im all for stricter penalties against drunk drivers. my wife's cousin was killed by one several years ago. it was his FOURTH incident and the dude got off with like 7 years in prison (California's maximum). i think it's terrible. the bottom line is that you could give the death penalty to drunk drivers and it wont stop them.



i agree with Eagle Road. it's a MORAL dilemma in human beings. people are sick and always will be.

[art vandelay]

i'm sorry to hear about your wife's cousin. but since you support stricter penalties for drunk driving even though it won't stop the problem, why don't you support stricter gun control even though it won't stop mass shootings?

i favor fewer laws whenever possible but i don't see how keeping guns away from certain people wouldn't be beneficial. as much as people say that it's impossible to take away guns, there are other countries which have successfully done so, and ultimately reduced gun violence. the argument that gun control won't stop our problems is flawed imo and often used by those who are worried that gun control will hurt their ability to own firearms, and consequentially make them feel unsafe. but responsible gun owners wouldn't have anything to worry about.

[FuriousXGeorge]

( because I like CW and others, if asked would say no)

(Because we are paranoid lunatics)

[FuriousXGeorge]

According to a Gallup pole, in 2011 47% of American adults said they owned a gun, so there seems to be differing data sets. It was the highest mark since 1993. Who knows how accurate it is though. I own a gun, but if someone called me and asked I would say no.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/150353/se...hest-1993.aspx

So, less Americans own guns than want to legalize pot. And yet 48 states...

[Ground_Meat]

i'm sorry to hear about your wife's cousin. but since you support stricter penalties for drunk driving even though it won't stop the problem, why don't you support stricter gun control even though it won't stop mass shootings?

i favor fewer laws whenever possible but i don't see how keeping guns away from certain people wouldn't be beneficial. as much as people say that it's impossible to take away guns, there are other countries which have successfully done so, and ultimately reduced gun violence. the argument that gun control won't stop our problems is flawed imo and often used by those who are worried that gun control will hurt their ability to own firearms, and consequentially make them feel unsafe. but responsible gun owners wouldn't have anything to worry about.

what im saying is i think it's terrible that he only got 7 years, but yes...it wouldnt have stopped him from killing my wife's cousin.

i think the difference is that i (personally) see the benefits of gun ownership. do people NEED assault rifles? no, not at this point in our nation's history. i just see this as a very slippery slope once "certain types of guns" are being outlawed.

[common wealth]

What does pot have to do with the reliability of data on gun owners?

[common wealth]

(Because we are paranoid lunatics)

Yes, if you don't want to volunteer information about yourself you must be paranoid.

[FuriousXGeorge]

Yes, if you don't want to volunteer information about yourself you must be paranoid.

If you don't want to volunteer information about yourself then hang up when you get opinion poll calls? (Of course, these calls are anonymous from private firms so yes you are paranoid if you worry about what happens with your answers)

[Riccardo]

No only an idiot would tell a total stranger on the phone

(Because we are paranoid lunatics)

That they have guns in their house. Would you tell a stranger what valuables you keep in your house? Polls most likely underestimate gun ownership by a large margin

[FuriousXGeorge]

That they have guns in their house. Would you tell a stranger what valuables you keep in your house? Polls most likely underestimate gun ownership by a large margin

If you are so paranoid that the universities and polling companies have a massive conspiracy to sell your information to robbers...why the fuck are you lying to them instead of hanging up the phone?

Also, you need anti-psychotic meds.

[Riccardo]

Jeeze what an idiot

So some anonymous clown calls you on the phone and you take whatever they say who they are as absolute truth? Suckers like you are the reason there are so many successful scammers out there.

[FuriousXGeorge]

So some anonymous clown calls you on the phone and you take whatever they say who they are as absolute truth? Suckers like you are the reason there are so many successful scammers out there.

When some random person calls me I hang up the phone. What is being proposed here is instead:

1. Random person calls up.
2. You pick up the phone.
3. You answer 60-100 demographic questions.
4. You begin to answer a litany of poll questions.
5. Suddenly, 'GASP' YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT MY STOCKPILE OF 500 GUNS? No, the answer is "I HAVE NO GUNS!" MUHAHAHAHA! POLL SUBVERTED FOREVER!