At some point do you think that you will realise it isn’t 1848 any more?
The rest of the world (well the Western and much of Asia) grew out of the John Wayne Longjohn mentality some time ago.
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That you think that (what is essentially) the death penalty is appropriate and acceptable for a b&e or even an assault is, imo, disgusting.
By being armed during an altercation, you are between ~4.5 and ~5.5 times more likely to be shot.
It’s obvious that you’ve had no training in defensive tactics nor the use of deadly force.
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I’m with you here. Measures that increase the difficulty of entry or enhance detection seem to be the smarter and more potentially effective investment, IMHO.
This may also make it less likely that someone might soon be standing before a judge explaining why they put a few bullets in the chest of another person - someone who may or may not have had lethal intent, or even the wish to touch anyone at all. Best of luck with that one.
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Or they will have guns, and kill you first. Surely reducing the number of such violent crimes is a better solution, wouldn’t you say?
“Murders (UK) with firearms 14 Ranked 39th.US 9,369 ranked 4th, 669 times more than United Kingdom…”
“In the US in 2023, 46,999 robberies involved a handgun”
The vast money generated by the companies that manufacture and sell guns and ammunition in the US, are happy to lobby politicians, who in turn are happy to peddle the lie, that you’re safer with a gun than without, none of the evidence supports this.
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I believe in using violence for self-defense but–at the same time–I acknowledge that countries that have drastically curtailed gun ownership have–obviously–fewer gun deaths.
Britain (for example) had 64 total gun deaths for the year of 2017 with a population of 66 million people, while the United States lost almost as many in just one mass shooting (58 dead at a music concert in Las Vegas) with a population around 280 million people.
So while I own guns for self-defense, I am ready to admit that many other countries must be doing something better than we are.
Yet I am troubled by the idea (so I’ve heard) that criminals simply switched tactics. It seems that car jackers in Britain walk around with jars of acid or a solution of caustic lye, and they throw this corrosive liquid into someone’s face when they want something, so the numbers of victims have remained the same . . . but instead of bullet wounds people get horrific chemical burns.
FYI, this may be me repeating propaganda from some far-right gun enthusiasts.
It’s not just a b&e if they put their hands on either of us, it’s assault ,and I(we) have the right to defend ourselves.
I don’t care what your opinion is on this subject. And I know how to protect myself and my family. No one is innocent once they’ve broken into someone else’s property.
Costing them dearly doesn’t always mean killing them, it’s something that they’ll regret.
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In my housing project miscreant days, my preferred source of items of value wasn’t houses but I might have perhaps been colleagues with others who went that route.
In such a circumstance, high among the target items are guns.
If an owner thinks they’re keeping it in a hidden location, they aren’t. Anyone who is stupid enough to keep a gun in the house for “self defense”, especially one outside of a heavy safe, keeps them in common places.
And as for the self defense piece, that gun is far more of a danger to the family living in the house than to anyone else. Someone taking the risk of breaking in will probably ensure they enter when no one is there or expected to be for a while; the owner will never get to indulge their vigilante fantasy of imagining an oncoming assault and firing at will.
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I also think that a part of the drastic differences between the USA and Europe (when it comes to violence) is that I believe Europeans (in general) are more civilized.
You guys take care of your crazy people, your addicts, and so forth.
Here in the USA, we actually have crazy people who commit cannibalism, drug addicts who need a fix, and crazy psycopaths who never get treatment or meds.
It’s actually a religious value (here in the States) that poor people deserve to be poor because it’s God’s will, so addressing poverty is sacreligious.
See below:
Overview
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The belief that poor people deserve poverty as God’s will is a harmful interpretation of religion, often considered to be a misapplication of scripture, as most religious texts emphasize the importance of caring for the poor and view poverty not as a punishment from God, but rather a complex issue requiring societal action to address injustice and inequality.
Did I not mention assault?
Yes, and shooting someone, which can cause death, is tantamount to the death penalty.
Then why are you responding to what I’ve said?
Straw man. Where in my posts have I said they are innocent?
Again, it’s obvious by this sentence that you’ve had no training in defensive tactics or the use of lethal force.
Additionally, it appears you flew right by the actual statistical data I added in my post. Perhaps because it just doesn’t fit your manly style.
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That is the real solution. There are SO many gullible folks in the U.S. who refuse to accept actual data and instead swallow the rhetoric peddled by organizations, politicians, and companies who just want financial profit without a care for the detriment it causes.
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Even most reasonable gun owners can concede that what we allow in this country is profoundly stupid.
Despite being a gun owner, I do believe in intelligent limitations. My obsession (when it comes to weapons) is banning private ownership of flamethrowers (and no, I’m not trolling or being a wiseass).
Please see below:
You can buy a flamethrower through the mail with no background check, as it (technically) isn’t a firearm.
Regardless of how we feel about AK-47 and AR-15 assault rifles in private hands, I lobby my congresswoman to pass laws against private ownership of flamethrowers.
As you can see above, I can even buy the mix (for about $50.00) to turn the gasoline into napalm. Napalm is a form of gasoline that is very adhesive, and has the consistancy of jelly . . . so it sticks to you while it’s burning.
And I can buy one of these things 20 minutes after I escape from an insane asylum, and it’s perfectly legal.
I think it’s only a matter of time before some crazy maniac uses one of these to kill lots and lots of people . . . but talking to legislators is like banging my head against a wall.
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I don’t know of anyone who does it this side of the pond but I’m interested in what you guys (as atheists) might do if you were taken home to see your partner’s parents and they did do it. Would you join in, show respect or just sit there? What if you were actually asked to “lead” the prayer?
It’s a bit of a problem but I imagine I’d deal with it much the same way as I deal with religious ceremonies… my mum died recently and she was Christian so we organised her funeral in the local church. None of her sons are particularly religious although I undoubtedly have the strongest views on the subject but we all spoke (mine was a poem); no one was expected to kneel and I just said nothing when the various “amens” came along and so on… it helped that the preacher was a bit of a rock 'n roll sort 
UK Atheist
Even our law enforcement organizations tend to be “pro gun.”
In Florida (Polk County), we have a sheriff named Grady Judd, who seems to be the stereotype of sheriff from a Western movie.
He has often praised people who shoot criminals, and has offered to help home owners with free gun-handling/shooting classes. Please see below:
While I dislike Sheriff Judd and I disagree with a lot of what he does and says, he seems to aggressively go after fellow law enforcement when cops break the rules, he has interdicted record amounts of fentanyl (and thus saved lives), and he has attacked human trafficking with impressive results.
He has even called a press conference to discuss a case of mistaken identity that caused a young man to lose his job when he was wrongly arrested at work, and used his political influence to get this young man a comparable (or even better) job.
So he seems to have some redeeming qualities.
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I don’t remember if I’ve posted this before (I might have), but the video below gives an impression of the nordic approach to policing, and thus indirectly an indication of the general level of and types of dangers in our societies. The video is an episode from the sociopolical documentary TV series “The Norden” that approaches a diverse array of aspects of Nordic life as seen from the outside.
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…and while on the subject of the TV series The Norden, here is the episode on religion. A US pastor visits the nordic countries to see our approach to religion. Or rather, how much we (don’t) care
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You would thank your parents for a gift but not for a punishment.
The point was about the relentless confirmation bias theists often indulge. Not a literal suggestion they thank any deity for anything.
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I never prayed before a meal until I joined the Navy.
more than anything else… tradition.
once tradition takes root other reasons are just kind of there as excuses.