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Paddock's family “completely dumbfounded”. Nevada does not require firearms owners to have licenses or register them

Monday, October 2nd 2017 - 17:38 UTC
Full article 61 comments

The suspected gunman behind the Las Vegas massacre made several large gambling transactions in recent weeks, according to law enforcement officials. The transactions by Stephen Paddock were in the tens of thousands in Las Vegas, the officials said. It was not immediately clear if those transactions were losses or wins. Read full article

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  • The Voice

    Letting madmen have access to guns is stupid as this deadly episode proves. The US is full of frightened people who feel they have to protect themselves with guns against guns in the hands of criminals and nutcases. The US seems to be rich in 'pop up' lunatics, the slaughter will continue.

    Oct 03rd, 2017 - 11:46 am - Link - Report abuse +2
  • Yogi

    Voice

    The perp was not mad. He had no mental problems at all.

    The US id not “full of frightened people”. Why do you say this?

    Oct 03rd, 2017 - 11:55 am - Link - Report abuse -6
  • The Voice

    There you have it. Yogi, a stupid Yank defending a stupid policy! And...what normal person would kill 59 innocent people and injure more than 500? Mad or a moment of extreme madness, certainly not normal and he was able to buy dozens of guns.

    Americans are frightened, why else have a gun if its not for protection?

    Oct 03rd, 2017 - 12:43 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Little J

    Believe this ghastly event should bring those who consider that the sale of weapons in general should continue to be legal and free, to their senses . Laws banning the sale of highly dangerous weapons should be ennacted by law. Hopefully this measure would avoid a recurrence of the many shootings that have affected the USA in recent months. Or at least reduce these horific events to a large exent.

    Oct 03rd, 2017 - 01:17 pm - Link - Report abuse +2
  • Yogi

    Voice

    We have guns because it is our right to do so.

    Are you actually an American? I don't think so.

    Oct 05th, 2017 - 12:40 pm - Link - Report abuse -4
  • DemonTree

    @Yogi
    You also have a right to wear a tutu and ballet dance down the street singing 'Let it go'. People don't do things just because they have a right to; if you care about rights, you donate to the ACLU. Some people have guns because they enjoy sport, either target shooting or hunting, but a lot of people buy them for protection/self-defence, and yes, that means on some level they are afraid; mostly of other people with guns.

    Oct 05th, 2017 - 11:05 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Yogi

    Demontree

    Crap. There us no 'tutu wearing' amendment in the Bill of Rights. Congress may legislate a ban on crossing a state line while wearing one at any time.

    I don't think you're American either. Guess you are a Brit. Am I right? Yes, of course I am. So what has any of this to do with you.

    What we are afraid of the the government taking our guns. That is why membership in the NRA and like associates always increases after these sort of events. Your country is always given as the example of what will happen if we do not stand up for our rights.

    Here is a bit of satire which shows what you Brits cannot have.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3dNOrzittM

    Oct 06th, 2017 - 03:28 pm - Link - Report abuse -4
  • DemonTree

    Huh, do you think your only rights are those specifically granted by the government? You know you have the right to do anything that's not banned, don't you?

    Anyway, you're totally missing the point. People don't do things just because they have the right to. Americans are afraid and that is why a lot of them want guns.

    “Your country is always given as the example of what will happen if we do not stand up for our rights.”

    Er, a peaceful country with a vastly lower murder rate? Where drive-by shootings don't happen every day and people aren't afraid to walk the streets unarmed? Where drivers stopped by the police don't worry they might be shot dead if they reach for their licence a bit too quickly? That kind of country?

    Birmingham, England and Birmingham, Alabama both reported worryingly high rates of violent crime in 2016. Birmingham, England had 13 homicides and Birmingham, Alabama 92. I'm not surprised Americans are scared with crime rates like that!

    Oct 06th, 2017 - 05:37 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Allow me to complement...

    Birmingham, Engeland (Population...: 1,200,000 souls) had 13 homicides...
    Birmingham, Alabama (Population...: 200,000 souls) had 92...

    Oct 06th, 2017 - 06:39 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Chicureo

    Dear THINK: I suggest you refer instead to Chicago, as those fine redneck folks in Alabama might hunt you down for disparaging them.
    We have strict gun laws here in Chile and yet we still suffer from armed robberies that INCLUDE illegal AK47s. Nothing like the Chabut or the USA, but still a problem.

    Oct 06th, 2017 - 08:19 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Chicureo..., viejo y peludo...!!!

    Nice to see you still haven't made it to the General..., besides V. Parra and V. Jara... ;-)

    Oct 06th, 2017 - 08:34 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • DemonTree

    Ouch. Normally taking the population into account makes the numbers look better, but that's absolutely brutal. I feel pretty sorry for the American Brummies.

    @Chicureo
    The UK is an island so it's a lot more practical to keep the illegal guns out. I don't think the US should ban guns but they could stand to apply some common sense to their laws. No country needs legal AK47 clones.

    Oct 06th, 2017 - 09:05 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Chicureo

    Our dear Cuban brothers helped import enormous amounts of AK47s in the 70s, some of which that are still in circulation today. I was briefly assigned to Canada in my youthful days and I thought there they had the best balance of gun control. Almost everyone seems to own a shotgun or rifle, but handguns are tightly controlled. Nearly illegal for most citizens there. Here in Chile we have to register each year and types of weapons are strictly controlled.
    Señor THINK: Saludos as well. ...My general still awaits... ;)

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 12:00 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Ché Weon...

    I was referring to the “Cementerio General” in Recoleta were many a good Shilean rest..., not to that momio's ashes in Concón...

    Anyhow..., I reckon your “General” was a tad better than your “Admiral”...
    http://www.theclinic.cl/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/a-diez-años-428-merino-calquin.jpg

    ;-)

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 01:02 am - Link - Report abuse -1
  • Gevera

    http://en.mercopress.com/2017/10/02/paddock-s-family-completely-dumbfounded-.-nevada-does-not-require-firearms-owners-to-have-licenses-or-register-them/comments#comment474630:

    This site, Mercopenguin, is actually part of a British government run propaganda operation the aim of which is to prolong the life of their residual British Empire. Its target audience seems to be mainly British subjects - certainly not Americans. As a result most of the people that comment here are British. More specifically they are British people who are living in the past - sad but true.

    And as you have already discovered they are simultaneously ignorant, arrogant and virulently anti American. The point is that they are not worth your time to argue with.

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 03:21 am - Link - Report abuse -3
  • Think

    Mr. Gevera...

    You are quite right in your comment...
    But..., returning briefly to the scope of this article...
    Fact is that Paddock pulled a BOBBIT there in Vegas...
    Fact is that the Second Amendment is hopelessly FUBAR...
    Fact is that you Yanks wil have to BOHICA until you amend that amendment...

    Regards from El Think...
    A humble Patagonian...,virulently anti ignorance, arrogance, killings and other nasty stuff...

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 06:48 am - Link - Report abuse -3
  • DemonTree

    @Chicureo
    How are automatic weapons from 40 years ago still around even after the return to democracy?

    Canada does seem to have much more sensible rules, people own guns but they don't carry them on trips to the supermarket or keep them in their car.

    @Gevera aka Hepatia
    Why would the target audience be Americans? D'you think everything in the world has to be about you?

    America's remaining colonies are in the Caribbean and Pacific, not the South Atlantic, and most Americans seem remarkably uninterested in Latin America considering it's right next door... why is that?

    @Think
    “You are quite right in your comment”

    You saying you think I'm ignorant, arrogant and virulently anti-American? Is this payback for suggesting you were from Yorkshire? ;)

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 10:34 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Mr.DemonTree...

    Poster Gevera clearly states in his/her comment...:
    “ *** M-O-S-T *** of the people that comment here are British. More specifically they are British people who are living in the past - sad but true. And as you have already discovered they are simultaneously ignorant, arrogant and virulently anti American. ”

    Do you include yourself in the “ *** M-O-S-T ***” category...?
    I certaiinly didn't...

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 11:28 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • :o))

    @LJ:

    REF: “reduce these horrific events to a large extent”: TRUE!!!

    BUT:

    #1: The loonies crave TV Coverage
    #2: That increases the Nº of spectators of the TV Channels!
    #3: The arms-sales shoot up due to the publicity!
    #4: The Politicians receive “gifts” from the concerned lobbies
    IN SHORT; EVERYONE BENEFITS!

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 02:16 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    @Think
    No I don't, and I'm glad to hear you don't either. Hepatia certainly does though, or she wouldn't have said “as you have already discovered”.

    @:o))
    Damn, that's cynical.

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 04:08 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Chicureo

    THINK: My former “Admiral” is currently burning in the darkest depths of Hell, or at least I hope so. Who knows where my former “General” awaits...

    DemonTree: Thousands of automatic weapons were smuggled into Chile during the late 60's and throughout the 70s, which included the military regime. This included by a right-wing German sect in the 80s. Most have been confiscated, but there still are many in circulation.

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 04:53 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Ahhh... The good old times...
    Pablo Pastor-Sastre del Maule...
    He went to his former “General” not so long ago...I reckon...

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 05:04 pm - Link - Report abuse -2
  • Marti Llazo

    Santa Fe, provincial capital, Argentina: 22.2 homicides per 100000 inhabitants

    Moreno (Buenos Aires province): 15.8 homicides per 100000 inhabitants

    Rosario (Santa Fe province): 14.4 homicides per 100000 inhabitants

    Chubut (province, overall) 13.3 homicides per 100000 inhabitants

    Las Vegas, Nevada (USA): 8.1 homicides per 100000 inhabitants

    Lincoln, Nebraska (USA) 0.4 homicides per 100000 inhabitants

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 08:54 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    Las Vegas is going to have a considerably higher rate next year unless they discount the recent massacre.

    Some rates for big US cities for comparison:

    Baltimore: 51.2 per 100,000

    Chicago: 27.9 per 100,000

    Washington DC: 20.1 per 100,000

    Philadelphia: 17.7 per 100,000

    How many mass shootings are there in Argentina?

    @Chicureo
    “right-wing German sect” - is this the one?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Baviera

    I thought it was going to be Nazis, but it looks like they were more into child sexual abuse.

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 10:11 pm - Link - Report abuse -1
  • Voice

    I like Americans...
    ...just saying...

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 10:20 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Think

    TWIMC

    Fact is that Northern, southern, western & eastern Europe (including Engeland)..., where all guns are strictly regulated..., all have an intentional murder rate well under 1 per 100,000 inhabitants...

    Fact is that Australia & New Zealand..., where all guns are strictly regulated..., both have an intentional murder rate well under 1 per 100,000 inhabitants...

    Fact is that Canada..., were handguns are strictly regulated..., has a murder rate of about 1.6 per 100,000 inhabitants...

    Fact is that the USA..., where guns are quite unregulated..., has an intentional murder rate of about 5 per 100,000 inhabitants...

    Not to forget the ~600 Yankee souls killed each year by accidental shooting...

    And what do I Think the reason is...?

    The Second Amendment...!

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 10:40 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Marti Llazo

    Fact is that in Honduras, where guns are quite regulated, the homicide rate is about 60 per 100000 inhabitants.

    Fact is that in Mexico, where guns are strictly regulated, the homicide rate is about 16.4 per 100000.

    Fact is that in Argentina, where firearms are strictly regulated, the homicide rate is about 6.1 per 100000, considerably greater than the 4.5 per 100000 of the US, where firearms are considerably less regulated.

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 10:57 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Mr Voice

    You say...:
    I like Americans...

    I say...:
    You better do...
    You are married to one...

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 11:09 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    Voicethink is talking to itself again.

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 11:54 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    Think, your stats aren't right, I can't find any recent figures but I do know the poorer Eastern European countries had a higher murder rate, possibly similar to the US.

    And Marti is wrong about the US homicide rate, it went up to 5.3 per 100,000 in 2016.

    So the conclusion is, the seemingly rich and developed US has a level of crime more comparable to poorer and less developed countries.

    Easy availability of guns isn't the only reason, but it doesn't help. However, it's pointless having restrictions unless they can be enforced. How hard is it to get a gun in those countries Marti mentioned?

    I have nothing against Americans, but they do have a strange attitude to weapons.

    Oct 07th, 2017 - 11:57 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    DT you may be right -- I only had 2013, 2014, and 2015 stats for the US (4.5, 4.5, and 4.9 per 100000) but it seems like 2016 reached the 5.3 per 100000 you indicated. For Argentina the homicide rate was listed as 7.6 per 100000 in 2014 and 6.6 in 2015. Looking at province-size regions: populous Buenos Aires province was 9.1 homicides per 100000 population in 2014, more than double the 2014 rate for similarly populous California at about 4.4 per 100000. The homicide rate for Argentina can't be explained by the presence of any sort of “Second Amendment” artifact but rather by the fact that there are so many Argentines in Argentina.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 12:40 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Chicureo

    DemonTree: “Colonia Dignidad” was a horrible sect that cooperated with the dictatorship. One of the many very bad things that are hard to forgive. (BTW the Villa Baviera brand of bread is still sold in the Jumbo supermarkets here and is excellent.)

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 02:19 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Mr. DemonTree..., ladddie...

    My Eastern European stats aren't wrong...

    If one was to take the combined murder figures of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria and divide it by their total number of inhabitants..., it would most probably give a result very close to 1 murder per 100,000 souls ...

    But don't take me word for it... Calculate it yourself... and tell us the results ;-)

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 02:38 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    2016 Estonia homicide rate of 3.1 per 100000 is only slightly lower than Chile. I think Moldava's and Latvia's homicide rates are even higher than that of Argentina.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 04:57 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    It seems kind of cheating to lump a bunch of countries together to get a low rate, but I've attempted to calculate a combined murder rate for the countries in Eastern Europe listed by Think. I could only find intentional homicide counts for 2015, and I used the average of the 1 January 2015 and 1 January 2016 population counts for each country. This gives a rate of 1.2 per 100,000 for Eastern European countries in the EU. It's above 1, but still way lower than the US rate. Of those countries, only Lithuania had a comparable murder rate at 5.8, and that was the highest in the EU. Moldova isn't listed, but Latvia had 4.1. This does ignore the bear in the room, of course...

    As for Argentina, the rate went down to 6.0 last year, but looking at stats for the whole world, it would make more sense to say the problem is that there are so many (South) Americans in Argentina, and so many (North) Americans in the US. Because almost all the countries in both North America and South America have excessively high murder rates.

    So what is it about the Americas that makes people so homicidal? The frontier mentality? Lack of social cohesion? The drug wars?

    The violence in the US appears to be concentrated in the big cities; Chicago for example had almost exactly the same number of murders as the whole of Italy in 2015. That suggests drugs and gangs are a major factor, and I know they are very powerful in places like Colombia and Mexico. Isn't it time to declare defeat in the War on Drugs and try a different strategy?

    @Chicureo
    Lovely. They pretend to be wholesome farmers but torture people and abuse children in their spare time. I hope that governments are a bit more suspicious of foreigners who want to come and set up a closed community in future.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 10:05 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • The Voice

    Its still true that the vast majority of Americans are frightened of crime and thats why they get guns for self protection. A minority have guns for hunting and dealing with vermin. As far as I know none of my American friends own guns, although I do know they all support the Democrats. I dont know any rednecks and I suspect that these people of limited intelligence are the ones with guns.
    As for the suggestion that us Brits shouldnt comment on Americans barmy gun laws dont come here if you dont like it, Brits live in a free country thst encourages free speech! And as for our resident dinosaur accusing us of living in the past, maybe he should listen to what he sounds like, he has no concept of modern Britain and often comments about how things were 60 years ago which is obviously a consequence of living somewhere like Dunoon.
    Its not only the high murder rate that is a consequence of stupid gun laws, its the high suicide rate too.
    Trump is an icon of what America is really like these days, something to be ashamed of. Personally I would rather have a bumbling myopic Theresa May as ours.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 11:07 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Mr DemonTree...

    You say...:
    “It seems kind of cheating to lump a bunch of countries together to get a low rate”

    I say...:
    Cheating...?
    I specifically refered to the European Countries..., lumping them together in the old fashioned form of Northern Europe..., Southern Europe..., Western Europe & Eastern Europe....
    Me own quick calculation for Eastern Europe gives me 1.1 murder per 100,000 inhabitants...
    I deeply aplogize for having previously estimated it to be under 1 murder per 100,000 inhabitants...
    My bad...

    Now... speaking about me beloved Baltic Countries..., that have suffered soo much during the last 100 years ( Estonia..., Latvia and Lithuania..., a.k.a ”The Vodka Belt) and the absolute effectiveness of good gun control policies...:

    A) A couple of years after the fall of the CCCP..., in 1995..., all three of them were completely FUBAR... One could easily buy a fine AKMS with three magazines and a can of 440 rounds of ammo on the streets for about 300/400 U$ Dollars...
    Their murder rate in 1995 was...:
    Estonia......: 16.6 per 100,000
    Latvia........: 11.4 per 100,000
    Lithuania...: 13,5 per 100,000

    B) A couple of years after their incorporation into the EU..., in 2005..., one could not buy no fine AKMS with three magazines and a can of 440 rounds of ammo on the streets no more...
    Their murder rate was down to...:
    Estonia......: 8.9 per 100,000
    Latvia........: 5.5 per 100,000
    Lithuania...: 7.4 per 100,000

    C) Ten years after..., in 2015 one could still not buy no fine AKMS with three magazines and a can of 440 rounds of ammo on the streets no more..., and their murder rate was again down to...:
    Estonia......: 3.2 per 100,000
    Latvia........: 4.0 per 100,000
    Lithuania...: 5.7 per 100,000

    I rest me case...

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 11:35 am - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    @The Voice
    I know Americans who have guns for hunting. Hey, I even know Brits who have shotguns for that purpose. I think most of the murders are done by those who bought guns for self defence though, and it's perfectly true guns are also responsible for the high suicide rate. But I daresay Yogi and Hepatia would defend Americans' right to shoot themselves in the head in a moment of despair and leave their family to grieve.

    @Think
    Okay, maybe not cheating, but arbitrary. Why did you choose to compare the US to regions of Europe rather than individual countries or to the whole EU? Also out of curiosity, which classification are you using? I've seen the UK and Ireland included in Western Europe in some publications, and Northern Europe in others. (I've also seen the Baltics included in Northern Europe sometimes, but obviously you are not doing that.)

    As for your guess, it wasn't too far away from the correct answer, but I like to have real info rather than guesses. I knew there were some countries there with high rates, but since they have small populations they don't have much of an impact on the overall rate for the region.

    While I agree with you that having assault rifles freely available to civilians is really not a good idea, there have been some other changes in the Baltic countries in the last 20 years, haven't there?

    What about Latin America; how hard is it to get hold of weapons in Honduras vs Mexico vs Argentina vs Chile?

    Also speaking of recently independent countries, what do you think of the referendum in Catalonia? You're always cheering on Scottish independence, I was surprised you had no comment to make on the Catalans.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 12:31 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    Switzerland, highest rate of firearms ownership in Europe. Homicide rate 0.5 per 100,000

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 01:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • :o))

    @DT REF: “Damn, that's cynical”:

    Yes - but ALSO a simple observation of the reality! Isn't it?

    EXAMPLE: EVERY political campaign receives billions in DONATIONS & as GIFTS. Do you ACTUALLY believe that they receive such huge sums [in cash AND kind] because these “anonymous donors” are REALLY and SUDDENLY on a Highly PATRIOTIC Binge? Guess AGAIN or Grow-Up!

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 02:02 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • The Voice

    Thing is, the vast majority of Americans arent stupid. They fear criminals, but as law abiding people they fear losing their guns whilst criminals and nutcases hang on to theirs. Thats why the genie is well and truly out of the bottle, gun deaths will continue to escalate year on year and America will continue to become an even more scary place. More gated communities, more security guards, more security gates and scanners, less freedom and freedom of movement. In the end a vast dystopian nightmare all because they allow maniacs to own guns.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 02:25 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    * TTTJA ...:

    “Even a Blind Chicken Finds a Kernel of Corn Now and Then.”

    * (To The Turnip Just Above).

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 02:35 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Yogi

    Demontree

    What a revealing post. Surely you have no concept of rights. Rights are not granted by the government. The rights of the American people are limits upon government. So, “...the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”, is a right that cannot be legislated away. On the other hand a right to do what is now lawful is no right because it may be legislated away at any time.

    What liberals (and, now it appears, their Brit allies) do not understand is that the right to bear arms is not about safety. It is about liberty.

    We assume that people living under oppressive socialist regimes long for liberty. But, as your post illustrates, this is probably not true. What is probably true is that you oppressed people have no concept of liberty because you have never experienced it.

    In any case there is a more utilitarian argument against seizing Americans' guns. I think it would be true to say that we are currently living in one of the most peaceful times ever experienced in this country since the Civil War. So why would we want to provoke and armed resistance now?

    You liberals are not too smart. What you have failed to realize is that to overturn the US and state Constitutions you need to make the idea of disarming citizens is to make is seem as American as apple pie, as American as the flag, as American as God and country. Your arguments concerning safety will never cut it because liberty trumps safety.

    And American liberals teaming with you foreign socialists will not cut it either. But, hey, give it a try. A couple of you Brits coming over to disarm us will result great mirth and Americans being born bearing arms.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 03:19 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Chicureo

    http://nypost.com/2017/10/08/more-than-a-dozen-new-york-schools-are-unsafe-survey/

    It's just not the guns, but the knives as well. There are peaceful wonderful areas of the USA and then there is places like the Bronx... south side of Chicago, Camden and Wilmington to name a few...

    Even peaceful tightly gun controlled societies such as Norway have experienced mass shootings by individuals. Then there are the cases such as the Oklaholma bombing that are beyond belief.

    Marti: Not to forget Israel as they issue fully automatic weapons to women in the IDF as well. Gun violence within the Jewish population is extremely low, but then the Palestinians have resorted to explosives, vehicles and knives...

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 04:07 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • Think

    Mr. Yogi...

    What a revealing post. Surely you have no clear concept of rights... Rights ARE granted by governments.... So, “...the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”..., is a right granted by a previous Government..., that certainy can be infringed by a current Government... and legislated away by any Government that so wishes...

    If you don't believe me..., try to bord a comercial airliner with an AK47 hanging from your shoulder...
    Besides... Try reading your own Constitutional rules..., about amending said Constitution...: Article V...:
    *“ The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress....”*
    https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/constitution

    To finish...
    Keeping firearms to “Protect your rights against the Government” is today as useful as the telegraph room at the big ranch besides me humble Patagonian dwellings...

    Unless..., of course..., your real name is not Yogi... but Sarah Connor and you have befriended a Terminator...

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 04:37 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    Think has covered the constitutional rights issue well, but you have dodged my question. Perhaps the US government could ban you from wearing a tutu, but they can't stop you singing 'Let it Go', or indeed the Internationale. So why don't you do it?

    And I really don't know what to say to someone who thinks the UK is an oppressive socialist regime. Assuming you're not writing from an alternate reality where Fidel Castro is eternal president of Britain, perhaps you could explain what on earth you mean?

    As for seizing all guns, I think that would be pretty foolish. But there are other things that would help, like stopping people with convictions for violence or metal health issues buying guns, making people store them securely, and banning the sale of semi-automatic weapons like the ones used in Las Vegas.

    And why on earth would any Brits come over to disarm you? If you want to allow madmen to buy guns that's your funeral, literally.

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 05:50 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Voice

    DemonTree

    You were not born and raised in a gun culture, as a Brit it will always be difficult for you to try and think as an American...they are not even close relatives...
    All my relatives have at least a dozen guns each, from musket to hand guns...
    They tried to give me a hand gun for protection because of my location in the sticks...
    Lots of reasons were offered, copperheads, rattlers, bears or prowlers trespassing in your yard etc...
    I refused and take my chances...they think I'm crazy...

    I reasoned that if I was angry enough or felt I was in danger...I would probably use it...

    An interesting rule was explained to me for my location...
    As a stranger. Do not walk onto someones property and knock on their door... pull up in the car , stay in it, toot your horn and wait...
    For obvious reasons...they said...
    Would it be obvious to you...?

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 07:24 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • The Voice

    Crikey, endorsed by Think the fake for stating the obvious succinctly, what a glorious feeling?

    Poor old Yogi, dreams of the frontier, log cabins, six guns on his hips as he swaggers along, but in reality probably inhabits a little box made out of ticky tacky in a suburb somewhere, shops at Winn Dixie and buys his shorts at Kmart! His frontier will eventually become the gates around his community staffed by fat guards with shotguns. What a future to look forward to!

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 07:25 pm - Link - Report abuse +1
  • DemonTree

    @Voice
    No, it wouldn't be obvious to me, and it sure sounds like they are living in fear. What normal person would shoot someone just for knocking on their door?!

    Would a handgun really be much practical use against bears and snakes? I would have thought not, especially for someone untrained. I wouldn't mind having a go shooting a gun, but at a shooting range, not at the local wildlife.

    @TV
    Lol, enjoy this rare moment of agreement. :)

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 08:05 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • The Voice

    DT, In the US you need the gun if your property is remote because one day the person knocking on your door could be a madman or a criminal toting a gun. Voice confirms it, they are all afraid, but because they all tote guns they mistakenly believe they are brave with a spirit of independence.
    Watch Louix Theroux and learn..

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 09:38 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Voice

    DemonTree

    The hand gun is to create a loud noise...one would make the bear angry by shooting it...
    The rule when attacked is...if it's Brown lie down...if it's black fight back...because it will eat you...
    ...not always though, mostly they stay out of the way...but they can out run, out climb and out swim you...
    Legally in PA you are only allowed to hunt them one day in the year...

    ..but yes I've seen them shoot snakes...
    I've even seem them shooting fish after a fruitless Deer hunt...for the hell of it...

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/scot-is-shot-dead-when-mistaken-for-prowler-1398645.html

    Oct 08th, 2017 - 11:42 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Marti Llazo

    Be afraid. Be very afraid.

    Sample survey that purports to reveal what 'muricans are afraid of (apply your own filters)---

    “percent afraid or very afraid” of........

    Murder by a stranger 22%
    Random/mass shooting 27%
    US will be involved in another world war 32%
    Corporate tracking of personal data 29%
    Biological warfare 35%
    Devastating drought 24%
    Major pandemic 29%
    Credit card fraud 36%
    Being hit by drunk driver 30%
    Terrorist attack 41%
    Corrupt government officials 61%
    Climate change 32%
    Break-in (presumably to a residence) 28%
    Reptiles 33%
    Obamacare 36%

    2017 survey purporting to characterise fears of Argentines.

    “High probability of being victim of a serious crime”
    - among middle class = 76%
    - lower working class - 75%
    Actual rate of household burglary/robbery/other crime in last year: 27 % of households
    Fear of crime (generally) 87%

    Firearms ownership in Argentina (2016) (NGO survey: no distinction between legal and illegal firearm) -
    Country in general: 1 in 30 households have at least one firearm
    70% of households in Greater Bs As have at least one firearm “for defence”
    The government agency “Agencia Nacional de Materiales Controlados” shows approximately 1,298,000 legally owned firearms in Argentina. Estimates for illegal firearms in the country are around a minimum of 1,300,000.

    Oct 09th, 2017 - 01:21 am - Link - Report abuse -1
  • Think

    Mr. Voice...

    “The hand gun is to create a loud noise...one would make the bear angry by shooting it...” ......... unless one uses one of these new babies...:
    https://www.smith-wesson.com/firearms/model-sw500-1

    Oct 09th, 2017 - 02:12 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • DemonTree

    @Voice
    “one would make the bear angry by shooting it”

    I figured not just any gun/ammo will take down a bear, and I've heard the black vs brown thing before. Seems instead of giving tourist warnings about bears, they should be telling them how to avoid being killed by Americans instead. I can't believe someone would straight up murder a random guy for knocking on their door and get away with it too.

    I've seen advice on the internet on how to survive dealing with American police, and it reads like being in a hostage situation. Obey all their orders no matter how unreasonable, don't do anything to make them angry, etc.

    But you choose to live there part time, so it can't be as bad as it sounds, right?

    Oct 09th, 2017 - 03:36 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Voice

    That would do it Mr. Think and an affordable price...;-)

    DemonTree

    It's not as bad as it sounds I've never had any trouble, my neighbour introduced himself by arriving on an ATV saying “Hi I'm just out taking my gun for a ride...I've seen a bear about limping so it will be dangerous”...he pulled out his 357 Magnum and gave it to me for a look..

    I was also pulled for driving 89 mph in a 65 limit..fined 183 dollars 30 over would have been reckless driving...
    The Sheriff had his hand on his gun as he approached...scary...
    Although I did chuckle to myself one time when I saw the police hiding behind a bill board just like the movies..;-)
    Americans in there own environment are relaxed and friendly and great company...
    They are not stupid, but are very parochial...it's a vast country...

    Oct 09th, 2017 - 04:39 pm - Link - Report abuse -1
  • DemonTree

    How remote is your place, do you have to have a generator in case the power goes off and well water and stuff like that? And surely even in the middle of nowhere bear attacks are pretty rare?

    It just seems odd to me. Why have such low speed limits on those nice long straight roads that you could easily do 100mph on? Why are they worried about speeding and bear attacks, but so blasé about maniacs with machine guns?

    But I agree, Americans I have met were mostly very friendly; they don't have a taboo against talking to strangers like we do. And one of my friends got pulled over for speeding in the US, but he was let off because the cop thought he must be used to using kph. The friend did not correct him. :)

    Oct 09th, 2017 - 05:59 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • JanH

    I wonder whether epigenetics can be used to explain the differences between free countries such as America and the statist European countries.

    Oct 09th, 2017 - 10:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • Think

    Dear Ms/Mr JanH
    Tjaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
    One could wonder about that...
    But..., for the sake of developing such interesting mental meandering...
    Would you please name a couple of those “Free Countries Such as America” you are talking about...?

    Oct 09th, 2017 - 11:48 pm - Link - Report abuse 0
  • DemonTree

    Don't be silly. Surely you know America is the only free country in the whole world? Europe is a socialist hellhole and Latin America is just a hellhole.

    Oct 11th, 2017 - 08:53 am - Link - Report abuse -1
  • :o))

    @DT: REF: “Europe is a socialist hellhole and Latin America is just a hellhole”:

    While the Latin America is making a great progress towards becoming hell [and that too, too corrupt!]; the “Bottom-Line” [ALWAYS] is The Economic Progress. MAIN - The MINIMUM - requirement of ANY population of ANY country, is that their tummies & their pockets remain full. The rest is secondary:
    https://www.apnews.com/5f816fec396a463cb3c130e1ec44c58f?utm_campaign=SocialFlow&utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=AP

    Oct 11th, 2017 - 10:20 am - Link - Report abuse 0
  • DemonTree

    “That has spurred concern about Beijing’s intentions as it tries to expand its global influence to match China’s status as the world’s second-largest economy.”

    Its intentions aren't much of a mystery. They want to ensure they have a supply of raw materials and potentially find new markets to sell to, just like the US and other countries. And they want to increase their soft power ditto.

    “The overall pattern of lending indicates that it is demand-driven by which countries want to borrow rather than by a Chinese master plan.”

    Heh, lending to those who want to borrow. What a novel idea!

    But I think you are right about what people care about most. As long as they are generally getting richer, the citizens will put up with a lot from the government. When that government can no longer deliver economic growth to enough people, that is when they need to watch out.

    Oct 11th, 2017 - 01:25 pm - Link - Report abuse 0

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