What are the illegal weapons you're referencing with inner city crime? All the ones I know about are either handguns or knives.
You're right, hand guns and knives are the predominant weapons used among inner city gangs. In the case of hand guns, however, a large number of gang members are under the age of 18 and even those of age aren't necessarily obtaining their weapons legally.
Originally Posted by wintertriangles
Sure, but do we really know she knew?
According to
this article, she was well aware that he had issues and struggled with him, though she wasn't necessarily negligent. But it also notes that, according to his family, she was "a big, big gun fan." It also states that the shooter himself had attempted to purchase a gun but wasn't willing to wait the mandated 14 days for a background check. Again, I don't want to draw too many conclusions based on scant evidence. But this is definitely an interesting aspect to follow.
Originally Posted by wintertriangles
You could still make the point she should've just been safe regardless and hid them, I'd be fine with that, but you're bringing up a common thing which is people who aren't registered being the assailant, so perhaps the people with registration need to be made aware of that.
I'm definitely curious about the degree to which she kept her guns safely protected. Again, this is ever an issue of personal responsibility, but I'd hope her guns were locked up in gun cases (with one on her, perhaps). I really don't want to read that she just left them out.
Originally Posted by wintertriangles
You do know that a staggering amount of Mexico's guns were put there by our government right?
Our government? I don't think so.
FactCheck.org notes that it's relatively easy for guns to be purchased legally in Texas and trafficked across the border into Mexico, which is the most likely source of U.S. guns in the country. However, the claim that 90% of firearms in Mexico have come from the U.S. is suspect. More likely, it's a far lower rate.
Originally Posted by wintertriangles
But if this is a cultural thing, what is it about these countries with higher murder rates? Is it related to medicine/prescriptions/lifestyle/education system? I personally think so. Why is Finland fairly calm when Sweden isn't? There's another proximity conundrum perhaps.
These are obviously far larger issues that we're getting into, though I'm one who generally believes that a nation's economy and education system are the two biggest factors in determining if a population will be predisposed to crime. Without a fair and balanced economy and educational opportunities for young people, you can bet there will be plenty of violence. So I do think there are absolutely systemic social factors that can be blamed for a lot of these atrocities that we see.
Which is why, in this country, I think it's folly to believe that we're capable of surviving a "hands off" model of gun regulation while the economy continues to teeter and our education system continues to plunge into the toilet. It's just a recipe for disaster, in my opinion.
And although I have no issues in general with gun enthusiasts and gun culture, I do believe it has grown considerably over the last couple decades, and that we're perhaps seeing a diminished understanding of the purpose and inherent danger of firearms. I know far too many people who seem to equate guns with cars, grills, and swimming pools as something that every American has a God-given right to own. And that's true, but a gun isn't just something to be collected and/or enjoyed as an example of good-natured American living. It's a weapon, and it's singular purpose is to end life, and we should never let ourselves forget that.