General non-MG related discussions. No politics here please!!
We had 5 shootings this past weekend here in Memphis, Tn. It has been crazy this year with the Black on Black crimes and murder. I got out of Memphis 18 years ago after living there sense 1966. Back in 66 it was a nice place to live. I lived in an appartment complex that today I wouldn't dare to drive through in the middle of the day with the windows rolled up, doors locked and my trusty Colt on the P/S seat.
Same way in areas of Baton Rouge, Tom. We have area that used to be nice neighborhoods that were turned into low rent districts. The local Police do not go into without backup support. In these areas you will see windows broken out in the apartments, burned and stripped cars on the side of the streets, garbage everywhere. Some people want us to believe that it is the landlords fault for not keeping the apartments up properly. or the city's fault for not doing "something" but they never will say what "something" is. Crime in BR increased bigtime after Katrina and has not retreated much since then.
You guys make things here in fly-over country look real good. We have a few meth soaked rednecks out in the weeds killing each other any way they can and some in town B on Bs and spouse on spouse but only maybe 5 a week for the whole 4 county area.
The Georgia Legislature recently changed the laws on using guns to defend yourself. The change was for the better. As a result we've had 4 self-defense shootings here that appears to mark a better day.
Good guys 0.
Bad guys 2 dead, 2 wounded and arrested.
Montreal typically has around 60 murders a year, close to the Canadian average of 18/1,000,000 population. I believe in the US, the rate is around 55/1,000,000.
Derek, the city of Memphis has a population of around 700,000 and they have had close to 100 shooting this year. I might add that the whites represent less than 30% of the population
You got to be kidding,Gil. I thought Chattanooga was a pretty quite city. You have a lot more tourise than Elvis town though.
Make that 6, Tom. Check this morning's paper - and all weren't B on B!
Jim D
Ha - different side of the world.
The shootings we had for a while were European "gangster" types shooting each other - they have mostly cleared each other out for a while so that sort of stuff has quietened down.
Those are the only types that regularly carry guns here.
I 'think' Ottawa only had 14 murders total last year. I can't recal the exact details and didn't take the time to look them up, but I remember that it was just about 1 per month.
It's too bad that even those happened.
Come on, Bill! You guys ain't really trying. You can do better than that! All you have to do is follow the lead of folks here in the U.S. - after the recent spate of murders, there is a broad move afoot to legalize concealed weapons for everyone! They even encourage concealed weapons for parks, movie houses, restaurants, etc.
Nothing like a little gunplay to liven things up.
Jim D
"Nothing like a little gunplay to liven things up."
Sure beats standing by and doing nothing while some thug robs you and murders or rapes your wife or daughter
I am totally against gun control for the very reasons Gerry has just mentioned. If a thug knows you have one the jerk ain't gonna bother you and no one gets hurt. If he doesn't and tries something it's his last time. Win, win for the good guy :)
Source: The Geographic Reference Report 2007 (3/2007)
Crime Rates - Selected North American Cities
(per 100,000 population)
Cities Homicides Robberies
Baltimore, MD 43.5 638.5
Detroit, MI 42.1 596.2
Washington, DC 35.8 552.3
Atlanta, GA 25.8 724.6
Philadelphia, PA 22.2 657.4
Dallas, TX 20.1 607.5
Miami, FL 17.9 614.5
Chicago, IL 15.5 552.0
Minneapolis, MN 14.1 597.5
San Francisco, CA 11.6 399.9
Boston, MA 10.5 418.6
Vancouver, BC 3.0 149.0
Toronto, ON 2.0 108.5
Hamilton, ON 2.0 39.0
Montreal, QC 1.5 147.5
Ottawa, ON 1.5 88.0
Sudbury, ON 1.0 53.0
Guelph, ON 1.0 60.0
In another study, based on a standardized survey of victimization in fifty-four countries, gun ownership was significantly related to both the level of robberies and the level of sexual assaults. The relationship between levels of gun ownership and threats/assaults with a gun is also strong. Van Dijk also concluded that high levels of gun ownership such as in the USA, the former Yugoslavia, South Africa and several Latin American countries are strongly related to higher levels of violence generally.
Canada has always had stronger firearms regulation than the United States, particularly with respect to handguns. In Canada, handguns have been licensed and registered since the 1930’s, ownership of guns has never been regarded as a right and several court rulings have reaffirmed the right of the government to protect citizens from guns. Handgun ownership has been restricted to police, members of gun clubs or collectors. Very few (about 50 in the country) have been given permits to carry handguns for "self-protection." This is only possible if an applicant can prove that their life is in danger and the police cannot protect them.
As a result, Canada has roughly 1 million handguns while the United States has more than 76 million. While there are other factors affecting murder, suicide and unintentional injury rates, a comparison of data in Canada and the United States suggests that access to handguns may play a role. While the murder rate without guns in the US is roughly equivalent (1.8 times) to that of Canada, the murder rate with handguns is 14.5 times the Canadian rate. The costs of firearms death and injury in the two countries have been compared and estimated to be $495 (US) per resident in the United States compared to $195 per resident in Canada.
Well said, Scott.
The U.S. courts have determined that the 2nd amendment to the Constitution precludes much interference with gun ownership; the gun owners association is a very powerful political lobby. Folks in the U.S. will have guns.
I think guns are fun.
I know guns are dangerous, and can't think of a more dangerous situation to mankind than me in traffic with a handgun. Indeed, the idea of me with a handgun should be a deciding argument against private handgun ownership.
I still think guns are fun.
Long guns are fun, and far less commonly used in crime. But, they are far better home protectors than a handgun. Just imagine, which would you rather have - a 12 gauge with #4 shot, or a .32 snubnose. You almost can't miss with the shotgun, almost can't hit with the snubnose.
Jim D
Naomi Wrote:
It's a hard thing to figure out. Living between DC and Baltimore I know about crime and shootings. Strange I guess, not that I like it, but it's part of life. There are parts of town you dont go and others you dont want your wife/girlfriend to go.
notcmartin Wrote:
Scott Wrote:
That just doesn't compute with me. I can't understand the whole 'you're in the wrong neighbourhood' thing. It's just another part of the city isn't it?
I guess that's just a Canadian being naive about large U.S. cities.
Up until about 10 years ago, I would have walked on any street in Ottawa at any time of night or day and not worried about my, or my wife's safety. These days with more drugs, more homeless and more gang wannabes on the streets, I wouldn't do it.
Is it because I know more of what's going on now, or is it that there is more going on?
"Is it because there are guns in those parts of town or because there are people that are more than willing to harm you there?"
I didnt realize this was a gun control 'discussion'. :)
Most crime in the area is said to be drug related, whatever that really means. The parts of b-more I usually go, bars and food, feel safe and usually have a decent police presence. Other parts of town are open drug markets that you would never want to enter. Think 'Training Day'.
"I didnt realize this was a gun control 'discussion'. smiling smiley "
When the string starts off about shootings in Memphis and carrying a .45 on the pass seat you don't think gun control will come up? Especially when some factions believe that gun control is the cure for all evil. I kinda agree but a different kind of gun control than others are talking about
One of the victims at the Kawasaki dealer was my girlfriend's coworker daughter.
David, did they ever say why that kid cut loose on everbody. It just didn't make sense that he was there to pick up a bike he bought the day before and just started shooting.
She doesn't know the details yet but she said that the shooter was waiting on someone with a trailer? Maybe they planned to steal some bikes/stuff? I'll probably know something more later this week.
