Now this is funny:
Half of Gun Deaths are suicides
ATLANTA - The Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gun ownership last week focused on citizens' ability to defend themselves from intruders in their homes. But research shows that surprisingly often, gun owners use the weapons on themselves.Suicides accounted for 55 percent of the nation's nearly 31,000 firearm deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There was nothing unique about that year — gun-related suicides have outnumbered firearm homicides and accidents for 20 of the last 25 years.
In 2005, homicides accounted for 40 percent of gun deaths. Accidents accounted for 3 percent. The remaining 2 percent included legal killings, such as when police do the shooting, and cases that involve undetermined intent.
Originally posted by Quiero Mota
I actually own 9 guns. I still don't think I'm comparable to Kim Jong Il or Mahmoud Ahmedinijad.
Kim has nukes, he has yet to attack anyone with them. Despite what the conservo-religious rabble will tell you that Mahmoud wants nukes to bring about the Muslim Armageddon, I doubt he (or the Ayatollahs) would use them either, that whole "mutual destruction" bit, it kept the Soviets in check back in the day.
Re: Supreme Court upholds right to own guns
Originally posted by chithappens
StoryDid anyone else even know this was going on?
I'm honestly surprised they ruled in favor of citizens having guns but a 5-4 vote is pretty close.
When will you learn? 👇
😬
not "you" the OP by the way..
Originally posted by chithappens
... I don't get it
Meaning cops are evil mother****ers who needlessly shoot black people and soldiers are evil mother****ers who needlessly shoot Arabs. American cops and soldiers of course, is what he meant.
Edit: OR what Xmarky said, but going off his previous post, I think he meant the "bad Americans" thing.
Hey RJ,
"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Not sure how that would have been possible or would be possible in the future if private citizens are not allowed firearms.
Originally posted by xmarksthespot
I would consider the right to not getting shot more important and inalienable... but that's just me. The US is such a quirky country.
I believe the argument is that having more guns in circulation will lead to fewer people being shot. I can only assume that some of the bullets will bump into one another and prevent people from being shot.
Originally posted by Strangelovewe da best
As of October 1, 2005, Florida became a "Stand-your-ground" state. The Florida law is a self-defense, self-protection law. It has four key components:1) It establishes that law-abiding residents and visitors may legally presume the threat of bodily harm or death from anyone who breaks into a residence or occupied vehicle and may use defensive force, including deadly force, against the intruder.
2) In any other place where a person “has a right to be,†that person has “no duty to retreat†if attacked and may “meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.â€
3) In either case, a person using any force permitted by the law is immune from criminal prosecution or civil action and cannot be arrested unless a law enforcement agency determines there is probable cause that the force used was unlawful.
4) If a civil action is brought and the court finds the defendant to be immune based on the parameters of the law, the defendant will be awarded all costs of defense.
Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
I believe the argument is that having more guns in circulation will lead to fewer people being shot. I can only assume that some of the bullets will bump into one another and prevent people from being shot.
America has plenty of guns, Mota has nine I believe. Yet people aren't being murdered or randomly shot on a massive scale. There are probably more deaths from car accidents or work related.I also believe someone posted a link showing that 50% of gun deaths are suicides.
Originally posted by xmarksthespot
I would consider the right to not getting shot more important and inalienable... but that's just me. The US is such a quirky country.
How about the right to not being stabbed or hit by a car?
Guns are not illegal in NZ, right? Yet there are 7 times fewer guns deaths there than in the U.S. Seems it has more to do than just the right to own or not own a gun.