Re: Guns
 

But mental illness does not always mean violence, so a shrug of the shoulders and saying he was getting counselling hardly explains why.

Re: Guns
 

Oh ok. Didn't realise that shotguns came in different sizes.

Re: Guns
 

The Guardian has a whole series going on now about mental healthcare in the US: http://www.theguardian.com/commentis...health-funding

Re: Guns
 

The fundamental difference between guns and cars is this: the primary purpose of cars is to get somebody from A to B. The primary purpose of guns is to get somebody from alive to dead. The two are not even remotely the same, and perhaps it is the inability of American commentators to see this, that is causing so much crap to be written.

Re: Guns
 

Well guns are designed for a very wide variety of uses, not just for killing things, many guns are designed purely for making holes in pieces of paper or as signalling devices. I see no problem in people owning guns for the purposes of killing, you can't perform pest control with wishful thinking and it's more discriminate than a trap.

But anyway, the main flaw I always see in that argument is that generally speaking, if you're using a car on private property there is basically zero regulation, anyone can drive it. It's only on public roads where there is regulation. Conversely, merely to possess a firearm you have to jump through various hoops and having it in a public place in Canada is basically illegal unless you're transporting it from A to B. In the US you typically have to get a permit.

Re: Guns
 

This would explain the disproportionate prison population on an international comparison. Saw a chart this week, can't recall where, but US was massively out of step.

Re: Guns
 

The primary purpose of all the guns Ive ever used is to go bang and turn clay pigeons to dust.

If all guns were intended to turn people to corpses, they would perhaps all be either handguns or assault rifles.

Regardless of purpose, Cars still kill more people than guns, and based on a non scientific observation of Ontario gun owners and car drivers in action I would bet my house that a far larger proportion of gun owners are acting responsibly to prevent any accidents as a consequences of their actions than the you can say for the car driving population. Far too many of them get behind the wheel of a 2 ton machine and become overly aggressive morons.

Re: Guns
 

Your first paragraph is semantic bollocks. We're not talking about starting pistols or signal flares. And there isn't a gun designed for making holes in anything (pieces of paper upwards) that can't be used to make holes in people. Nor are we talking about farmers and pest control operatives.

As to the second paragraph, I thought I'd expressed pretty clearly my opinion that comparing gun ownership to car ownership is as useful an exercise as comparing ravens to writing-desks. What is the point you're trying to make? That it should be harder to own a car, or easier to own a gun - or that, in fact, cars and guns are different and there is necessarily a different path to licensing and ownership?

Re: Guns
 

No. No, it's not. Shooting clays may be your primary purpose, but the gun was designed as an instrument of death. Period.

Again, no. Shotguns are largely for turning animals into corpses. But they can still be used for turning people into corpses quite effectively, as it happens.
Again with this spurious comparison of guns and cars. They are not comparable.

Re: Guns
 

You should try shooting a 4 gauge unless you plan on bowling the next day. :rofl:

Re: Guns
 

Will stick with 22's when my next chance for gunnery comes around.

Re: Guns
 

Oh no of course not, just like not everyone who is bullied, comes from broken homes or owns a gun would do the same, or even someone else with a combination of these things, it's purely down to the individual. It is still a good idea to identify & address all the factors leading up to it though, to see if anything could've been done to prevent it & possible make changes that might reduce it happening again

Re: Guns
 

Gotta love a good thread fight! :rofl:

Re: Guns
 

How many threads have we had since the Aurora Colorado movie theatre shooting and how many more will we have after this recent one.
Whats the betting that another thread will open up in another couple of months:(
People with guns kill people. A gun laid on the ground will not kill you unless handled by another person. Now the question is why is that gun being allowed to be laid on the ground or under the pillow or propped up against the back door.
Criminals or psychos or disturbed people don't care about MMPI testing, applying for a licence or completing courses. They get hold of a gun by any means necessary and thats all they need. Enough people out there who don't care who they sell or lend a gun to.

Re: Guns
 

I have to say that I found it very odd that PAL testing is done by private individuals. Leaves it open to all sorts! It should surely be done by the RCMP. Maybe a day course with a talk, info, practising with weapons etc, then a practical and written test.:thumbup: