exvj

I started coming to the US in 1983 when I was made European Finance Director for a public company in Georgia, USA

I came over a lot - sometimes for weekend meetings

I met my wife in Wisconsin in 2004 and we have lived here on and off since then - and permanently in Wisconsin, Florida and Washington State

My impressions of American society in relation to guns and violence might not be met with universal approval, but they are the result of a long period of contacts with Americans.

I have been here long enough to know I am not a lone voice in the wilderness, and a huge number of Americans think like me when it comes to violence and guns

That's why the gun lobby are so frantic and frightened of losing their guns

anotherlimey

You didn't answer the question; how long have you lived in the US?

I'm not questioning the number of people who don't like guns, they've been around for years, and there's quite a few. Did you know, IIRC, 80% of Americans want stricter laws?

If you think the gun lobby are paranoid, it's only because they're fund raising. There's probably enough pro-gun politicians who won't sign on to anything they see as too restrictive.

exvj

I finally got my green card in 2007

I will get my passport next year and at that time join my fellow Americans who want a healthier, gentler, less aggressive, less violent and safer America while preserving essential freedoms and checks and balances on those who would remove them

I am actually, as I have said, a gun enthusiast and intend to get my own target rifle in 3 months time. What I would like to see change , is the checks that need to be carried out on firearms owners in general, and I wouldn't be averse to a handgun ban. I think it's rough on handgun owners but worth it for the greater good.

I used to drink and drive when I was a teenager but now I see that I need to give that up for the good of others

A person who adheres to Margaret Thatcher's politics see the world through the prism if what is good for them and to hell with everyone else. Those people don't care what happens in society as long as they can follow their every inclination

It really does come down to a political stance at the end of the day and whether anyone is prepared to sacrifice anything at all for the good of society as a whole

The ones who are not, try to frighten the others with visions of a 'prison society'. Americans are sick of being frightened by Dick Cheney and George Bush and the grislier members of the gun lobby so I don't think that will wash much longer

elfman

I didn't know it was that high.
(and neither did Chartreuse, apparently)

anotherlimey

I'm wondering where all this America isn't free sentiment comes from? I feel better off here, enough to apply for naturalization this year. Saying that, I used to feel a bit like you, but 5 years ago.

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distric...mbia_v._Heller

Well the Brady bunch say Gun Shows are havens for terrorists and criminals, I only see old men and cops at them; the Brady's will also tell you we need to ban .50 caliber rifles otherwise commercial jets will be shot down with them.

I guess they're all products of the same society?

anotherlimey

I actually thought it was you who said it was 80%.. maybe it was 70% or 60% It was a majority anyway.

chartreuse

I'm still dubious.

One of the reasons that this is a tricky subject is that it combines two, very real, issues. One, of course, is firearms. The other is freedom and the, perfectly reasonable, desire to curb the expansionist nature of public sector parasitism and control.

Octang Frye

I just came here to make another ad hominem attack on exvj.
And... I'm done.

Now, what else do I have to do today. Ah yes, catch up on my correspondence. There's never enough time.

Ray

I an just enjoying all the bollocks here ...
with my 19C in easy reach ...

exvj

There is a danger in lack of control in all sorts of areas

We now control (by moral force at least) the use of the 'N' word at work etc
Many people think that is a restriction of freedom
I will be on the London tube in July and I want my rucksack searching and everyone else's too
I have mentioned drink/drive which many englishmen resented when it came out originally
I want cigarettes banning from restaurants

The other side to this coin is that I am now free to live my life without being killed by drink drivers and free to have healthy lungs and free to have a holiday without being killed by a terrorist on the tube

Every one of these restrictions of liberty brings a freedom we didnt have before

I am anti communist and anti government restrictions by nature and I even resented taking my wheely bin out rather than have the dustbin man go round the back of my house - but given time to reflect, I see that I am better off and I pay less tax.

Seeing both sides and taking time to reflect, often reveals unsuspected benefits and new freedoms that we didnt even know were attainable

Bill_S

I was wondering if you were watching...

You have the C version? Running hot CorBon?

anotherlimey

This is interesting because you're even less likely to be killed by a terrorist on the tube than someone with a handgun in the US.

You see in America the argument for not searching bags goes like this - "What if I want to carry a tranny outfit, porno, sex toys and my work documents in a suitcase to work on the tube? I haven't done anything wrong, but I don't want some traffic cop idiot to look through my stuff, can he be trusted to keep this a secret?".

Plus the cops would search every "Muslim looking" person's bag and not do it randomly like they're suppose to.

So I think you're bag argument is totally wrong, even though I don't carry a tranny outfit and sex toys everywhere myself.

chartreuse

I was going to comment on the rucksack thing, but anotherlimey has it covered.

I must, however, call bullshit on the above. It's an established fact that council tax in the UK consistently went up while services declined, the money being used to fund non-jobs and pay increases for council staff instead. Are you just making all of this up as you go along?

exvj

I was getting so engrossed, I bought $38k worth of rio tinto by mistake

Sold em quickly inside 2 minutes and made 250 bucks so I will spend that on ammo in the fall

.22 LR for me and no human shaped targets either

http://www.midwayusa.com/midwayusa/s...res/394403.jpg

Ray