Looks like guns confuse human reasoning.

[jab2]

When I'm hungry, I want to eat some food. If I have a fork, I will use that to eat with, if only a spoon, I'll use that, but if I cannot find any eating utensils, I will eat with my hands. Bottom line is, I WILL EAT.

But when it comes to guns, why is it that people think by removing access to a firearm will miraculously remove criminal intent and prevent violence?

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20081212054307824C861141

I'm all for control over the ownership of firearms and we had some of the best gun laws in the world. We have now tighten it up even more, yet gun related crimes has not gone down. I believe it is now time to realize that one cannot blame the pencil for the spelling mistake nor the spoon for obesity or remove cars to solve drunken driving. All human actions is controlled by the human mind, not by access to tools, so the state and all these groups that busy themselves with wanting to solve the violence problem in SA should start looking at man as the problem and address that to find a solution.

 

[Slaine73]

I prefer swords and such, but agree with you completely.

 

[VertigoZA]

I prefer swords and such, but agree with you completely.

remember the good ol' days of a fair dual.. ahhhh. I haven't a had a face to slap my glove across in years..

 

[Slaine73]

Oh man if only we could still. It is a art to wield a sword or axe or mace. Pulling a trigger is just so shall we say crude

 

[Bravestar]

When I'm hungry, I want to eat some food. If I have a fork, I will use that to eat with, if only a spoon, I'll use that, but if I cannot find any eating utensils, I will eat with my hands. Bottom line is, I WILL EAT.

But when it comes to guns, why is it that people think by removing access to a firearm will miraculously remove criminal intent and prevent violence?

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20081212054307824C861141

I'm all for control over the ownership of firearms and we had some of the best gun laws in the world. We have now tighten it up even more, yet gun related crimes has not gone down. I believe it is now time to realize that one cannot blame the pencil for the spelling mistake nor the spoon for obesity or remove cars to solve drunken driving. All human actions is controlled by the human mind, not by access to tools, so the state and all these groups that busy themselves with wanting to solve the violence problem in SA should start looking at man as the problem and address that to find a solution.

Disarming people makes it a lot easier for criminals to feel at ease entering a house knowing the person is probably waiting for his weapon license and has no means of defending himself...

Obtaining a weapon illegally in South Africa is easy, but for some reason the people using the implemented procedures gets screwed...

With a weapon you defend yourself, South Africa has come to a point were its not safe anymore to be driving later the 12pm in the street...

Criminals will think twice before entering a home knowing the person might have a weapon to defend and actually kill him!

 

[Slaine73]

Disarming people makes it a lot easier for criminals to feel at ease entering a house knowing the person is probably waiting for his weapon license and has no means of defending himself...

Obtaining a weapon illegally in South Africa is easy, but for some reason the people using the implemented procedures gets screwed...

With a weapon you defend yourself, South Africa has come to a point were its not safe anymore to be driving later the 12pm in the street...

Criminals will think twice before entering a home knowing the person might have a weapon to defend and actually kill him!

+100000 If only the bloody government would realize this, but they won't.

 

[Koos Custodiet]

But when it comes to guns, why is it that people think by removing access to a firearm will miraculously remove criminal intent and prevent violence?

Also, removing access to firearms is not as easy as some people seem to think.

The Apartheid government spent a helluva lot of money on defence and border control. South Africa was, basically, a jail.

Yet they could not prevent the ANC from getting as many AK-47s as they needed.

The UK has banned all handguns, yet they now have lots more handguns in criminal hands than they had a few years back. And they're an island, damnit. What can be easier to control?

Oh, and BTW, those AKs the ANC smuggled in, waybackwhen? Guess where they are now.

(And BTW #2 : that study the newspaper articles are based on came out on 5 June 2004. Old news. It was thoroughly discredited then. News must be slow for them to resurrect it all now. (Hint : white neighborhoods have the highest gun ownership. White women are four times less likely (adjusted for [strike]demographics[/strike] yargh that's not the right word, race equity? Is that right?) to be the victims of femicide)).

 

[grayston]

Criminals will think twice before entering a home knowing the person might have a weapon to defend and actually kill him!

Actually, they will think three times:

Thought 1: I want to burgle that house.
Thought 2: The guy inside the house might kill me with his gun.
Thought 3: If I kill the guy inside the house with my gun, then he can't kill me and I can burgle the house in peace.

Amazing to think that criminals are actually cleverer than you!

 

[Jase]

Actually, they will think three times:

Thought 1: I want to burgle that house.
Thought 2: The guy inside the house might kill me with his gun.
Thought 3: If I kill the guy inside the house with my gun, then he can't kill me and I can burgle the house in peace.

Amazing to think that criminals are actually cleverer than you!

Fixed it for you:

Thought 1: I want to burgle that house.
Thought 2: The guy inside the house does not have a gun. Thanks gun laws.
Thought 3: I can kill the guy inside the house with my gun, and he can't kill me and I can burgle the house in peace.

 

[grayston]

So gun laws have made absolutely no difference, since it seems the guy inside the house is going to get shot no matter what.

 

[Amerikanse]

So gun laws have made absolutely no difference, since it seems the guy inside the house is going to get shot no matter what.

Why would a criminal invade a house with guns when he can invade a household without them? Higher (lawful) per capita gun ownership makes the odds of being shot while house-breaking greater, and it becomes less appealing as a profession.

Guns are not a magic talisman however. You need training and situational awareness to use a firearm most effectively. This fact is overlooked by much of the American populace.

 

[koffiejunkie]

When I'm hungry, I want to eat some food. If I have a fork, I will use that to eat with, if only a spoon, I'll use that, but if I cannot find any eating utensils, I will eat with my hands. Bottom line is, I WILL EAT.

But when it comes to guns, why is it that people think by removing access to a firearm will miraculously remove criminal intent and prevent violence?

Don't be silly. It's not the same. Have you ever been mugged - held at gun point? Have you ever managed to take the gun from your assailant?

You don't need a lot of guts to eat some food. You need to be pretty damn confident to take on another human, especially if it's in their house (unfamiliar territory for you, familiar territory for them). A gun makes that easy - it can disable the strongest and most aggressive opponent. How many "youths" would be able to pull off their robberies/hijacks/rapes/killings/etc without a gun?

How many gun crimes are committed with guns that are licensed in the criminal's name? I'm guessing not many.

Don't get me wrong, I'm a firm supporter of legal gun ownership. And the idiots in charge are clearly targeting the wrong people. But don't let your gun-love blind you - removing illegal definitely *will* reduce gun crime.

 

[DeadCore]

Going through the criminal mind:

thought 1: i'm going to rob this house
thought 2: oh look they have a car outside maybe there is something inside worth a lot of money

thought 3: oh yes this is a lot easier since the house might have people with weapons or there might be a alarm and i might get killed

Thought 4:i have stolen a radio but the car had a alarm now i have to run away while the people inside wake up arm them selfs and open the door and the police might come in about 2 hours plenty of time to run away.

 

[PeterCH]

When I'm hungry, I want to eat some food. If I have a fork, I will use that to eat with, if only a spoon, I'll use that, but if I cannot find any eating utensils, I will eat with my hands. Bottom line is, I WILL EAT.

But when it comes to guns, why is it that people think by removing access to a firearm will miraculously remove criminal intent and prevent violence?

Well unlike eating and using spoons and your appendages, guns only function is to fire bullets which are usually intended for people - at least the reason why someone buys a gun usually is not to shoot tin cans or targets but to shoot people (hopefully for defence). Hence there is an emotional reaction to guns. Guns obviously kill easily and at a distance. You need to be reasonably skilled to kill with a knife and you need to be close by. A knife also has numerous uses other than stabbing people, you can cut things with knives and use them as tools to jimmy things. You can even shave yourself with a sharp knife. A gun has one primary use, shoot people (or animals). Handguns are usually not used for hunting - so it's shooting people. It's a weapon and only a weapon, while a club or a knife could be used for other useful things.

 

[Balstrome]

I want a cave
Cave A has no Bear
Cave B has a Bear
Choose

 

[Bravestar]

Actually, they will think three times:

Thought 1: I want to burgle that house.
Thought 2: The guy inside the house might kill me with his gun.
Thought 3: If I kill the guy inside the house with my gun, then he can't kill me and I can burgle the house in peace.

Amazing to think that criminals are actually cleverer than you!

LOL!!!

So what you're actually saying is that knowing the owner of the house you're breaking in has a weapon won't effect your decision...?

I think criminals are cleverer than you, and ONLY you! And maybe cows are also cleverer

Criminals using a weapon are mostly cowards knowing their weapon gives them a advantage, the risk of being shot back at will most definitely influence the decision.

Answer this question:

2 houses, same security system, locks, doors EVERYTHING is the same except the one owner has a weapon and the other doesn't, which would you choose to break in?

A. House with a firearm
B. House without a firearm

?

 

[mo_mia]

Most criminals would opt for House A as it means they can not only make off with valuables, but also another weapon.

The original poster actually answered the question unknowingly.

If you want to eat and you have a gun, you will use it too.

 

[grayston]

LOL!!!

So what you're actually saying is that knowing the owner of the house you're breaking in has a weapon won't effect your decision...?

I think criminals are cleverer than you, and ONLY you! And maybe cows are also cleverer

Criminals using a weapon are mostly cowards knowing their weapon gives them a advantage, the risk of being shot back at will most definitely influence the decision.

Answer this question:

2 houses, same security system, locks, doors EVERYTHING is the same except the one owner has a weapon and the other doesn't, which would you choose to break in?

A. House with a firearm
B. House without a firearm

?

Seeing as I'm such a cowardly criminal, I'm going to assume that the owners of BOTH homes have firearms. And because I'm so cowardly, the last thing I want to see is an irate homeowner holding a gun. Luckily, I can make sure that won't happen by using MY gun FIRST.

Criminals aren't going to knock on your door and politely ask if you're armed before they attack. They're going to shoot first and ask questions later - just like everyone else wielding a gun under pressure.

And with you gun-nuts busy arming yourselves to the teeth all over the place, even a criminal with South African intelligence will soon realise that he needs to get himself a gun PDQ, and use it if he's going to live to enjoy his spoils.

You might think of it like an arms race. And the worst of it is that people who have no intention of owning a gun are still going to get shot by criminals "just in case".

Thanks a fscking bunch, gun-nuts.