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Surely it doesn't say much for a society in which you feel that you have to arm yourself to go to the store.
Surely you can't judge an entire society by the defensive devices that an individual woman decides to carry in her purse. I certainly wouldn't judge English society because a woman carries a rape alarm in her purse. (I almost said pepper spray, but I'm pretty sure it's illegal in the UK. Sad, if true.)
That would mean 40 million people, 2000 army divisions. Come on. No way.
You seem to have missed the part where I said the adult male population of the United States. Also, remember that we were talking about American men who have served in the military during their lifetime, not the number currently serving in uniform.
Obviously the criminals and terrorists never seem to follow the law... they bring their AK47's into "gun free zones". Many cops in Europe don't even have a gun. Like the one's who were first on the scene today riding on bicycles, and not armed.
I'm interested in seeing some opinions on here from Europeans.
You seem to have missed the part where I said the adult male population of the United States. Also, remember that we were talking about American men who have served in the military during their lifetime, not the number currently serving in uniform.
See my post #160. Per the US census, the number of veterans in the USA is 19.6 million. That is 6.4% of the total population. As some of those veterans will be women, it is misleading to try to express the number as a percentage of the adult male population. Furthermore, many of those veterans will be from non-combat roles. For example, my father-in-law was an airforce mechanic. He only shot a rifle once at the range during his service.
Owning a gun has not made the US a safer place to live has it. How many school shootings in just your average year over there, you're not even safe in a cinema.
Last week in a US Walmart, a two year old child shot its mother dead with a handgun from the mothers purse.. The mother who had a licence to carry a concealed weapon, placed her purse in the cart with her child. Surely it doesn't say much for a society in which you feel that you have to arm yourself to go to the store.
I agree with you. Here in Arizona guns seem to be a god, as if we were reliving the days of Wyatt Earp and the Wild West. Just up the street from me is the Shopping Center, where Congress woman Gifford was shot and a number of others killed and wounded in the parking lot. That shooting on top of all the other tragic mass shootings this country has had. Sometimes when I go in that store or any business in Arizona, I wonder will their gun's accidentally go off or worse I do not see the benefit of walking around in society with a gun. I agree with you it says absolutely nothing good about a society, that feel they must arm themselves to go to a store. To me that is a symptom of other problems with these people and society. Problems that are not being dealth with. So it's easier to carry the gun as the solution. Very sad. I think its a pathetic commentary on life in America.
See my post #160. Per the US census, the number of veterans in the USA is 19.6 million. That is 6.4% of the total population. As some of those veterans will be women, it is misleading to try to express the number as a percentage of the adult male population.
No, it's not misleading at all, as the male/female numbers are readily available and the original poster's question was "What's the percentage of male Americans that enjoyed military training?" The Veterans Administration says that there are about 22 million American veterans. Your census figure of 19.6 million is for men only; there are another 1.6 million female veterans. (I'm not sure how much faith I'd put in census figures, as I'm a veteran and I haven't received a census questionnaire in about 25 years.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jaggy001
Furthermore, many of those veterans will be from non-combat roles.
It matters not, as all service members receive extensive formal training in the safe handling, assembly, disassembly and firing of rifles, and that's exactly what the original poster asked about.
I wonder will their gun's accidentally go off or worse I do not see the benefit of walking around in society with a gun. I agree with you it says absolutely nothing good about a society, that feel they must arm themselves to go to a store.
Firearms do not go off accidentally. They may be discharged negligently, but they don't go off without someone pulling the trigger.
As for carrying a firearm saying nothing good about a society, the same could be said about having police forces, military forces or locks on your front door. The sad truth is that every nation on the planet has violent people who will not hesitate to assault, murder, rob, steal or rape. If you choose not to carry any defense against such people, fine, but I would rather keep my constitutionally guaranteed right to arm myself for protection as I see fit.
I'm not and will never be in favour of gun ownership. There's a reason why there's so many mass shootings in the USA, it seems to me like every crazy man could easily have access to a gun and kill innocent people. I've never felt unsafe here in Italy and i'm sure i wouldn't feel safer if i carried a gun
A country that allows civilians to carry weapons in public is just half cooked and does not provides safety for tax payers.
Most people that have been in wars hate weapons.
A government that disarms its citizens is a government that places its own safety above that of the citizens.
I know veterans who fought in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, both wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and not a single one of them 'hates weapons.'
Quote:
Originally Posted by improb
it seems to me like every crazy man could easily have access to a gun and kill innocent people. I've never felt unsafe here in Italy and i'm sure i wouldn't feel safer if i carried a gun
'Crazy' people are not permitted by law to purchase or possess firearms. I've never felt unsafe in the United States, but that doesn't mean that I am willing to give up my constitutionally protected right to bear arms.
I'd imagine that the victims in Paris would have gladly grabbed a rifle, had one magically appeared in front of them during the attacks.
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