As we've discussed before, however, removing this legal channel in the UK has simply prompted two things: The rise in non-gun related murder via hatchet and knife attack (the racially motivated attack against the black man with a white girlfriend at the bus stop was particularly brutal), and of course, a bustling black market in guns for those with criminal connections. Home Office is suggesting arresting people now for appearing on Facebook brandishing a blade in a threatening manner now, I hear...where does it end? At what point in time do you feel safe?
On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 12:24 PM, Ian Pollard <[email protected]> wrote: > > Chris, > > I don't think it's about misperception. A car, a pool, a knife... each of > these serve essential, non-violent, functions. A gun is designed to kill; it > has no other purpose. If people want to shoot targets, use a gun that shoots > an infrared beam at an electronic target, or play a video game. In terms of > the theory, eliminating guns as a risk makes a lot of sense. > > Eliminating cars has inherent functional problems for our society. > > Ian > > > > 2009/2/2 Chris Jenkins <[email protected]> > >> In 'Freakonomics', Steven Levitt explored the remarkable phenomenon of >> parental misperception of risk. He noted that a child was 11 times more >> likely to die by swimming accident at a friend's house with a pool, than by >> shooting accident at a friend's house with a gun, and yet parents as a >> generality never restricted play due to the presence of a pool, but would >> restrict play due to the presence of a gun. >> >> Statistically, I am far more likely to kill you with my: >> >> car >> knife >> baseball bat or other blunt trauma intrument >> alcohol >> >> than with my gun, yet your perception of personal risk is so skewed that >> you literally feel your freedom is impinged upon merely by my possession of >> this tool. That's a psychological phenomenon that is really irrelevant to >> the greater conversation, and which probably deserves a thread unto its >> own. >> >> On Mon, Feb 2, 2009 at 11:39 AM, Ian Pollard <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> >>> Your posession of a firearm makes me less safe. Not being murdered or >>> hurt is a pretty fundamental freedom; can we agree on that much? Now, am I >>> more likely to be a victim of gun crime in a country with lots of guns or a >>> country with very few? >>> >>> (First person to mention Switzerland gets bitch-slapped.) >>> >>> >>> Ian >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
