Gig 601Xl Builder wrote in
m:

Bertie the Bunyip wrote:
Dan wrote in
:

On Mar 31, 5:22 am, Bertie the Bunyip wrote:

But it does define death. The wold is a more violent place almost
everywhere these days. Lots of things are contributing, but there
is no question about it, the availability of guns in the US is --
unquestionably -- responsible for the staggering murder rate
which is unequalled amongst "first world" nations. If you guys and
the NRA are so interesed in responsible gun wonership, then you
should be supporting restrictions on ownership, not opposing them.

Bertie
That statement is absolutely, positively, and profoundly false.

There are many countries with gun ownership rates similar to or
higher than the US, yet those have very low murder rates. The
reverse is also true.

Finland, Switzerland, and New Zealand have virtually identical gun
ownership rates to the US, and yet their murder rates are
significantly lower than those of surrounding countries.


That's because everyone in Switzerland and Finland are military
reserve. They don't own the guns, the state does.
There's no evidence that murder rates are higher in those countries
with higher levels of gun ownership. The only way to show such
relationships is cherry picking a few countries to make the
comparison.

Israel, with the highest gun ownership rate in the world, has a
murder rate 40% below Canada's.

Again, the military.....


So if the gun in my house were owned by the government instead of me
it would some how know that and not allow itself to shoot someone it
wasn't supposed to?

Really, how's that work?


Well, in Switzerland and Finland, the two examples you gave, military
service is mandatory. A year, or two, can't remember which. ( I know
several Swiss well and get to Helsinki fairly often so I can ask when
I;m there) When you get out, you are on reserve for life. The gun laws
in both places are much stricter than anything proposed in the US,
BTW...

They don't buy guns as toys, they have them as part of a national
defense plan.

And your argument is bull**** and you know it.


Bertie