Quote:
Originally Posted by TurnedTheCorner
Is it simple enough for you to suggest that the more guns that are available, the more likely they are to be used legally or illegally?
And I'm not discussing the murder rate. I'm discussing shootings. I understand math. Do you have any statistics not pulled from your ass to add to the discussion? Or are you still in knee-jerk response mode?
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Its not so much about the supply of guns, its about guns in the hands of people with a desire to commit acts, and those people will acquire guns. That is the point. That is a societal ill that transcends borders. Trying to take away people's guns won't accomplish a whole lot. Gun related crime has increased in Canada despite the Gun Registry and other laws, why is that?
You'll likely point to 70% of murder in the US is firearm related v. 30% in Canada. This is true, and I won't dispute that, but what I am getting at is that guns don't kill people, they are a tool used by people to kill people. The difference is, more Canadians choose to use a less efficient form of weapon in their murders, be that blades or blunt objects. Yet, they are still choosing, and at an increasing rate, projected to mirror the US in the forseeable future. Canada's crime rate is also several times that of Japan and Sweden.
Removing the causal factors for murder should be the goal, and teaching responsible storage and care of guns for their proper use. These are issues that transcend borders.
We're arguing ridiculously. We both agree that gun crime is an issue, but looking at it from different sides. You have a supply-side argument, whereas I have a demand-side arguement. Personally, I think reducing demand is the best way of reducing supply. Obviously there is no easy answer for this. Reducing supply has proven effective to some degree, but is not the sole causal factor in why there are so many gun related crimes in North America. My point is that its not an America-only issue, like some make it out to be. (See: Taber and Montreal)