GUN CRIME,USA

[sheppyboy]

I dont wish to belittle the tragedy that has occurred in Virginia this week, it has crossed my mind though that in the 'Land of the Free' where it seems just about anyone has the right to keep and bear arms, it does seem strange that health facism started there and I was just wondering how many ASH members or Health Nazis in America actually have a stash of semi automatic weapons tucked away in their wardobes.

The contrast just struck me, because here they are preaching to smokers about killing ourselves and others - and there they are all tooled up for just such an event!

I saw on the news report about some guy who sells guns, including semi atomatic weapons, quite legally from his home from somewhere in Virginia and then I thought 'what if he is a health fanatic' and what if I turned up bought a couple of semi automatics from him and what if I lit up a cigarette. He would tell me to put it out because its damaging to health. I suppose there are many health freaks over there who are only to happy to quote the American constitution for their 'freedom' to posess weapons of mass death and destruction but will deny American smokers their 'freedom' to smoke a cigarette in a bar. I guess its just the irony of the situation.

Its just a thought!

[Mark]

I can ceratainly see plenty of americans teaching their kids how to shoot while preaching to them about the dangers of smoking.

[sheppyboy]

A reporter in one or our papers summed it up, you can walk into a bar in Los Angeles with a Colt 45 on your hip and no none would blink an eye, but dont dare light up a Marlboro cigarette or the police will be there in minutes to arrest you. Its crazy!

[Rockdolphin]

What do you expect from a country which went into convulsions because the moral fabric of the young could be de destroyed over Janet Jacksons breast being exposed on TV ? However no problem buying little Johnny and Mary a gun and teaching them how to shoot and packing them off to blow other countries to kingdom come.

[mikecabras]

I just smoke in the bathrooms to spite all of this lol

[chris]

There's a famous movie by Michael Moore called "Bowling for Columbine", which everybody thinks blames these atrocities on the mere fact of gun possession. But in part of the film, Moore goes to Canada, which has lots of guns, but lots fewer gun deaths. His conclusion is that the difference is that Americans are fed a steady media diet of paranoia and are afraid of each other and Canadians aren't.

There's also, as some point out, the dreary heritage of the Puritans, in which pleasure is sinful but (righteous, apocalyptic) violence is blessed by an angry, vengeful God.