What Americans need to ask is, why are so many of your citizens locked up or on death row? Can you treat the root cause of this instead of locking up as many people as you do? I think a cultural shift is needed. Stop glorifying the gun. Stop promoting violence in Hollywood. And for chrissake, stop eating so much food. (The food comment has nothing to do with violence, but is a lovely suggestion)
My concern comes with the suggestion of the firing squad, where no one offered the solution to the psychological damage to the squad themselves. Personally, while I don't think the criminals deserve the painless fate that it would provide, why not modernize the firing squad? There is now technology that allows for someone to remotely use a firearm. If someone were to aim the gun at a vital point on the criminal in a fixed position, all that would have to be done to take care of the convict would be to make a click on a computer or a tap on a device. If someone were to negate the virtual scope in favor of a simple "click here" button, they would not even have to watch. It could even have a timer instead of an actual person to do the deed; removing all chance of trauma or guilt someone could have after taking a life. Again, no problem with lethal injection but if it were to revert to a firing squad, why not save the shooter's mental health a bit while still getting the same result.
america imports 22 billion dollars worth of food from canada annually. you sure you want us to go on a diet?
I'll use frog as an example, as frog is not American, and his posts strike me as typically European. Frog asked just several lines up "can I get screwed to death?" His joke was amorous in nature. Most Europeans are less Into guns and more into physical love. Many Americans I've encountered have stated things like "you can pry my gun from my cold dead hands." I haven't ever heard a European utter words like that. Look at the difference between movie styles. Most European movies focus around making love. Most American movies focus on violence. Its a very big culture difference
Well, the end game is whether we like it or not, America will always have guns. It's part of our heritage, but even more than that, it's so deeply rooted into society that getting guns out of people's lives and home would never fully happen. We are known to be very stubborn. And obese.
Thats a pretty broad generalization. What do you think is the cause of what you perceive to be the difference? And im still not clear in what you mean by "glorifying the gun." Are you suggesting that the american entertainment industry's portrayal of violence somehow causes americans to be more violent? If so, i wonder how you reconcile that with perpetrators of violence by those who commit acts of violence outside the sphere of american entertainment industry influence Certainly, more heinous acts of violence have been committed by those outside the sphere than those inside it...
Ummm your second amendment.. Guns are like what snow is to the north.. It's just the way it is, Americans are gun crazy, look at the violent crime rates compared to the rest of the civilized countries.. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what Americas biggest problem is.. On topic now.. I'm not for the death penalty as it is today.. The people that get the death penalty deserve something worse, like being thrown in a cage and forced to starve.. Rapists especially.. Punishment should be based on the crime.. Murdered your wife and kids? Castration and locked up to rot, sexually assault a 7 year old child? Double castration and locked away forever.. Death is a quick way out, the ones that are most deserving should be forced to live with what they've done.. Of course all this should come after proper due process.. The process will always have flaws, but the punishments need a change, maybe then it will actually deter people from committing such heinous crimes against ourselves.. No one wants to deal with mental health issues, so this is what we are left to discuss..
As a matter of fact, I am a rocket scientist, yet im still corn-fused... See my previous post for explanation
the u.s. isn't particularly high on the list of most violent countries. most of africa, parts of asia, along with pretty much all of central and south america are far worse.
If you're referring to middle eastern cultures, I'd agree with you, and if you're not referring to middle eastern countries, then I will. The violence in the Middle East does indeed outstrip the violence in America by orders of magnitude. Many middle eastern cultures also glorify the gun. I've just noticed in my time globe hopping, thst America as a culture seems to have an obsession with the gun that Australia, Canada, England, NewZealand and England don't have. I've spent a fair amount of time in each of these places, and I think they are all less violent than your country. Those countries don't have the death penalty. They also all have lower incarceration rates. Ever wonder why? The answer is because the gun isn't at the root of their culture. Am I saying America should ban guns. BY NO MEANS! Guns are a constitutional right, and every time the government takes away a right from its people, that right is gone forever and freedom is diminished, so I'm a fsr cry from being "anti gun". What I'm more opposed to is violence. For the record, violence isn't quelled by disarming people. But people can become less violent if the culture emphasizes things other than the gun. Its a subtle point I'm making, but its an Importsnt one
the rate of incarceration in the united states has nothing to do with guns. its a combination of the "war on drugs" and the fact that a lot of scumbags make a lot of money off of running prisons. people in the united states actually pay judges to incarcerate people and send them to their privately run prisons. true ******* story.
Cheese, I'm too tired ATM to continue on, but I'll resume in the morning. Looks like other peeps on this thread will keep the convo going nicely until I return
@director - a gun is merely an object that on its own cannot influence a person one way or another. But i see your point as an outsider. Being a current citizen and resident of america, i can tell you that i dont perceive the "gun obsession" that many outsiders mull over about americans. Yes, i own guns, but I rarely talk about them, and ive never had to use one against someone. It is my belief that international media are using our gun ownership rights as a means to sell advertisements for their "news" publications. Sensationalism sells. Reality is boring. Come visit the U.S. And see for yourself then tell me if americans are "obsessed with guns."
I'm wholly in favor of federally administered death panels. Let's start with social conservatives and people with IQ's under 75.
there is a gun cult in america. most people consider them crazy. we would get rid of them, but they have guns. and they are crazy.