What "meaningful action" would suggest to prevent more mass shooting in the US?

[robon]

"Ok", the G12. Um, yeah...advanced, industrialized nations. China? Russia? Mexico? The United States is a lot more advanced in most aspects and more similar to the G-12 countries than those three countries, and yes, it is about gun violence.

I do get what you are saying, and did from the start I think but I just can't look at that without feeling it is manipulated to make us look bad.

It doesn't look at the overall homicide rates which in turn doesn't address the real issue at hand which in turn just makes it look like we are a country of gun toting idiots. We aren't.

Here is another list of overall homicide rates that may be easier to sort.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2009/oct/13/homicide-rates-country-murder-data
That's what is scary. That is the real issue at hand. We are way more off the charts from the other G12 (countries with big banks is what I gather(we won't go there)) here and that is what we should be looking at and trying to solve. That's pretty black and white I think.

Unfortunately, being made to look bad can help in the long run. Canada has made news worldwide recently for our poor treatment of the mentally ill, and the worse we are made to look, the better imo. It's the only way things will change.

The UN has called out Canada for the way the mentally ill are treated in our prisons, which in many cases, amounts to torture. We are a country known for advocating for human rights, yet the problem with the jailing and treatment of the mentally ill is reaching crisis proportions. Deinstitionalizing of treatment facilities has been happening for decades, leaving scores of mentally ill people forced onto the streets and many end up in jails, which are not designed to house and treat the vast majority of the mentally ill. Our governments answer? Build MORE JAILS and ignore the real problem at hand. It is proven in Canada that for every dollar spent on early intervention puts at least 5 dollars into the economy, but that doesn't fit into our Governments "tough on crime agenda". The mentally ill make up a disproportionate number in our jails and they usually leave worse off than they went in.

Canada also has one of the highest youth suicide rates of the industialized nations. We SHOULD be called out for these things. Make us look bad and things might change. As it is, the current system is failing our kids, it is failing the mentally ill, and many other segments of the population in Canada that are marginalized.

Parallels can be made between both countries. A disconnect is present like never before. A desensitized, disconnect and I think this is obvious with the issue of guns in the States and the prevalent gun culture has contributed greatly in making it this way. Too many excuses. Too many smoke screens. Contrary to popular belief by some on this issue, gun violence in the States is getting much worse, not better. The last decade is very telling. A 47% increase from 2001 in gunshot wounds requiring extended stays in hospitals. More hanguns being used in homicides than ever before. Over 20,000 kids being admitted to hospitals from gunshot wounds every year. It's not good and something needs to change.

[JeanG]

Just thought some folks may want to know that, following the enactment of numerous pro-firearm laws across the US over the past ten years, that the US homicide rate is now at a 47 year low.

Isn't it also interesting that the homicide rate of states bordering beautiful British Columbia are about the same as British Columbia itself? This despite tgr fact that assault weapons and concealed carry weapons abound in precisely those states?

If you want to explain trends in violence, guns are the wrong place to look.

[robon]

Just thought some folks may want to know that, following the enactment of numerous pro-firearm laws across the US over the past ten years, that the US homicide rate is now at a 47 year low.

Isn't it also interesting that the homicide rate of states bordering beautiful British Columbia are about the same as British Columbia itself? This despite tgr fact that assault weapons and concealed carry weapons abound in precisely those states?

If you want to explain trends in violence, guns are the wrong place to look.

And gun related injuries requiring hospitilization has gone up nearly 50% since 2001.

Gun related homicides have gone up nearly 20% since 1975.

There is also a direct correlation with SURVIVAL rates of gunshot victims increasing, corresponding with improved treatment provided by emergency medical staff.

MORE people are being injured by guns than ever before, but MORE people are SURVIVING because of advances in medical treatment.

[JeanG]

Those advancements occur in other nations as well. Yet the homicide rate has fallen faster in the US than, say, the UK.

[Old School 213]

Robon, and the world population has increased from approx 4B to 10B during the same time, since 1975. Although the stats you posted are alarming, the per capita rate is lower.

[JeanG]

Gun crimes up dramatically since 1997 handgun ban in Britain:

[robon]

Robon, and the world population has increased from approx 4B to 10B during the same time, since 1975. Although the stats you posted are alarming, the per capita rate is lower.

The hospitialization rate from gunshot wounds has gone up nearly 50% in a decade. This is not just because of population growth. Not even close.

Homicide statistics are usually taken on incidence per 100,000, and are more proportional than directly influenced by population. More people are being murdered with guns than ever before, despite a decrease in overall homicide rates. As previously stated, survivability from gun shot wounds has gone up because of emergency medical treatment. Gun shot victims have a higher survival rate from even just 10 years ago, and this has changed fatality statistics.

Regardless, homicides involving guns are at their highest levels, as are injuries involving guns, and there has been a dramatic spike in gun related injuries over the last decade. There is an obvious problem and no amount of smoke screens and diversion tactics will change the facts.

[robon]

Those advancements occur in other nations as well. Yet the homicide rate has fallen faster in the US than, say, the UK.

The UK doesn't come even come close to gunshot injuries to the USA either.

[JeanG]

Their gun problem gas worsened since their pistol ban in the UK.

Why would someone wish that harm upon us?

[robon]

Their gun problem gas worsened since their pistol ban in the UK.

Why would someone wish that harm upon us?

Spin, deflect, rinse and repeat.

Back to regular programming.

[Admin]

Robon, and the world population has increased from approx 4B to 10B during the same time, since 1975. Although the stats you posted are alarming, the per capita rate is lower.

World Population is 7 Billion.

[headmount]

I'm interested to know if the people that post of stats, comparisons, and political solutions are parents.  I think if you have kids going to school, you want this figured out today and worry about solving the worlds' problem another day.  Since I first posted PBill informed me that some schools in the Boston area have armed guards.  It's a solution for now.  It might not stop everything but it sure would be better than nothing.  I'm sure that there will be people that will moan how things have gone to hell since they grew up but if you've got a kid, you only care about one thing.

[Weasels wake]

From my morning paper this morning (Telegram Tribune, San Luis Obispo, Ca.)~

Expert: Shooting not more common

Those who study mass shootings say they are not becoming more common.
Grant Duwe, a criminlologist, with the Minniesota Dept. of Corrections who has written a history of mass murders in America, said that while mass shootings rose between the 1960s and the 1990s, they actually dropped in the 2000s.  And mass killings actually hit their peak in 1929, according to his data.  He estimates that there were 32 in the 1980s, 42 in the 1990's and 26 in the first decade of this century.
- Tribune wire services

I listened to Joe Lieberman this morning on the tube, and one thing he said struck very true to me.  Paraphrasing, the ultra-violent video games that are out these days can have a very detrimental effect of kids out there that are in some ways very impressionable and fragile in their mental makeup.  Not all kids, but some kids, like the shooter from last Friday, he was really into those games, and spend hours daily playing them, from what I've read and heard.

I can see, and would support, on coming down on some of those ultra-violent and bloody video games.
They can be too desensitizing on some kids.
Putting warning labels, and age labels on them don't work, most kids are playing the games marked "Adult".
I don't think they even need to be produced, what's the point in them?

[Admin]

I'm interested to know if the people that post of stats, comparisons, and political solutions are parents.

Parents and grandparents in most cases I would guess.  It is not a matter of calculated analysis or insensitivity on either side.  What you mention is exactly the thing that has made this shooting so much more immediate and emotional for everyone who is posting (not just here but on sites all over the world).  It is the age group.  6 and 7 year old kids.  It is painful, even with no direct relation.  We get so desensitized by the barrage of news events, 200,000 in that Tsunami, 40 in that bombing, 800 in that earthquauke...the mind will not process it all.  It won't allow full emotional exposure to every death in every event.  But...6 to 7 year old kids in what could be an avoidable event.  It sets people looking for real answers and action. 

[SUPerSwede]

Their gun problem gas worsened since their pistol ban in the UK.

Why would someone wish that harm upon us?

Has it?
Just read on Richard Branson's blog that last year, 8 people were shot to death in the UK. 10728 in the US. Per 100000 capita, that's 0.0136 for the UK and 3.438 for the US. That means lethal shootings are 253 times more common per capita in the US.

In contrast to your seemingly unfounded claim, Australia conducted a national gun buyback in 1996, in response to the Port Arthur Tasmania massacre of 35 people. They banned semi-automatic and pump-action shotguns and rifles, bought back some 650000 weapons from owners and roughly halved the number of households owning guns.
In the 18 years preceding the buyback, there were 13 shootings of 4 people or more. Since the buyback - none.

Ref:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/research/hicrc/files/bulletins_australia_spring_2011.pdf