Crime Rates: U.S. v. England

by StinkyPantz 117 Replies latest social current

• 

  Simon

  The problem is not that people bash America, but people are eager to take almost any comment as bashing - there is a big difference.

  As for the difference in crime rates between the US and UK, I think these are well documented and nearly all official figures show that the US has a higher murder rate, much of it gun related and we generally fo not have this too much over here. Why do you take this as bashing America? It's a fact! Why get mad at us when it's your countrymen who are the ones shooting at each other?!
• 

  Englishman

  Wild Horses,

  I can only agree with most of what you said. You know though that I am not an America basher generally although I am concerned with the way things have developed over the last few weeks.

  Maybe my "Wild bunch" comment was ill-advised, I was trying to draw a parallel with the the Cowboys and Indian mentality of the last century when rootin' tootin' gun slinging was seen as a way of life.

  I do appreciate your abilty to be empathetic, thanks for that.

  Englishman.
• 

  WildHorses

  ballistic, true, I should have maybe started a new thread. I've just been keeping my feeling inside about all the us thing and when I saw what eman posted in reply to Jayson it just came out.
  

  I try my best to be a peacefull person, but it's getting hard to do so these days. I am so tired of being hated for being an American. I am human too.
• 

  ballistic

  I'm gunna come and visit America real soon. Just shout whoever raises the next apostfest.
• 

  Englishman

  try my best to be a peacefull person, but it's getting hard to do so these days. I am so tired of being hated for being an American. I am human too.

  Well at least you know that the Brits in general don't hate the Americans.

  You ask those who've visited here!

  Englishman.
• 

  Bendrr

  The problem is not that people bash America, but people are eager to take almost any comment as bashing - there is a big difference.

  I see the difference Simon. But how am I supposed to regard the criticism of our Second Ammendment when it comes from people who don't even live here? Do you and Englishman think I shouldn't own a pistol and shotgun for self-defense?

  Anytime this debate comes up here, I see folks from other countries giving their opinions on American gun laws and get the impression that some would like to see myself and my fellow American gun-owners disarmed.

  Mike.
• 

  ballistic

  It's funny, in a strange kind of way. I just got back from the Dominican Republic which I felt was a very American influenced culture in a strange kind of way, also uses the American dollar as it's main currency and is proud of it's Dominican American sports stars. A very poor country mind you. I got to know some locals quite well and engaged in unintentional political conversations in broken English, and nearly all the time the conversation was the Iraqi war. And all the time I had to uphold the US point of view because the Dominicans are strongly opposed to the war on the oil argument, even though back in my own country I had some reservations not on oil but other reasons. I somehow felt, "we're all in this together", and I suppose we are.
• 

  Big Tex

  I haven't paid much attention to these threads as of late. They tend to have a mine's-bigger-than-yours feel to them. Rather pointless really.

  It just like with our children. They may be little hellions, but I love them and do not want anyone else to say anything bad about them and will speak say so if anyone does.

  Well said Wild Horses. Probably the most incisive comment on this subject in some tme. I think it applies to everyone. I know it's the case here in the U.S. where we bash and ridicule our own, but God help anyone who does the same. I think it's part of our human personality to close ranks and probably goes back thousand of years to our tribal days. Frankly I can't think of two countries who have been more closely aligned or have helped each other more than the Great Britain and the United States. In all my visists to the UK, I've encountered some wonderful people who truly like America and get a kick out of Texas accent. There's an old saying that if you go looking for a thing, you'll eventually find it. I guess it just depends on what one wants to find.

  Broad generalizations about any country, culture or people are always dangerous. I lived in Texas most of my life and I've never seen a gun, much less held one. I've never been the victim of a violent crime (knock on wood) or seen one occur.

  One thing I read in this thread intrigued me though. Is it really accurate that someone could be prosecuted for defending themselves in the midst of a crime? If true, that's astounding to me.

  Carry on.
• 

  WildHorses

  Sorry it has taken me so long to post this reply. It started raining real hard and my satellite connection was lost. It just now came back up.
  
  ballistic, true, I should have maybe started a new thread, or posted it in one of the US threads. I've just been keeping my feelings inside about the whole US thing and when I saw what eman posted in reply to Jayson, it just came out.
  
  I try my best to be a peacefull person, but it's getting hard to do so these days. I am so tired of being hated for being an American. Are we not human too?
  
  
  Simon said: "The problem is not that people bash America, but people are eager to take almost any comment as bashing - there is a big difference."
  
  Simon, then why do you take every opportunity to do so? One thread here or there is one thing, but you have been posting about your dislike of our country for months now. It seems as if you enjoy it and if you notice, the American posters didn't start threads about the UK unitl they finally got tired of it. The big difference here is that you live in the UK and can delete the post when you get tired of hearing it but we can not. If we wish to continue posting here, we have to just DEAL WITH IT, or be kicked off if we say something that you do not like. It happened just the other day with RubyTuesday. She only posted one thread that you didn't like and she was gone. Is that fair?
  
  BTW, none of my family-----mother, father, sisters, their husbands, nor any of my close friends own a gun. I just let my pit bull take care of it. LOL
  
  
  
  
• 

  StinkyPantz

  I'd just like to point out that in the US a majority of suicides are committed w/guns and these figures are used when tabulating deaths due to guns.