Revere their guns? Eek. Thanks for reminding me why I live here.

More seriously, I just don't get the mentality even here that accepts registering cars, which are only dangerous if misused or incompetently driven, but not firearms which are built from the ground up to be lethal.

Nor do I get the "if everyone has guns crime will be reduced because the criminals will be know they can be shot". The experience in the US suggests it just leads to escalation. If criminals know there's likely to be a revolver or bolt-action rifle in the house, they pack semi-auto; if they know there's like to be a semi-auto in the house, they switch to submachineguns and assault rifles, which then leads homeowners to want similar hardware and so on.

I quite like our current system here. Wish we'd kept the long gun registry but it was badly managed and was a political problem for all parties in rural ridings so I'm not surprised it died. As long as we can retain our tight control over handguns and automatics, I'll be comfortable. However, I'll add the proviso that something needs to be done about the flow of illegal handguns to the gangs involved in the rash of shootings in Toronto. Restricting legal access to handguns does us no good if the criminals have easy access to stolen/redirected American firepower through illegal channels.

Mendalla

The US has been whipped into hysteril ever since world war two. They're scared of tiny countries thousands of miles away. They're scared of crime in their own, deteriorating cities. The Defence industry has used that fear (along with a questionable interpretation of the constitution) to make one hell of a lot of money.

I have been in stores where i could have bought an anti tank gun or a submachine gun. I just had to swear I was over sixteen.

Estimates are there are at least 30 million seriously unbalanced people in the US. Almost any of them can buy a gun.

The US is drowing in its media induced hysteria, and a ruthless defence industry.

To top it off, most of the mexican drug mobsters are armed with weapons from the US; and they launder their billions in American and other western banks.

I'd be a happy girl if there were no guns anywhere ever.  However, I understand that hunting wild game can be a sport for some and a means of survival for others.  I'd be happy if no guns existed outside of those purposes...

I don't think that Canada's system is quite right, because I see the news with stories of guns landing in the wrong hands and causing devestation.  But I think we're much better off than elsewhere.  CH - it makes me sick, too.

Actually, Canada has a high proportion of gun-owners. But, unlike the US, they are almost all hunting and target weapons. The US has a high proportion of combat weapons and pistols - and other hardware all the way up to machine guns and artillery.

Just watch Sons of Guns on Discovery, about a family-run gunsmith shop in Baton Rouge, La., sometime if you want to see what's possible down there. Fascinating and scary at the same time.

Mendalla

People owning guns doesn't bother me.  I don't really have much of an opinion when it comes to a gun registry, as I'm not convinced it prevents crime, but I don't think it's a big deal to have it.

What scares me is when people can carry guns going about their daily business.  I would never want Canada to become more like the US when it comes to carrying weapons.

Guns are for people that can't talk their way out of a paper bag. I don't like them and it would scare me just to hold one.

Interesting column by Naomi Lakritz of the Calgary Herald about a Kalamazoo police officer on vacation in Calgary who apparently feels he should have been able to have his gun with him to deal with a couple of men who had the nerve to ask him and his wife if they had been to the Stampede. And they had the nerve to ask twice! So, if he had had his gun with him, 2 men might well be dead for asking someone if they had been to the Stampede. That's the American mindset developed through a reverence for guns.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/Lakritz+Kalamazoo+police+officer+letter+editor+about/7054368/story.html

Waterfall, know some people who own guns and some of them are very nice people who are great at holding a conversation.

I have been skeet shooting once.  It's really not my thing, but if people are doing it safely, they aren't hurting anyone.

skeet and people = two different things chemgal

CH, just to clarify, do you have no problem with people who own guns for hobbies, like skeet shooting?

Now people like Wawra scare me!

I have no problems with sport shooting like skeet but sport shooters generally don't shoot at people and are also fairly careful with their weapons. Pistols for Olympic-style competitive pistol shooting actually require special permits to be transported to and from events (or need to be stored at the range) so are fairly tightly tracked, too. To be honest, I've sometimes thought about joining the local club myself. Might be a good exercise for my poor hand-eye coordination.

Mendalla

Too many people are shooting too many others. I don't just what should be done, but something should.

The gun registry does reduce crime but why let a few little things like the information from the RCMP, many members of the medical profession, women's shelters and Stats Can  (prior to its evisceration) get in the way?

Personally, I'd love to participate in creating a gun-free society but I realize that's not realistic anytime soon. The culture of guns and the "rights" that is part of it is a cult, complete with the golden calf. Money drives the agenda with people being deceived and manipulated into the manic obsession with guns - the bigger the better.

That said, like cars, drugs, alcohol and other dangerous products, regulation of their numbers, type and use is a reasonable and responsible step for a society to take, imho.

I think the PEOPLE  have lost their will .Sports, Hunting for food I can live with if it is controlled and regulated but nowhere do I see that I have the right to own a gun for any reason.

thanks for posting that article, Steven.  After I got over the initial laughter at the whole situation, I felt sad.  Sad that visitors don't feel safe in Canada, sad that people feel they need a gun to feel safe in a city park, but most of all sad that the officer thought that the situation would have been better handled if he'd had a gun.

*shakes head*

Speaking as someone who has been to a lot of places where there is complete lack of gun control, and whose been shot at in most of them, I can say that teh American mentality where every Tom, Dick, and Hairless can pack heat and pretend he's Marshall Dillon scares teh hell out of me.

I agree with you witch

Why would it matter to you how other people live their lives?  Because of your feelings?  Do you feel that 'feeling sick' for you is bad, that it will somehow harm you?  And then what are you doing to account for your feelings; are you going through the 'net and searching for stories that justify your feelings?

Where do those feelings of yours come from?  Do you have any free will with them?  Any responsibility for them?  Do you want to make any other object or person other than yourself responsible (even if only a bit) for your feelings in this regard?

I grew up in the propaganda.

It extends way beyond WWII.

For me, I guess it started young. Everyone's family had a veteran in it. My father was killed by a gun. My step-dad kept a loaded 357 Magnum in the nightstand beside his bed...

(in a voice other than my own voice) "of course loaded, what good is an unloaded gun?"
"you are supposed to assume ALL guns are loaded. It is rule #1"

So, yes, loaded in an unlocked locale
(again, in that other voice)
"you do not want to have to go unlock your gun and load it if someone breaks in, how stupid is that?"
 

So, yes, a loaded 357 Magnum in the nightsand with three children in the house. Oh, and the house was also made up of an alcoholic, someone mentally ill and folks with dementia.... but this, THIS, was normal.

(That voice once more) What if someone broke in? What if another riot broke out? -this was right after the Detroit riots.

When my little kid brain said, "but my father died by a gun" then they try to teach you that guns do not kill people, people kill people and "if your daddy had a gun, he could have shot the bad man"

I wanted to scream, "so, my dad would still be dead and you would have TWO dead bodies, dumb ass" but that is not good. (I had yet to learn it was not patriotic) You see, good people shoot bad people. You play cowboys and Indians, cops and robbers . Good guys shot bad guys, plain and simple.

 By elementary school, we are ready to ponder, aloud or in our subconsious
"What if Paul Revere and the other patriots had no guns?"

We move to the Consitution, Bill of Rights, Second Amendment... "the right to keep and bear arms" and it reads:
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"
 

Just look at the words capitalized.

So, in elementary math guns=security, guns=freedom, guns=a right. and don't you infringe. If you infringe, you are not a believer in a free state, you want to take over....

It is rooted in English law. They knew about Kings disarming subjects.

So, it is worked into some frenzy.
They can take your right to religion, if you don't have a gun. Gun=godly
They can take your right to free speech without a gun. You can say, "Take this.." if you got one.
They can turn you all into pinko Commies if you don't have a gun....
Let's not even get into if there is a nuclear war, a tidal wave, an invasion by aliens, zombies....

Guns are good and guns are patriotic. (Gag)

I was told that there is nothing more noble than being shot at. Be a police officer, enlist in the military.... Now, they try going in reverse, daddy, uncle, grandpa... they did not kill anyone, the gun does... remember they deserve it.... bad guys.... patriotism...

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery exam given every year to students (usually juniors in high school) and the results sent to recruiters who could start wooing minors without parental consent. (A few US states have since stopped sending results automatically).

Everyone taking a gun handlers class like a right of passage. In Pa. you could take it at 11 and hunt at 12... it was like a Bar Mitvah with kids who were not even going to hunt taking the gun class to "be a grown-up".

I hated guns. I knew the way they tear through the flesh of a body. I knew the blood and gore and had it touch me personally. One shouldn't.

I feared guns, but not in the fear of the gun or bulets, hunks of metal.

Friends hunt for food. I get that. I do not fear them.

I feared the people, the mentality, the propaganda...

I still do.

Guns hanging in the truck. Guns on dashboards. Guns in gloveboxes and purses. Guns tucked into waistbands. Guns in the psyche. Guns as a way of life.

It sickens me!

My friend, you stated what is in my head. Thank you.

Also, everyome makes bad discisions. I do , you do, what if the decision, the bad discision, rooted in anger also had a handgun on my person. what discision would I make then.

It sickens me, Inanna, because people are dying and all people are worried about is an ammendment or right to kill.

So what are you going to do with your feelings?  Do you want your feeling of sickness stopped?  Or are you alright with feeling 'sick'?  Or what?

SG,

I enjoyed your riff -- thank you :3

InannaWhimsey,

I am all about examining self and not judging others...

What does it matter how other people live their lives?  Because of feelings?

That, as a child,someone, my father, was almost cut in half by a single bullet.

That an adult, friend of my parents, who was having a hard time shot himself with a small calibre gun and the bullet ricocheted against his skull and he lived the rest of his life in a nursing home.

That a young father in the neighbourhood used to call his kids into the bathroom where he sat on the floor with a gun crying about saying goodbye because mommy was leaving.

That, as a teen, a friend in high school literally blew his brains out in the basement of their home.

That my brother, drunk on Old Milwaukee and teenage testosterone, saw a rifle as a penis extension and pulled it on friends as well as me and my sister.

That as an adult, I had a gun held to my head more than once....

That I went to pick up domestic shelter clients who never showed to find out they were in a morgue or ICU.

I lived in a home where abuse took place. Do you think it never crossed my mind or my siblings?

I was a LGBTQ teen who did not think life was worth living and that I was bound for hell? Do you think it never crossed my mind?

I know where my feelings come from and I know my bias.

Do you know yours?

What is that saying "there but for the grace of God go I"

I pray you never know my feeligns and bias on guns.

That would require telepathy, I think :3

And even then, your feelings & bias wouldn't scare me -- I'm the type that can make friends with Hitler :3

Inanna, I dont know why you are on my case. I dont like what people and guns are doing. It does make me sick. Should I go to the Legislature, to Parliament, to Congress, to the Senate? A one boobed woman who hates guns. You dont seem to think that this is a normal reaction.

you would make friends with Hitler and probably the devil too. Sorry I am angry.

crazyheart,

(((hug)))

It is not my intention to be on your case -- I am just asking you questions that perhaps you had not considered before :3

Don't be sorry aboot being angry -- know thyself :3

My Dad owned a gun. It looked like this...

He was always very responsible in using it.

Seems to me that the present corporate philosophy is for the government to to cut the social programs and as a tradeoff let the people have more guns.

Free enterprize=every man for himself

I know I'm late to the party, but that's just me I guess.
All in all, I think we have a pretty good set of gun laws here in Canada. Folks that need rifles as tools (hunters, trappers, farmers, etc) can own and use them within limits. There are laws to tell them how to safely store them. Pistols have many more restrictions on them, which is a good thing or you'd have off duty cops from Kalamazoo shooting people for being nice.
And then you have things like fully auto assault weapons that are prohibited.
Through the licensing of gun owners, police still know who owns guns, where they are, and have the right to remove them if necessary.
I think we have a well balanced approach. Is it perfect? No. Can it be perfect? No, not in everyone's opinion.
Just my .02

Then there's people like this:

From RKOI

I fear for the mother who had to birth someone like that...OUCH!

Given the items around it, I wonder whether that's a real AK or some kind of weird replica cigarette lighter. Point taken, though. In a gun culture like that of many US states, guns become fashion statements/accessories. In the aforementioned Sons of Guns, the office administrator (who is also the daughter of the shop's founder and, IIRC, a co-owner) has a lovely blue AK-47.

Personally, if I was going to own an assault rifle (and if I lived in the States, I well might, though pistol shooting would be more my style), I'd want it to look like one and not like a piece of jewellry.

Mendalla

I could never understand conceal carry laws in the US. Most days I i find it to be too much of a pain in the a$$ to carry a phone that weighs a couple ounces, let alone a gun that weighs 3 or 4 pounds

Everybody who is anybody in the US has an assault rifle.

In Texas, there is NO waiting period to buy a gun.

There is NO state registration of guns.

You need a state  ID to buy a gun

You CAN get a concealed license for a handgun.

Long guns do not need a license but you should not carry them in a way that is not threatening.

You CAN carry them in your car. The Motorist Protection Act  means you can carry handguns, loaded and within reach, so long as you CONCEAL the firearm. Long guns do not HAVE to be concealed and may be loaded and within reach.

Machine guns, suppressors, short barreled are all LEGAL.

Texas DOES NOT ban assault rifles. They abide by FEDERAL LAW which at this time has NO restrictions on so-called "assault weapons" such as semi-auto AR15, FAL, G3 / HK91 rifles. (The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was ten year ban and expired on September 13, 2004, as part of the law's  sunset provision.There have been multiple attempts to renew the ban, but no bill has reached the floor for a vote.)
 

There is NO limit on the magazine size.

That is why every gun in the news was "legal to own"... from muzzle loader to machine gun.....

Gag!!!!

Mendalla, if you believe the comments the owner doesn't know if it's a real working gun or not *sigh*.  Cuz owning a gold gun that may or may not be real sounds like a fantastic idea.

I would be kind of an interesting collector's piece, I guess. Kind of like the fake swords people buy (no edge on them so they're not considered weapons). I'm surprised he wouldn't know because if it worked you'd think he'd take it to the range every now and then so he could be known as the "Man with the Golden Gun" (title of a Bond novel and movie). That would likely seem so cool to a certain mindset.

On another gun control related topic, Sympatico had the following article summarizing Canadian handgun (i.e. revolver and pistol) laws:

http://news.sympatico.cbc.ca/local/ab/who_may_carry_handguns_in_canada/c21771cc

I  our gun control, even if we do need to put more effort into stopping the illegal weapons traffic that supplies the gangs and other criminals.

Mendalla

I find it interesting that in the aftermath of a spree like the recent cinema shoot-up, gun sales in the area rise markedly, the argument often heard being that citizens with guns can intervene in such incidents and save lives.

How often, I wonder, do peace-loving gun owners open up to save lives in such situaions?

They usually seem to chicken out and dive for cover like everyone without guns. It's almost always cops who are left to take out the bad guys, or people (like members of visible minorities) who might — at least to the Popular American mind — reasonably be mistaken for terrorists maddened by bloodlust.

Mike, since this incident happened in the US, I would imagine that half of the adults in the theatre were armed.  Yet I haven't heard of one who drew a gun to defend himself or others, including children. 

What are you basing your 'half' statistic on?

MikePaterson,

It is scary to hear the news. It instills fear. You might be sitting there getting ready to watch the newest Pixar with the kids and someone opens fire.
 

The radio and print folks put out there, "What if someone there had a gun?"

Like some law abiding citizen being Marshall Matt Dillon is a match for an assault rifle. Like having to draw a weapon is a match for someone with theirs already drawn. Like The Rifleman's customized Winchester would be comfortable to sit with in a theatre seat, would be quick to draw and load, and an even match for a machine gun.

But just say it and you are off. They dash to the local gun dealer for "protection".

Say it is a mentally ill person never committed and they will rally behind locking them up, taking away the plea of "insanity". Say it is a criminal recently released and watch their politics. The same if it is a certain country, religion...

It is about fear and not wanting to be afraid, to feel safe.

In a very steeped gun culture, a gun can be the nightlight when they tell you to be afraid of the dark, the basement when they say a tornado is coming.

It is safety, when we cannot be safe.

It says you can control a situation you have no control over.

It is hope that if it ever happens, you will survive.

It is snake oil. But until it kills them, they will keep taking it knowing it has not worked, but hoping it will.

Seeler, I doubt it.  The US is a large country, and the laws about guns aren't consistent across the country.  Colorado probably doesn't have the most strict laws, but I do know they don't have the most relaxed gun laws either.

Many places of businesses have rules about guns, and I found out from people living in the US that many of them thought that was a law, and wouldn't take a gun into a place where there's a sign saying they are not allowed.

I don't think things would have been better if half were armed though.

Many people (including Canadians) keep mentioning shootings where things would have been better if people involved had guns.  None of them mention the U of A shooting, where every single victim (including the one who is still recovering) were armed.

Now, not half of Americans are armed and certainly not half in a theatre in Colorado.

Asking why nobody shot the shooter or intervened... on one side of the gun argument or the other almost lays blame for someone not doing something in a situation where any one of us might have been paralyzed with fear and not thought to cal 911, shield our child....

Just seems wrong.

Colorado law is pretty lax considering this is the same state where Columbine happened or because it is the state Columbine happened in.

Firearms do not get registered.

Colorado allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle, loaded or unloaded, if its use is for lawful protection of such person or another's person or property. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)] Colorado law also allows a person to possess a handgun in a dwelling, place of business, or automobile. However, you cannot carry the weapon concealed on or about your person while transporting it into your home, business, hotel room, etc. Local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon. [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6]

 

 

 

 

Not really stats - more a guess.  I'm presuming that the children and young teens would be unarmed.  I'm presuming that many of the women, especially if they were accompanied by a husband or boyfriend would leave their guns at home.  That leaves the men.  I'm also guessing that this type of movie would attract many young men.  Some of them might also be unarmed.  But considering the gun culture in the US I'm guessing that many of the men would have a gun with them. 

But it is a guess. 

Do you think it is high or low? 

They aren't as heavily armed as you might think and places like bars, theatres, etc. often have house rules (or even local or state laws) restricting bringing arms into those places. The restaurant where I ate while in Houston in the spring had "No firearms" sign over the bar that cited an ordinance (forget if it's state or local, maybe SG can clarify). To be honest, I'm rather glad no one pulled a gun and fought back. A relatively untrained shooter (or shooters) engaging in a dark, enclosed space against a well-prepared and trained shooter with an assault rifle would likely result in more, not less, casualities as fleeing people got caught in the crossfire or hit by inaccurate shots.

Mendalla

Colorado's position on guns:

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Home Colorado Gun Laws

Colorado Gun Laws

If you require information from the Colorado State Patrol that has not been addressed on this page, please contact your local Colorado State Patrol Office.

Click here to locate your local office.

Colorado Gun Laws

What are Colorado's laws concerning firearms?

Colorado allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle, loaded or unloaded, if its use is for lawful protection of such person or another's person or property. [C.R.S. 18-12-105(2)] Colorado law also allows a person to possess a handgun in a dwelling, place of business, or automobile. However, you cannot carry the weapon concealed on or about your person while transporting it into your home, business, hotel room, etc. Local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon. [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6] The Act permits the nationwide carrying of concealed handguns by qualified current and retired law enforcement officers and amends the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Pub. L. 90-618, 82 Stat. 1213) to exempt qualified current and retired law enforcement officers from state and local laws prohibiting the carry of concealed firearms.

How do I obtain a Concealed Weapon Permit?

A permit to carry a concealed weapon may be obtained through the Sheriff of the county in which you live. You must meet certain requirements to qualify for the permit. [C.R.S. 18-12-203] Consult your local Sheriff's Department for more information obtaining a permit. The permit and a valid photo identification must be carried with the handgun at all times. A permit is not required and a handgun is not considered concealed when a person is in a private automobile or other private transportation. [C.R.S. 18-12-105 (2)]

What is the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act?

The Act permits the nationwide carrying of concealed handguns by qualified current and retired law enforcement officers and amends the Gun Control Act of 1968 (Pub. L. 90-618, 82 Stat. 1213) to exempt qualified current and retired law enforcement officers from state and local laws prohibiting the carry of concealed firearms. To apply for Retired Commissioned Officers Firearms Training, click here.

Am I required to register my weapon in the State of Colorado?

The State of Colorado prohibits gun registration. CRS 29-11.7-102

If I'm traveling through Colorado with a weapon, Can I Have it in my vehicle?

Colorado law allows a person to carry a firearm in a vehicle, loaded or unloaded, if its use is for lawful protection of such a person or another's person or property. [C.R.S. 18-12-105 {2}]. Colorado law allows a person to possess a handgun in a dwelling, place of business, or automobile. However, you cannot carry the weapon concealed on or about your person while transporting it into your home, business, hotel room, etc. Local jurisdictions may not enact laws that restrict a person's ability to travel with a weapon [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6].

Is it Legal to Carry a Weapon in Colorado National Forests?

While visiting National Forests in Colorado, you may carry a weapon. However, in addition to state laws, you must comply with Federal Regulations pertaining to the use of a firearm on National Forest System lands.

A firearm may not be discharged in the following National Forest areas:
Within 150 yards of a residence, building, campsite, developed recreation site, or occupied area; or
Across or on a Forest Development road or an adjacent body of water, or in any manner or place whereby any person or property is exposed to injury or damage as a result of such discharge; or
Into or within any cave. [36 CFR 261.10 (d)]
Some forest or distrcits have additional restrictions on discharging a firearm. You are advised to check with the authorities in the areas you will be visiting.

What is Colorado's Out of State Permit Reciprocity?

A permit to carry a concealed weapon that is issued to a person (who is at least 21 years of age) by another state will be considered valid in Colorado if the other state, in turn, recognized Colorado's concealed handgun permits. [C.R.S. 18-12-105.6]
Check Colorado's reciprocity with other states.

How do I Transport Firearms Through National Parks in Colorado?

With rare exception (such as during times when controlled hunting is allowed), weapons are to be dismantled completely while traveling in National Parks in the United States. In order to transport firearms through National Parks, they must be dismantled and carried in the trunk of the vehicle.
 

Mandella,

Texas allows loaded guns in some bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. (I think they cannot get more than 50% of revenue from alcohol or something determned by TABC)  

In fact, there are only a handful of states that have laws that actually prohibit them in bars.

Seeler,

I think 50% is ridiculous.

Gun ownership across the country is estimated under 40% (that is who owns one, not who carries them to a movie theatre)

How many people own a gun and it only stays in the house or only goes hunting? I would say most gun owners I know.

When you take a starting point under 50% and then subtract people like children and those who simply leave their guns at home (which is most gun owners), you can see it is ridiculous.

"I'm presuming that many of the women, especially if they were accompanied by a husband or boyfriend would leave their guns at home."
WOW

I am not touching the underlying junk that remains in our society of women needing men to protect them. I will say that the figures in the US show male and female gun ownership to be close (when I say close, I mean in single digit % differences.)

I would be more likely to bet that ONLY the shooter had a gun in that theatre.

I stand corrected.  I had the false impression that many males in the southern States carried guns.  I'm glad I was wrong.  I too would not want to be caught ina crossfire if a couple of untrained gun owners decided to shoot it out with a heavily armed and prepared luniatic.