Gay guy finds out you can't legislate away reality, hilarity ensues

[Darth Executor]

Compared to the USA at #108. Not a very helpful example to make your case with.

I doubt you could make the case that Saudi Arabia is less fanatically religious than the US.

One American political commentator I was listening to today made the good point that most Americans are not very knowledgeable about how their country is perceived overseas, and are totally unaware of the relatively high number of people in other Western countries who would agree with the statement "I would have second-thoughts about taking my family on holiday to the US, due to fear that they might be shot". America is often perceived as a dangerous land of gun-wielding crazies. Your gun homicide rate is twenty times higher than it is here.

If you stay out favelas or da hood you'll be about as safe as anywhere else. Meanwhile I don't see myself ever moving out of North America because I don't want to get thrown in jail for trying to rescue my daughter from Pakistani rapist pimps.

I would personally never move to the US for three reasons:
* Guns everywhere, and a high rate of deaths due to them, would make me feel unsafe.

"The wicked flee when no man pursueth"

[Tassman]

Sure, Saudi Arabia is 17 on the list of countries with the smallest murder rates, compared to Prison Colony Alpha at 34. This achievement is made all the more impressive when you consider how poorly behaved muslim arabs tend to be relative to Australian cuckypoofs.

“The USA murder rate of 4.7 murders per 100,000 people — was significantly higher than in most other wealthy nations.

The comparable rate is 0.4 in Japan, 0.8 in Germany, 1.0 in Australia 1.1 in France and 1.2 in Britain [all significantly less religious than the USA], according to figures compiled by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development”.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/u...ries-fbi-data/

As for Saudi Arabia the USA even manages to top it as a violent country with 16% higher overall crime.

http://www.nationmaster.com/country-...d-States/Crime

Can this mean that Christianity is even more conducive to violence than fundy Islam? Because, as you rightly say: "I doubt you could make the case that Saudi Arabia is less fanatically religious than the US - but then, the former have the jihadists.

[Darth Executor]

“The USA murder rate of 4.7 murders per 100,000 people — was significantly higher than in most other wealthy nations.

The comparable rate is 0.4 in Japan, 0.8 in Germany, 1.0 in Australia 1.1 in France and 1.2 in Britain [all significantly less religious than the USA], according to figures compiled by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development”.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/09/u...ries-fbi-data/

As for Saudi Arabia the USA even manages to top it as a violent country with 16% higher overall crime.

http://www.nationmaster.com/country-...d-States/Crime

Can this mean that Christianity is even more conducive to violence than fundy Islam? Because, as you rightly say: "I doubt you could make the case that Saudi Arabia is less fanatically religious than the US.

Not likely. America's high murder rates are largely the product of its racial demographics and large land border to a third world craphole. If you look at the full list there are a considerable number of both Christian east European and Muslim countries on the upper end of the scale. Then there is of course the elephant in the room I mentioned earlier which you ignored, namely that Western peace has been bought by America's military and nuclear weapons. American violence is the only reason why you get away with the delusions you currently hold about how successful you are as a civilization. Without American protection you'd have to either become a more right wing, militarized society or get stomped out by China or the Empire of the Rising Sun.

All this assumes Europe actually polices crimes instead of sweeping them under the rug. Given what happened in Rotherham this assumption is on pretty shaky ground.

[Irate Canadian]

Still enamoured of this white supremacist, homophobic, misogynist crap are we Epoetker? It shows in everything you post.

“‘Pleasureman’ is the site administrator of My Posting Career which is “a Something Awful spinoff forum for racist ex-goons who consider themselves too intellectual for Stormfront or VNN. Popular discussion topics include making fun of liberals, boasting about their weightlifting routines, and whining about how n****rs, Jews and homosexuals are ruining everything. - Encyclopedia Dramatica.

You're using Encyclopedia Dramatica?

You do realize that's a joke wikipedia knockoff (which IIRC has a large 4chan population editing it).

[Zymologist]

Compared to the USA at #108. Not a very helpful example to make your case with.

One American political commentator I was listening to today made the good point that most Americans are not very knowledgeable about how their country is perceived overseas, and are totally unaware of the relatively high number of people in other Western countries who would agree with the statement "I would have second-thoughts about taking my family on holiday to the US, due to fear that they might be shot". America is often perceived as a dangerous land of gun-wielding crazies. Your gun homicide rate is twenty times higher than it is here.

I would personally never move to the US for three reasons:
* Guns everywhere, and a high rate of deaths due to them, would make me feel unsafe.
* Healthcare that is absurdly expensive
* Police I couldn't trust to be honest or competent

I live in Montana. Everyone in Montana owns a gun. In fact, I honestly struggle to name anyone I know who does not own a gun. It is also relatively easy to get a concealed carry permit here.

I have never been afraid of being shot.

Out of curiosity, have you ever shot and/or handled a gun before?

[Adrift]

I live in Montana. Everyone in Montana owns a gun. In fact, I honestly struggle to name anyone I know who does not own a gun. It is also relatively easy to get a concealed carry permit here.

I have never been afraid of being shot.

Out of curiosity, have you ever shot and/or handled a gun before?

I lived in Montana and didn't own a gun (though I was Security Forces in the Airforce, so I did obviously have access to a gun while on duty) . To be fair, population density in Montana is extremely low. You could go miles and miles and miles and not see another living soul. I imagine that helps with crime rates.

[Zymologist]

I lived in Montana and didn't own a gun (though I was Security Forces in the Airforce, so I did obviously have access to a gun while on duty) . To be fair, population density in Montana is extremely low. You could go miles and miles and miles and not see another living soul. I imagine that helps with crime rates.

Ok, not literally everyone owns a gun. But pretty much everyone I know owns one (or more).

Edit: I'm just confused by the apparent deep-seated terror that a lot of people seem to have for law-abiding gun owners when they, in my experience, don't actually know anything about guns.

[Adrift]

Ok, not literally everyone owns a gun. But pretty much everyone I know owns one (or more).

Edit: I'm just confused by the apparent deep-seated terror that a lot of people seem to have for law-abiding gun owners when they, in my experience, don't actually know anything about guns.

Personally, I'm not that comfortable with America's gun obsession, so I'm probably not the best one to talk about it. There are obviously many many people in the US who own guns who are perfectly safe and law-abiding...and then there are those who are not. I think its the ease of availability for those who are not law-abiding that shocks a lot of people outside of the US.

[Zymologist]

Personally, I'm not that comfortable with America's gun obsession, so I'm probably not the best one to talk about it. There are obviously many many people in the US who own guns who are perfectly safe and law-abiding...and then there are those who are not. I think its the ease of availability for those who are not law-abiding that shocks a lot of people outside of the US.

Obsession is a strong word. At what point would you classify it as an obsession?

[Adrift]

Obsession is a strong word. At what point would you classify it as an obsession?

I'm using the word "obsession" in a colloquial sense ("my town is obsessed with football"), not as a psychiatric diagnosis.

[Zymologist]

I'm using the word "obsession" in a colloquial sense ("my town is obsessed with football"), not as a psychiatric diagnosis.

Ok. I can't think of anyone I would say is "obsessed" with guns in that sense, then.

A lot of foreigners seem to have a strange concept of a US where gunfights happen regularly, and anyone you see on the street could pull out a gun at any moment and shoot up everything in sight. Where it's an everyday occurrence to see a couple guys on main street resolve their disagreement with an Old West-style duel. Like everyone drives around with bullet holes in their cars from yesterday's gunfight. It's just...weird.

[Adrift]

Ok. I can't think of anyone I would say is "obsessed" with guns in that sense, then.

A lot of foreigners seem to have a strange concept of a US where gunfights happen regularly, and anyone you see on the street could pull out a gun at any moment and shoot up everything in sight. Like everyone drives around with bullet holes in their cars from yesterday's gunfight. It's just...weird.

I don't know if that's the case. When I lived in Germany people seemed to understand that we weren't living in constant fear of a hail of bullets, but they also did find our national fixation on guns a bit strange.

[Zymologist]

I don't know if that's the case. When I lived in Germany people seemed to understand that we weren't living in constant fear of a hail of bullets, but they also did find our national fixation on guns a bit strange.

I don't really see it as a "fixation," either.

[Adrift]

I don't really see it as a "fixation," either.

ok.

[Paprika]

I'm just confused by the apparent deep-seated terror that a lot of people seem to have for law-abiding gun owners when they, in my experience, don't actually know anything about guns.

IMO it's not so much a terror of guns per se but of a society with lesser security; discomfort with weapons is a privilege that only people living in peaceful societies can afford.