What are the numbers like for vehicle related deaths and heart disease?

poor souls, very sad.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/ireland/110318/ireland-suicide-rate

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/injury.htm

David, it is the culture in America that is the problem and not the gun ownership. There are plenty of other countries with just as easy access to firearms (Canada and Switzerland for example) and their ratings for gun-related crimes are far lower than that of the US.

The problem is that people in the US don’t respect firearms. I love to shoot and am beginning the process to buy my own, but I would never store it in my own home. They were invented to kill yet Americans either do not recognise this or they do and have an extremely low value for live.

So I would ask you to look at the whole picture instead of just outright blaming guns. Also I would add that many US states have just as restrictive firearms laws as many European states.

Well said Jason ,but hey don’t shoot the messenger ;) , again for clarity , I was contesting the statement made here “American is one of the safest countries BECAUSE of the fact civilians own guns ” ……I don’t agree at all with that and the facts just don’t bear that out , regardless of weather it’s the gun “culture” or hit , it’s simply not the case .

@Jason – Suicide rates by firearm in states with high gun ownership are way way higher than those with lower gun ownership.

While you’re encouraging people to look at the whole picture I think you’ve missed some of it yourself.

“A study of 626 shootings in or around a residence in three U.S. cities revealed that, for every time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable shooting, there were four unintentional shootings, seven criminal assaults or homicides, and 11 attempted or completed suicides” (Kellermann et al, 1998)

It’s not about gun ownership versus culture – it’s about gun culture.

How could you not like that explanation?

You mentioned suicide with guns. So I was wondering how many people, i.e.humans, brothers, fathers, sisiters, mothers, aunts, grandmothers amd grandfathers die unnecessarily, isnt that the overall concern that people should live healthy happy lifes and die of old age/natural causes surronded by their family.

freedom fighters?

Patriots is the word I would use.

More parallels between the declines of the US and Roman empire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThgsKuv4Ej0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

And I thought the troops were brought home because the war in Iraq was over and world was tired of America policing other countries.

George when did this happen?, I didn’t see any troops on the street today. Are you sure your not thinking about the national guard? You will probably see the Louisiana National Guard in New Orleans this week if they get hit with that hurricane.

Desmond, my hat is off to you, I would not like your job and am very impressed with the overwhelming task at hand which you must tackle. I would like to talk to you off line, about your experiences if possible. Take care of yourself Desmond.

Sorry about the double post, typing on the iPhone and the spaces in the paragraph did not show up.

Mary it all depends on which state one lives in, for example a resident in New Jersey can not purchase an assault rifle in New Jersey or in any other state. However, next door in Pennsylvania one can if they do not have a criminal history and pass the requisite background checks. Each of the fifty states has totally different laws, that’s why the ATF investigate “straw purchases”, when a person with a clean record purchases a weapon in a state with less stringent laws and then sells the aforementioned weapons to criminals who transport them across state lines. So in a state like NJ an honest person is restricted on the type and amount of weapons he or she can purchase, but the criminal who is not afraid of the law can purchase whatever they want with the right contacts and right amount of money.

Suicide rates by firearm in states with high gun ownership are way way higher than those with lower gun ownership

@Daithi – suicide “success” rates are massively higher with firearms than with most other methods.

I hope this doesn’t sound tasteless but for those committing suicide a quick and painless method is what they would prefer, so using a firearm is seen as very quick and direct.

Look at it this way – take 1000 suicide attempts and apply a “success” rate of 85% to that 1000 versus 50% – that’s 350 more people who can get help.

And that’s not to mention the 150 people who did not “successfully” commit suicide with a firearm who will live with massive injuries.

People will often say that those who want to die will manage to do so one way or the other. But that is to assume that help is not available after an “unsuccessful” attempt and that everyone who makes an attempt to kill themselves will keep trying until they are “successful”.

The decision to commit suicide is often not one that is made by a person when they have a true view on reality. Having a gun around during these dark times means the person is more likely to die than by any other method.

It is great to see, I am ashamed to say I let my NRA membership lapse, just like my Irish passport. Desmond can you bring me home if I get my passport renewed. I want to live like you.

Desmond I’ve been carrying a gun and badge for the last sixteen years and it’s not getting any easier. However, since I took an oath of allegiance to protect the US from all enemies, both domestic and foreign, that includes the 2nd amendment. I will keep that promise, because that is my job.

I know this has to be very difficult for you Desmond to hear someone from Tallaght use these words. However, if you can bring me home and get me a job so I can support my wife and two children with an honest living, I’ll start packing. Until that time I’ll have to uphold the promise I made to the country that does provide me with gainful employment and a very comfortable lifestyle.

Can you believe my four brothers have all sorts of guns they like to shot for fun and they are not even police officers and they’re not criminals either. Plus none of us have ever killed or shot anybody.

Desmond I had four opportunities to use deadly force and the suspects would have died. I could of got four medals, but I choose not to. On two separate occasions my lieutenants criticized me for not killing my assailants, but all’s well that ends well. I am content with the end results, I just hope those criminals learned from their mistakes and became productive members of society.

I wonder will they ever know how close they came to dieing. I know that felling Desmond, it is indescribable and sometimes comes back to haunt me in my dreams, I definitely appreciate life Desmond. Bring me home Desmond I want to be like you, it’s not easy making life and death decisions in a matter of seconds.

Well thank God I have a nice desk job now and very rarely have to go to dangerous neighborhoods anymore, but when we do there’s lots of us and it’s very organized, at least it feels safe.

Not like the days when I rode around in a patrol car by myself, I use to bring my shotgun on most shifts, very effective tool. I always get jealous when I see the Gardai riding around Dublin, three deep and they don’t have to carry guns. Bring me home Desmond.

But for the most part I was always surrounded by great guys, so if sugar went to shit in seconds, as it does, they always seem to show up in time. I don’t even think any of those boys were catholic, some of them were not even white, but we cared about each other and made sure we were safe and went home at the end of the shift in one piece.

What a job Desmond, “a front row seat to the greatest show on earth”, the best education I’ve ever received. Rapes, child molestations, drugs, homicides over drugs, strangers killing strangers, shoplifting, auto thefts, burglaries, pedestrians killed crossing the road, motorists dieing in collisions. Desmond you can’t imagine the horrific things people are capable if doing to each other. I can remember some of these things like it was yesterday. Bring me home Desmond, I want to live like you.

Desmond I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive someone like me, but this is my confession of an Irish immigrant in America. Would I have been better off if I stayed in Tallaght? I often lay awake at night and wonder is this really my destiny?Desmond I still go to mass, it helps a lot.

This is my life, I’ll be forty next year please God. It has been an amazing adventure. I am very great full for the opportunities I have been given in this country. I just hope I don’t have to pay for them with my life. I am that American who likes guns and the second Amendment, and as long as I live here I will continue to do so, because I don’t think you can bring me home Desmond, but thanks for trying.

It is great to see, I am ashamed to say I let my NRA membership lapse, just like my Irish passport. Desmond can you bring me home if I get my passport renewed. I want to live like you.

Desmond I’ve been carrying a gun and badge for the last sixteen years and it’s not getting any easier. However, since I took an oath of allegiance to protect the US from all enemies, both domestic and foreign, that includes the 2nd amendment. I will keep that promise, because that is my job.

I know this has to be very difficult for you Desmond to hear someone from Tallaght use these words. However, if you can bring me home and get me a job so I can support my wife and two children with an honest living, I’ll start packing. Until that time I’ll have to uphold the promise I made to the country that does provide me with gainful employment and a very comfortable lifestyle.

Can you believe my four brothers have all sorts of guns they like to shot for fun and they are not even police officers and they’re not criminals either. Plus none of us have ever killed or shot anybody.

Desmond I had four opportunities to use deadly force and the suspects would have died. I could of got four medals, but I choose not to. On two separate occasions my lieutenants criticized me for not killing my assailants, but all’s well that ends well. I am content with the end results, I just hope those criminals learned from their mistakes and became productive members of society.

I wonder will they ever know how close they came to dieing. I know that felling Desmond, it is indescribable and sometimes comes back to haunt me in my dreams, I definitely appreciate life Desmond. Bring me home Desmond I want to be like you, it’s not easy making life and death decisions in a matter of seconds.

Well thank God I have a nice desk job now and very rarely have to go to dangerous neighborhoods anymore, but when we do there’s lots of us and it’s very organized, at least it feels safe.

Not like the days when I rode around in a patrol car by myself, I use to bring my shotgun on most shifts, very effective tool. I always get jealous when I see the Gardai riding around Dublin, three this is my confession of an Irish immigrant in America. Would I have been better off if I stayed in Tallaght? I often lay awake at night and wonder is this really my destiny?Desmond I still go to mass, it helps a lot.

This is my life, I’ll be forty next year please God. It has been an amazing adventure. I am very great full for the opportunities I have been given in this country. I just hope I don’t have to pay for them with my life. I am that American who likes guns and the second Amendment, and as long as I live here I will continue to do so, because I don’t think you can bring me home Desmond, but thanks for trying.

wake up and smell the conspiracies

ok you say until obama addresses it. but you know nothing about American policy. obama is just an elected bum. he can’t do anything without congress. not to mention. you think if some how they change the gunlaws in America and ban people from owning them that its going to make a difference? most the people with guns here that do stupid ignorant stuff have illegal automatic rifles that are flown in or shipped in from other countries like Russia. they aren’t going out there with military grade m-16s or M4s its Russian ak-47s. get your facts straight before you start talking about gun control. cause truthfully America is probably one of the safest countries in the world because of the fact civilians are allowed to own guns.

Roibeard, are you serious?!

naw dexter i just said it cause i felt like seeing myself type to myself. yes im serious. Tell me a thief or pick pocket would steal from you if he knew that there was a possibility that you could have a legal firearm on your person. Ya’ll moan and groan about that poor lad and this and that. Like that fella in Cork that got jumped by the 6 or 7 guys that came into his flat and jumped him and sent him to the hospital. You think they would have done that had he had a loaded firearm in the house? its the criminals that you have to worry about. not the common citizens that own legal firearms.

and yous can give me the thumbs down all you like. but you know its the truth.

LOL! I doubt Roibeard would recognise “the truth” if it kicked him up the ass!

Well if I was a criminal and know a house had guns inside yea I’d break in to get better guns that might be stored inside or to have those weapons to sell on the street to my criminal friends. I’d file off serial number, I’d cut the barrel from the shotgun and go rob a post office.

Oh and as I know there is guns in the house I’m taking a gun in with me and anything I see moving gets a bullet.

I can tell you now in Ireland if there is a firearm in a house that house is far more of a target.

Roi… You give the example of the guy in cork who was jumped by 6 or 7 fellas he would probably have been shot dead if guns were legal dumbass argument. America has one of the worse gun murder rates in the western world think its summit like 10000 + per year. Reason mmmm it’s difficult but maybe summit to do with any nut bar as long as they haven’t been caught before can buy a gun.

@Roibeard – absolute tripe. People who defend gun laws in America are absolutely blinded by the right to bear arms.
You’ll look at whatever statistics you want but the truth is that:

“for 2010, there were 31,513 deaths from firearms, distributed as follows by mode of death: Suicide 19,308; Homicide 11,015; Accident 600.” (Sherry et al, 2012)

“A study of 626 shootings in or around a residence in three U.S. cities revealed that, for every time a gun in the home was used in a self-defense or legally justifiable shooting, there were four unintentional shootings, seven criminal assaults or homicides, and 11 attempted or completed suicides” (Kellermann et al, 1998)

“regardless of storage practice, type of gun, or number of firearms in the home, having a gun in the home was associated with an increased risk of firearm homicide and suicide in the home” (Dahlberg, Ikeda and Kresnow, 2004)

“Individuals in possession of a gun at the time of an assault are 4.46 times more likely to be shot in the assault than persons not in possession” (Branas et al, 2009)

http://www.insideedition.com/news/7329/grandmother-shoots-intruder-while-on-911-call.aspx

Mary, I like this ending better than one where the woman is found dead in her apartment or after the intruder/attacker departs, if she is still alive the victim has to describe to the police and her family how the suspect ……………………………………………..(I don’t think any further description is necessary.)

fail

David sorry about that I typed a response to you, but could not get back in. I do agree with your statement above. However, I respectfully disagree with your stance on the 2nd amendment.