It would be a lot worse in the UK if there were more guns. But I think this sort of behaviour goes on all over the world, even in Switzerland to a lesser extent. Gangs have been around for a long, long time, its modern tribalism. Football hooligans, Mods and Rockers, Hells Angels etc.

One "mass stabbing" in more than a year. How many mass shootings in Chicago in the same period? So far this year, there have been 427 shooting homicides in Chicago, compared to your 121 knife deaths (where is your source?) in London. (There have been 32 deaths this year in Chicago due to stabbing.)

Population of London: >9 million (much more, depending how you define "London")
Population of Chicago: <3 million

What's your point again, Loz?

#Whataboutery

Chicago also has some of the strictest gun laws in the country.

My point is that if you have ferals on your streets, then they'll find ways to hurt and maim each other.

It's a simple fact that it is much easier and more impersonal to shoot somebody than to stab them. It sounds weird, but stabbing a person is a much more violent act than pulling a trigger. If guns were not available, gun deaths would not be replaced by knife deaths.

In any case, as pointed out above, it is far more difficult to commit mass murder with a knife than with a gun. There is simply no rational argument for the use of guns in general society. Sort out gun deaths first, then sort out other methods of murder.

Sure. But they won't hurt and maim nearly as many people (especially people who aren't "each other"-- one of them) if they don't have guns -- see the stats in my post above for irrefutable evidence.

Let's just cut to the chase. This isn't a gun problem, it's an American problem. There are countries with a far higher homicide rates and much stricter gun laws than the US (Brazil, South Africa for example). And countries with very relaxed gun laws but low homicide rates (Czech Republic, Bulgaria).

Why can't it be a gun culture in America problem? I've never seen a subset of people fetishise weapons quite as much as that peculiar NRA lot.

It's an American gun problem. And it's there because the Americans won't restrict access to guns. There used to be a British gun problem, and an Australian gun problem, but there isn't any more. Guess why.

Well it's not that simple though, is it? America is a big country, the gun murder rate in New Hampshire or Idaho isn't too high. Why's that?

Then why did you post a video of gang violence in the UK? In Sweden the Bikers used to go at eachother with rocket launchers and grenades.

In America it is a gun problem, but its also a social problem, elevate people out of poverty and you take away the need to commit crime or to use drugs and to form gangs.

Give these people access to weapons and they are used, but criminals are not the ones going on mass shooting rampages, its usually angry white men.


Lower poverty rates = happier people.

According to your table all of those states with small populations have low gun crime. What's the point you are trying to make?

People in densely populated areas are more likely to act criminally and violently towards each other? Should take the weapons of them then, right?

In Idaho, by the time you find your gun, then drive the 50km to your neighbor, you've probably forgotten why you were annoyed in the first place.

Massachusetts has a high population density, and includes the city of Boston, also has a low gun homicide rate.

There has never been a British gun problem. There was Dunblane and virtually nothing before or since.

Nothing since, correct. Again: guess why.

You could say the same about Australia, by the way. Substitute Port Arthur for Dunblane. But in the case of the USA, there are thousands of Dunblanes and Port Arthurs after which no action was taken.

ISIS make a pretty good go at it.

(which doesn't exactly paint the U.S./NRA attitude in a good light).

Hmm, your Wikipedia link for national gun laws doesn't actually mention Bulgaria and even the Czech entry states "Gun licenses may be obtained by passing a gun proficiency exam, medical examination and having a clean criminal record." That's pretty much what reasonable people are asking for in the US, isn't it?
And you can't really compare the US with Brazil and SA, can you?

HTH

That's kind of the point I was trying to get across, this is much more a cultural issue than a gun issue.

This.

So the solution lies in providing better education, career opportunities and perspective to underpriveledged groups.

Then gun violence will stop.

Banning guns while doing nothing else is just fighting the symptons.

Not sure gun rights even make the back page of the ISIS manifesto tbh.