Handguns

[ACUDANUT]

 Handguns are just as deadly as a truck or car aiming to kill people. 
A armed society is a polite society.

[70 sublime]

Handguns are just as deadly as a truck or car aiming to kill people. 
A armed society is a polite society.

You think Canadians are not a polite society because we are not armed ??

[redmist]

Change the stats to "Gun deaths per square mile" and see how that changes for ya.  

Lets compare Illinois and Idaho.

With the current stats of "Per 100,00 Pop"  Idaho ends up looking way worse than Illinois at a comparison of 247 deaths vs 1,220 or a population spread of 14.7 deaths per 100,000 vs 9.5 deaths.

Obviously Idaho is much more deadly!


If we use square miles, Idaho has 83,642 mi2 and a death rate of 247, you get one death for every 338 mi2

For Illinois with a square mile area of 57,915 mi2 and a death rate of 1,220 we get a rate of one death for every 47mi2

Damn! Illinois sounds like a frickin' grave yard!


Lets look at total population of both.

Idaho at 1,655,000 with a death rate of 247, or 0.014% killed by firearms
Illinois at  12,860,000 with a death rate of 1,220 or 0.009% killed by firearms.

So the spread is a difference of 0.005%

But hey! 0.005% doesn't sound as impressive as 14.5 per 100,000 and that's why they use that stat.


Lets compare Saskatchewan Canada to Idaho.

Idaho had a total of 32 homicides in 2015 with a population 1,655,000 or 1.9 homicides per 100,000
Saskatchawan had 43 homicides in 2015 with a population of 1,130,000 or 3.8 homicides per 100,000  


Despite the lack of use of guns, our friendly folks up north are killing each other at record pace.

[RiverRaider]

It does differ from state to state.   I think in Mississippi and West Virginia, no permit is required.  In Georgia you are required to fog a mirror and have $80.   In Ohio you have to complete the a CCW training / education class.  Which is basically the NRA begginer safety class.  There is also a shooting proficiency test.   Ten rounds on a paper plate at 20(?) feet.

As far as renewal, in Ohio, yes.   Just give them money.

So it's as scary as I expected.  A lot of people with no real ability or training carrying guns.  Then throw in a life threatening situation with a dirty background. 

It's not as scary as texting drivers.  You do need to have a very good understanding of the laws of each state you intend to carry in because they are so different.
And the reciprocity (or lack of) between the states also makes it difficult. There are also standard and enhanced permits and date of issue regulations that come into play.
It's interesting discussing firearms with people who are visiting from a different country.  Most are surprised by how many people have firearms and how many
each of us have.  Most of us are trained and have ability and you would never know if we were carrying or not because we don't advertise.                   

[alfaitalia]

Change the stats to "Gun deaths per square mile" and see how that changes for ya.  

Lets compare Illinois and Idaho.

With the current stats of "Per 100,00 Pop"  Idaho ends up looking way worse than Illinois at a comparison of 247 deaths vs 1,220 or a population spread of 14.7 deaths per 100,000 vs 9.5 deaths.

Obviously Idaho is much more deadly!


If we use square miles, Idaho has 83,642 mi2 and a death rate of 247, you get one death for every 338 mi2

For Illinois with a square mile area of 57,915 mi2 and a death rate of 1,220 we get a rate of one death for every 47mi2

Damn! Illinois sounds like a frickin' grave yard!


Lets look at total population of both.

Idaho at 1,655,000 with a death rate of 247, or 0.014% killed by firearms
Illinois at  12,860,000 with a death rate of 1,220 or 0.009% killed by firearms.

So the spread is a difference of 0.005%

But hey! 0.005% doesn't sound as impressive as 14.5 per 100,000 and that's why they use that stat.


Lets compare Saskatchewan Canada to Idaho.

Idaho had a total of 32 homicides in 2015 with a population 1,655,000 or 1.9 homicides per 100,000
Saskatchawan had 43 homicides in 2015 with a population of 1,130,000 or 3.8 homicides per 100,000  


Despite the lack of use of guns, our friendly folks up north are killing each other at record pace.

"Lies, damn lies and statistics" LOL.

[Bobs69]

Just a reminder, I started this thread to try and gain some insight of the culture, and why American's love their guns so much.  If the early stats comparing Saskatchewan to Idaho are accurate, then I'm truly surprised.  However, I think more stats are required for a true representation of the country as a whole.

I also know that shooting is a perishable skill.  You need to practice to maintain a level of proficiency.  

As for being a polite society?  Well that seems to be the reputation we have.  I know when my wife and I goto a resort somewhere south we're usually called out on being Canadian.  Of course that could be something as simple as the slang I use.

I've also been told to watch myself in the States because everyone carries guns.

[Chargen69]

oh, i thought you started this thread because the other one got locked   

[Bobs69]

oh, i thought you started this thread because the other one got locked   

Actually you're right. 


I started the first one for the previously mentioned reasons.

[68X426]

I've also been told to watch myself in the States because everyone carries guns.

I have to ask: what do your friends think you will do or say that would get you shot?

[John_Kunkel]

FWIW, I am a certified gun nut (50+ in my collection) but I have no desire whatsoever to carry a firearm on my person. I'd like to carry one in my vehicle but my Commie state makes it too troublesome to get a permit. 

[Laowho]

Handguns are just as deadly as a truck or car aiming to kill people. 
A armed society is a polite society.

You think Canadians are not a polite society because we are not armed ??

Yes, I think Canadians are not polite, but not necessarily b/c they're not armed. Anne Murray all day, every day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6hrLFJq63E

Connect the dots.

[alfaitalia]

Over here, rightly or wrongly, Canadians are thought of as being very polite ( think Due South...lol) and of as being like Americans but with a sense of humour and without the guns!

Can't beat stereotypes....anyway I'm of for some tea and crumpets...tally ho!

[Bobs69]

I was recently in Minneapolis Minnesota.  You'd be hard pressed finding a more polite group of people.

[XH29N0G]

Humor?  Polite?  The only worse are the English!  

As backup I quote something my late grandma (may she rest in peace) said in 1990.  "The English have no sense of humor or sarcasm, and when they tell a joke it isn't funny." She was born in Kansas of recent (late 1800's) Canadian immigrant parents (who originally came from ireland about 100 years earlier), so she would know.

[alfaitalia]

LOL.....what was I saying about stereo types??? Most countries have the view that the British have a great sense of humour and will laugh at anything including the one thing the American people seem to find it very hard to laugh at....ourselves. We are also known to laugh at subjects that others find offensive....religion, death, disasters etc (there will be jokes about those subjects doing the rounds just hours after the event...that's why the terrorists will NEVER beat us, the British spirit is far to strong to ground down by these idiots).......and long and it continue.....life's too short to be serious and miserable about every damn thing!!

[451-74Charger]

Most countries have the view that the British have a great sense of humour and will laugh at anything including the one thing the American people seem to find it very hard to laugh at....ourselves. We are also known to laugh at subjects that others find offensive....religion, death, disasters etc (there will be jokes about those subjects doing the rounds just hours after the event...that's why the terrorists will NEVER beat us, the British spirit is far to strong to ground down by these idiots).......and long and it continue.....life's too short to be serious and miserable about every damn thing!!

I vote we have Troy add a like button for this (I Know, not a good idea). Us Brits have a very dark sense of humour that the rest of the world just doesn't get. Oh sure, Monty Python is funny, but its the darker underlying jokes that make me smile, not the over the top slaptstick.

A little guy called Adolf learned the hard way that you can break our spirit

[XH29N0G]

Monte Python has a lot of nice historical touches. 

PS.  My grandmother knew well what she was saying when she said it. That's why it was so over the top.

[68CoronetRT]

Funny how this thread has turned into talking about British humor. I married into a British family (in laws) and I do not find their sense of humor funny at all. Born and raised here in Murica, so I guess my view is a bit different, but I find their sense of humor offensive alot of the time. 

Just different ways of being raised I guess. I just smile and try not to let it get under my skin.

[Bobs69]

I've been in Northern Ontario (work) for the past 2 years.  The town I'm in is somewhat isolated.  I used to think that the people I work with were some boring dip shits.  Usually people get my humour and sometimes find me amusing (or so I think.  Maybe they're just being polite.) 

Anyways........... I just that I'm the weirdo up here.  It's taken a long time for people to "get" me.  Plus they are trying not to get too close to me because they know I'm not staying here for ever.

So yes, different ways of being raised definitely gives you a different view on humour.  I'm sure that speaking a different language would too.

[wingcar]

I drove the Alaska Highway a few years back and found the Canadians to be very friendly.  Really enjoyed the trip and had no problems what so ever.  I have heard that the Eastern half of the Country is not so friendly towards Americans, but not having traveled there I can not give an opinion one way or the other.   There was one Canadian I met in Las Vegas that was a real A$$ Hole, and I told him so.....I also offered him some advice on which route to take back North to his Country (with a detour through Hell of course).   
I loved my trip through the Great White North, and hope to return in a few years......  

[John_Kunkel]

Funny how this thread has turned into talking about British humor. I married into a British family (in laws) and I do not find their sense of humor funny at all.

Thus the term "Stiff-Assed Brit".

[Tilar]

Save your breath mate...I might agree  (and the fact that the USA (with guns) has 10.54 gun deaths per 1000 citizens per years compared to the UKs 0.23 per 1000 (that's nearly 46 times as high)

Not sure where you got your information from but that is so wrong. the US has a 10.3 state average gun death rate per 100,000 people.

[XH29N0G]

My post was actually meant to be funny by throwing mildly sarcastic aspersions at both Canada and England.  I think the other British are funny too  (haha funny, not ewwwe funny).  

That was the tone of my grandmother's comment too.

Before opening this thread just now, I was thinking that it would do us all good to live in foreign countries (not just vacation, but to live and get into the swing of things) and to see first hand the differences.  I realized that I over 20% of my life has been spent living abroad in many different countries and that it had changed my perspective on people and myself. I even spent a few of those years in England and Canada.  Both were very positive experiences.

I realize the tone of postings can be difficult to read and wanted to make it clear that no insults were intended.  

[alfaitalia]

Save your breath mate...I might agree  (and the fact that the USA (with guns) has 10.54 gun deaths per 1000 citizens per years compared to the UKs 0.23 per 1000 (that's nearly 46 times as high)

Not sure where you got your information from but that is so wrong. the US has a 10.3 state average gun death rate per 100,000 people.

Lol! Sorry for being 0.24 out!...that's hardly "so wrong".....it was figures from a couple of years ago ..the best I could find. 10.3 is still about 45 times our rate.
Unless that was a go at sarcasm...so difficult to tell over the web!

[Laowho]

My post was actually meant to be funny by throwing mildly sarcastic aspersions at both Canada and England.  I think the other British are funny too  (haha funny, not ewwwe funny).  

That was the tone of my grandmother's comment too.

Before opening this thread just now, I was thinking that it would do us all good to live in foreign countries (not just vacation, but to live and get into the swing of things) and to see first hand the differences.  I realized that I over 20% of my life has been spent living abroad in many different countries and that it had changed my perspective on people and myself. I even spent a few of those years in England and Canada.  Both were very positive experiences.

I realize the tone of postings can be difficult to read and wanted to make it clear that no insults were intended.  

Yeah, getting by in places whose language you don't know requires a strange metamorphosis into more honest dealings with people. We need a Peace Corps draft in America, even if only to improve geography scores.