[paraclete]

What about the people who simply go missing?

You mean runaways or those who wander off with alzimers. They usually find the old people who wander off sometime, hopefully before they die, they form teams of searchers (posse, in your terminology) I'm not saying there aren't unsolved disappearances, my own town has a couple on the books but it is fairly rare. And runaways, well they turn up somewhere sooner or later

[smoothy]

You mean runaways or those who wander off with alzimers. They usually find the old people who wander off sometime, hopefully before they die, they form teams of searchers (posse, in your terminology) I'm not saying there arn't unsolved disappearances, my own town has a couple on the books but it is fairly rare. and runaways, well they turn up somewhere sooner or later

What I mean is more like the occasional skeletal remains that turn up in remote areas... they most times were on the missing persons list... usually the killer is never found... evidence is too degraded... many times there is evidence of foul play.

[paraclete]

What I mean is more like the occasional skeletal remains that turn up in remote areas...they most times were on the missing persons list.....usually the killer is never found...evidence is too degraded....many times there is evidence of foul play.

We do get the odd one usually someone missing for years on a large property but the only people in our remote areas really are indigenous, and they have a habit of wandering about so you wouldn't know if they are missing or not. Generally our missing people stay in the more hospitable regions

As a general rule we don't have the same level of violent crime you do although recently the middle east crime gangs are on the rise and there is the usual drug related crime, drive by shootings, and so on associated with them. We are talking about something at much lower level than you experience it. Our police busted one of these gangs recently.Gun violence isn't tolerated.
There are parts of some major cities where you wouldn't choose to live unless you are part of that community.

Smoothy, generally this is a fairly pristine environment even in the cities, you don't see the degraded environments that are the result of urban decay. That might happen to us in fifty years but not now. We are fairly good at pulling down disused buildings unless some git slaps a heritage order on it

[smoothy]

We do get the odd one usually someone missing for years on a large property but the only people in our remote areas really are indigenous, and they have a habit of wandering about so you wouldn't know if they are missing or not. Generally our missing people stay in the more hospitable regions

As a general rule we don't have the same level of violent crime you do although recently the middle east crime gangs are on the rise and there is the usual drug related crime, drive by shootings, and so on associated with them. We are talking about something at much lower level than you experience it. Our police busted one of these gangs recently.Gun violence isn't tolerated.
There are parts of some major cities where you wouldn't choose to live unless you are part of that community.

Smoothy, generally this is a fairly pristine environment even in the cities, you don't see the degraded environments that are the result of urban decay. That might happen to us in fifty years but not now. We are fairly good at pulling down disused buildings unless some git slaps a heritage order on it

I'm not in such an area either... people wanting to build larger houses around here need to tear down perfectly nice $500K + homes to do it ( and by nice these are places that would be incredible in many other areas.. And there are a surprising number doing that.

The new constructions go for well over a million. No urban decay around here.

But I am in one of the nicer areas too.

[paraclete]

Yes I live in a quiet neighbourhood, wide streets, street trees, well kept lawns and a minimum of parked cars although in about two weeks the car races will mean lots of day parkers, I hope to be out of town for that

[speechlesstx]

Speaking of gun violence, a school district just a ways down the road from me has taken a stand - before Sandy Hook I would add - but the signs just went up.

[NeedKarma]

Glad I don't live there, the fact that this is needed.

[speechlesstx]

We're glad you don't live here either.

[NeedKarma]

:D

[speechlesstx]

You keep living that delusion, okie dokie?

[speechlesstx]

I'm sure everyone was well aware of the recent LAX shooting, were you aware of this tragedy?

Person of interest arrested in barbershop slayings
Created: 11/07/2013 3:05 PM

(AP) DETROIT - A convicted felon who was wearing body armor when police arrested him in a Detroit suburb will be questioned in an investigation into the fatal shooting of three men in a back gambling room of an east side barbershop.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig described the man as a person of interest in Wednesday evening’s shooting at Al’s Barber Shop that left six other people wounded. Speaking at a Thursday news conference at police headquarters, Craig said the bloodshed may have stemmed from an ongoing feud.

Sadly, nine people shot with three dead. Did you know?

[talaniman]

There have been shooting everyday last week. Nuts with guns killing their own families, kids too. Its sad man, people are getting crazier.

[paraclete]

There have been shooting everyday last week. Nuts with guns killing their own families, kids too. Its sad man, people are getting crazier.

Yes things are bad all over, all the more reason to control guns

[smoothy]

What needs controlled are Liberals that have guns... that's where 99.9% of the shootings occur.

[Wondergirl]

What needs controlled are Liberals that have guns... that's where 99.9% of the shootings occur.

No, the control needs to be by the gun owners who don't properly lock up their guns. Most of the recent mass shootings have been by family members who have, for some reason, gone off the deep end and used legally owned firearms that were available in their own homes.

[paraclete]

No, the control needs to be by the gun owners who don't properly lock up their guns. Most of the recent mass shootings have been by family members who have, for some reason, gone off the deep end and used legally owned firearms that were available in their own homes.

Yes things are bad all over, all the more reason to control guns

What isn't clearly understood is access to firearms is a problem, and the so called responsible gun owners need to realise that greater control is needed for public safety.
You cannot say, ah well, those people had a mental problem, it can't happen to me

[speechlesstx]

Former advocate for disarming the population and now Detroit Police chief has some advice for the city's residents. Carry a gun.

Detroit— If more citizens were armed, criminals would think twice about attacking them, Detroit Police Chief James Craig said Thursday.

Urban police chiefs are typically in favor of gun control or reluctant to discuss the issue, but Craig on Thursday was candid about how he’s changed his mind.

“When we look at the good community members who have concealed weapons permits, the likelihood they’ll shoot is based on a lack of confidence in this Police Department,” Craig said at a press conference at police headquarters, adding that he thinks more Detroit citizens feel safer, thanks in part to a 7 percent drop in violent crime in 2013.

Craig said he started believing that legal gun owners can deter crime when he became police chief in Portland, Maine, in 2009.

“Coming from California (Craig was on the Los Angeles police force for 28 years), where it takes an act of Congress to get a concealed weapon permit, I got to Maine, where they give out lots of CCWs (carrying concealed weapon permits), and I had a stack of CCW permits I was denying; that was my orientation.

“I changed my orientation real quick. Maine is one of the safest places in America. Clearly, suspects knew that good Americans were armed.”

Craig’s statements Thursday echoed those he made Dec. 19 on “The Paul W. Smith Show” on WJR (760 AM), when he said: “There’s a number of CPL (concealed pistol license) holders running around the city of Detroit. I think it acts as a deterrent. Good Americans with CPLs translates into crime reduction. I learned that real quick in the state of Maine.”

From The Detroit News: Detroit police chief: Legal gun owners can deter crime | The Detroit News

Of course they had to find some pantywaist from San Francisco to counter his position, but not based on the evidence.

Robyn Thomas, director of the the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence in San Francisco, disagreed.

“I think at its core, his position is an emotional one, based on the idea that people feel safer when they have guns. But studies have shown more guns don’t deter crime,” Thomas said. “There’s no research that shows guns make anyone safer, and it does show that, the more guns in any situation, the higher the likelihood of them harming either the owner, or people who have access to them.”

Excuse me, but the research does show decreased crime and fewer murders thanks to concealed carry, you need to show us the research that supports your claim. I think the good chief of Detroit is spot on, he ought to know, he lives it every day.

[Tuttyd]

Why do you feel it necessary to keep trotting out Lott and Mustard again. I think it was sufficiently addressed last time. Unless, this study provides some new information. It seems to be the same study as last time to me.

[paraclete]

because he thinks that the opinion of one person proves his point, that an armed population is a safe population. It wasn't true in the 1880's and it isn't true now. This is cowboy mentality, the macho crap that leads to the violence in the first place. now Tutt you and I know better, removing guns from the population reduces gun violence. What I suggest is that all arms in private ownership should be kept in armories, that way ownership rights are not contravened, the militia can be formed at any time, but access is restricted to legitimate purposes. It has been proven that storage in homes is not secure

[smoothy]

An unarmed population... is a population of unarmed future victims. Its not difficult to manufacture your own gun... even if you aren't an accomplished machinist. And that is if you don't buy on of they guys that are importing drugs by the metric ton...

Anyone that believes otherwise is deluding themselves... are do they want to take away hammers, bats, axes, anything sharp or pointy or hard enough to be a bludgeon....because even if they do that.....people dies at teh hands of others....literally....who use their hands as weapons....if someone wants to kill someone...not having a gun isn't going to slow them down much less stop them.

The authorities are the ones who should not be trusted... not the rest of the population.