More guns, pandemic stress created perfect conditions for homicide spike in 2020

Look Everyone! More “gun” talk AVAILABLE Today! (2 days in a row.) This time by “Crimonologists”. Let’s jump in and finish yesterday’s conversations!

Obviously the situation is complex and knee-jerk reactions like "Ban all Guns" etc is not going to cut it.

Some kind of longer term compromise will be required to ameliorate the now destructive cycle. Not sure what exactly.

A slightly aside story - a good few years back a friend returned to the US with his Japanese wife. 5 years ago he returned to catch up with friends and wife's family. We held a welcome back party for him and close friends.

Lovely couple. Both doing well and he's a Uni professor in Florida - his home state.

During the night the topic of guns came up - I can't remember why - and he said -

" I've got a handgun". All went quiet with the 10 or so present.

"Wow - you've got a gun?".

"Well actually 4. All legal. I've got one in my work bag, 1 in my car, and 1 in the house. And "Yoko"(not real name) has got 1 in her car".

"Smart cute Yoko's got a handgun????"

He said something like -

"Yep - we never want to be in a threatening situation unarmed".

Stunned all of us. Will never forget.

It certainly gave me another insight into the whirlpool that spins around the world of guns in the US.

This article has so many holes in it you could drive a Mac truck through it.

COVID-19 likely did have an impact.

If so, you might expect to see a similar increase in other countries. A quick look at data for Germany and England and Wales shows no similar increase. (Small increase in 2020 for Germany, a fall in England and Wales - although the time period is slightly different - April through March).

https://www.statista.com/statistics/191134/reported-murder-and-nonnegligent-manslaughter-cases-in-the-us-since-1990/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/283093/homicides-in-england-and-wales/

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1101322/murder-victims-number-germany/

Yes, guns and pandemic stress…lol What comes next? Full moon, climate change, sun eruption, solar winds, moving of magnetic poles? No, my dears, it’s all about those killers’ sick mindsets only , and nothing else. Because there are also some other countries with guns available in every household, or where precarious people have to stand daily life under even more existential stress and threats, but without all of them immediately going on a mass killing spree.

I suspect that the ready access to pistols has something to do with the increase in homicides. All those people losing their tempers in the pandemic have an easy way to go out and demonstrate their frustration and anger.

Say what you will but as an 80 year old whose running days are over thanks to mobility problems I must say if back in the days I could still run, if someone were pursuing me with murder on their mind I would prefer the pursuer be armed with a knife of club rather than a gun.

if someone were pursuing me with murder on their mind I would prefer the pursuer be armed with a knife of club rather than a gun.

and if you had a gun you wouldn't have to run.

Kniknaknokkaer,

"if"

a gun gives you a huge advantage over an attacker with a knife or a club, and puts you on even footing against another gun. I'm better trained than some thug with a saturday night special held sideways.

In a good functioning society, ordinary citizens do not need guns.

Of course they do. Lots of legitimate reasons to need guns. hunting, pest control, hobbies. In the UK, the majority of guns are owned by the rural rich.

If someone with ill intent has easy access to guns they can shoot you before you know what's going on, a lot more easily than they can club or stab you to death.

of course, but thats not the situation that the poster put forward that I was responding to.

Ordinary citizens do not need guns.

some do. to put food on the table, or to protect their land, livestock and crops for example. I take your city point but as you rightly say, that is a chicken and egg thing. unfortunately in the US the reality is that some people DO need firearms for self protection. Like sexual or ethnic minorities, people in poor neighborhoods, women at night sometimes, and so on. To that end  gun ownership is a right in the US.

I am against people having easy access to guns for the sake of it, 

I respect that opinion, but why should you get to decide what people have easy access to? for some it's simply a fun hobby, why can't they pursue it?

(Usually i just get insulted and belittled for my views on these forums so thank you for your civility)

thats fair. the UK has seen increased knife crime over the last ten years though, and has the highest incidence of acid attacks in the world according to a BBC Four documentary. what kind of restrictions do you have on those? nothing compared to gun crime in the US of course.

The problem I have is the US is flooded with guns and it's sad to see that people think the only answer to this is....more guns.

well the horse has bolted on that. i call it the great American arms race. Sadly the biggest loser in that is the person with no arms.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/4Zztl6VZwXNXCn7fXDwb2YR/why-are-acid-attacks-on-the-rise

Not everyone is trained well enough to handle a firearm safely, let alone effectively in an active shooter situation.

And some are. But I accept that. i think everyone who owns a firearm should be responsible and have training. first and foremost to protect themselves and their families from accidents. People who have their guns stolen or otherwise allow them to fall into the hands of others who shouldn't have them are pretty low in my book. Most lawful gun owners would agree.

Even the people who constantly train for active shooter situations make mistakes.

to be honest if I were stuck in an active shooter situation, fighting back would be my last resort. as the Feds say, run, hide, fight. I just feel that having a gun as protection is a plus for that third option.

my opinion is actually pretty similar to Kniknaknokkaers. people with legitimate reasons should have access to firearms. I just list self-defense as one of those reasons.

P. Smith.

Sorry I forgot to ask; do you think mandating training before purchase of a firearm, say marksmanship course and basic safe-handling (especially if its a first-time purchase) infringes on a persons right to carry a firearm for self-defense? (if you can't carry a weapon until youve completed training requirements, your right to self-defense is denied)

Not in a insignificant manner. Not any more than requiring ID to vote infringes on the right to vote.

Well, your life isnt at risk if you don't vote, and you have four years between drinks to get organised. but what if you are being actively stalked, are escaping an abusive relationship, are being threatened or harassed etc? Hell, what if you moved to a bad neighborhood?. If you have to wait (and pay) for a training course before you can carry then your ability to defend yourself is curtailed. i ask because some safe storage laws (DCs for eg) have been struck down for that reason.

You simply haven’t obtained the qualifications.

its a right, not a privilege.

further, federal law states that identification is needed for a licensed firearms dealer to run a background check (some states do not require background checks for private transfers). firearms training requirements go far beyond what is needed to exercise your right to vote. you dont need to take a class or get 'qualified' before you can vote.

No right is absolute.

OK, but can we rank some rights as more absolute than others? does right to vote rank above right to defend oneself? theyre both protected in the Bill of Rights.

P. Smith,

good response. thanks for the talk and have a good evening.