jellowrestling wrote:Zelda, I had a long post which somehow disappeared, so I'm sort of reposting it. The points I made were:
A. Many of us have Mayhem on "ignore", because he is a rambling, nonsensical troll
B. Saying that Mexico can't be compared to the U.S. is about like saying Manchester can't be compared to Leeds. Texas cities like El Paso sit just across the Rio Grande river from Mexican counterparts. One example is El Paso (US) and Ciudad Juarez (Mexico). Ciudad Juarez has been basically a war zone for years, while El Paso has roughly an average amount of violence. El Paso residents have freedom of gun ownership, residents of CJ do not: draw your own conclusions.
C. As to Mayhem's slam on some of us considering gun ownership to be a "God-given right": Yes, we do. The U.S. is based on ideas of the Enlightenment, specifically the concept of "natural rights", rights bestowed by God, and not government. This was powerfully declared by Thomas Jefferson: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights..."
"Unalienable rights" are a specific reference to natural rights (ala Locke), and the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution codify them in our nation's founding. The first two of those, considered the most important by our Founders, were the First Amendment (Free Speech), and the Second (Gun ownership).
One of the things that liberals here can't admit is that gun violence in the U.S. has dropped precipitously in the past 20+ years, even as gun ownership has reached record levels. The fact is that the mass of gun violence is black-on-black violence perpetrated by young males using illegally-obtained guns in the inner cities, usually by habitual criminal offenders. Liberals' answer is to restrict the right of ordinary citizens to arm themselves.
D. Everyone is happy when you show up here, and we always hope that you will stay around longer. You are a lovely person, and I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas.
It's so annoying when a post suddenly disappears into the ether, it's always the one you have spent time and trouble writing too isn't it?
To answer your points Jellowrestling...
A...I always like to make my own mind up about posters.
B...yes unless you know certain areas it's always dodgy to compare one area against another. Even in Manchester which is tiny compared to some US cities, we have a divide, S Manchester had problems with black gangs and drug dealers a few years ago....the rest of Manchester did not.
C....If the laws re gun ownership works for you (and most others here I think) I certainly would never criticise your opinions. Just as I wouldn't question anyone opinion that for them it's a bad thing......everyone forms there own opinions on what they see, where they live, and how they are reared.
D...Thank you, I appreciate that. x