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Why make such blanket statements and logically loose arguments? You might as well advise the commenter to refrain from buying knives and baseball bats, too. B
by posixplz 9y ago
Why make such blanket statements and logically loose arguments? You might as well advise the commenter to refrain from buying knives and baseball bats, too. Because, statistically, you're much more likely to be killed with a knife or a baseball bat in the commission of a crime.
A gun is a tool with a high(er) degree of lethality. Just like any other tool in the house, if one is not trained and practiced in its use, one is far more likely to make an error when using it in an emergency situation.
If you want to make blanket advice statements, at least qualify them. The responsible thing to say, in this situation, is, "Please don't buy a gun without undergoing proper training." Guns are a force multiplier/equalizer and we live in a society where guns are easily obtained by criminals. Telling law abiding citizens to strictly avoid force-multipliers like firearms, in our society, benefits the criminals and anti-gun lobby -- but it doesn't benefit the person to whom you've replied.
In fact, you've only perpetuated the cycle of fear by trying to instill more fear in your argument to avoid guns (lest they kill a family member, murder an innocent person or be shot with the firearm).
- smt88 9y agoI gave sources. You're making an argument that isn't supported by data. There's an excellent overview of the data on the Science Vs. podcast[1], which you'd probably find interesting. It explains why arguments like yours may apply to a few people, but not to the vast majority. While it's true that training makes you less likely to be killed by a firearm, it has no effect on suicides of family members, someone stealing the gun and using it, someone in the family using it improperly, etc. > you've only perpetuated the cycle of fear by trying to instill more fear That was exactly my intention. Guns are dangerous. People should be afraid of them. 1. https://gimletmedia.com/episode/guns/ https://gimletmedia.com/episode/guns/
- hueving 9y ago>Guns are dangerous. People should be afraid of them. What a stupid conclusion. Jet engines are dangerous as well, but we don't perpetuate fear of them. We just train people to be safe around them.
- smt88 9y agoThat analogy doesn't make sense. Jet engines weren't invented to kill things quickly with as little proximity and mass as possible. People can avoid jet engines and people who operate them without any difficulty. Furthermore, jet engines aren't marketed as devices to make people safer in their homes, nor are they stored in homes, nor are they considered to be useful to a layperson.
- cfmcdonald 9y agoWhat a stupid analogy. How many people have jet engines in their houses?
- abandonliberty 9y agoWhen disagreeing, please reply to the argument instead of calling names. E.g. "That is idiotic; 1 + 1 is 2, not 3" can be shortened to "1 + 1 is 2, not 3." https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
- hueving 9y agoThank you, I'm quite new to this site and have not yet learned the appropriate way to respond to political shit.
- btym 9y agoI also advise you not to keep a jet engine in your house.