4 ms·

> Lack of any significant gun control is one of the biggest motivations for me to consider moving out of the states This is beyond paranoid. Go look up the le

> Lack of any significant gun control is one of the biggest motivations for me to consider moving out of the states This is beyond paranoid. Go look up the leading causes of death in the USA, then realize that unless you live in the ghetto (unlikely) that your chances of dying by a bullet should be the least of your worries. Go live in a pro gun-control state like NY or CA if this is really keeping you up at night. If you already live in one of those states, seek professional help.

gcb0 9y ago
just because you have more chance of a heart attack or driving death at the USA, it would be very foolish to ignore the larger than zero chance of being shot in a elementary school.
- GiorgioG 9y ago
  The chances of that happening anywhere on earth are greater than zero. If you believe different you're delusional. Are they higher in the US? Yes, but it isn't the law abiding citizen that's doing the shooting. In most states schools are gun free zones. I can't even pick up my kids from school while carrying concealed - even if I don't get out of the car.
Veratyr 9y ago
It's not so much paranoia as a very human inability to recognise how much risk a threat truly poses. Americans seem very very concerned with terrorism. Terrorism hasn't actually killed many Americans. The chance that you'll die from a terrorist attack are incredibly low, far lower than say heart disease or a traffic accident. Yet still you have these crazy privacy invasions, stupid security theatre at airports, wars in the middle east etcetera, etcetera. As an Australian, after moving to America I had a similar feeling about guns, especially at first. I'd moved from a world where the risk of being shot was lower than being struck by lighting, into a world where shootings actually happened. It was a brand new threat that I didn't understand and basically all of my knowledge came from movies. Do the homeless people on the streets of SF have guns? Were those loud pops on the 4th of July fireworks or people celebrating by firing bullets in the air? Is the news I see about police shooting people online hype or a real risk? Similarly, it feels wonderful to go to a place where I have less worries. When I'm in Australia, I don't have to worry about getting shot, being bankrupted by medical bills, ending up homeless ever, tipping or a variety of other problems. There's just nothing like feeling a bunch of burdens evaporate, even if, when I think about them, they're very minor.
- GiorgioG 9y ago
  > Americans seem very very concerned with terrorism American government seems very concerned with terrorism. It also generates a lot of revenue which in turn produces political campaign contributions. Do you really have less worries in Australia? I’d argue since it’s your homeland, you are simply used to the things that non-Australians would find worrisome. I don’t worry about medical bills (I have health insurance,) not concerned about ever being homeless, don’t consider tipping to be something worthy of worrying, etc. And despite growing up in a rough neighborhood, I’ve never really worried about being shot.
  - Veratyr 9y ago
    > American government seems very concerned with terrorism. I'm not sure, from what I hear they have a lot of support from the people, especially the conservatives. > Do you really have less worries in Australia? I’d argue since it’s your homeland, you are simply used to the things that non-Australians would find worrisome. I don’t worry about medical bills (I have health insurance,) not concerned about ever being homeless, don’t consider tipping to be something worthy of worrying, etc. I absolutely do have less worries in Australia. I think you need to turn that point about it being my homeland around. Just as there are things I might be used to as an Australian that worry foreigners (perhaps like the venomous native wildlife), the things you're used to are worriesome to me.
- kaybe 9y ago
  How about all those venomous small hard-to-see hide-everywhere animals? From far away that does sound scary.

gcb0 9y ago

just because you have more chance of a heart attack or driving death at the USA, it would be very foolish to ignore the larger than zero chance of being shot in a elementary school.

GiorgioG 9y ago
The chances of that happening anywhere on earth are greater than zero. If you believe different you're delusional. Are they higher in the US? Yes, but it isn't the law abiding citizen that's doing the shooting. In most states schools are gun free zones. I can't even pick up my kids from school while carrying concealed - even if I don't get out of the car.

Veratyr 9y ago

It's not so much paranoia as a very human inability to recognise how much risk a threat truly poses. Americans seem very very concerned with terrorism. Terrorism hasn't actually killed many Americans. The chance that you'll die from a terrorist attack are incredibly low, far lower than say heart disease or a traffic accident. Yet still you have these crazy privacy invasions, stupid security theatre at airports, wars in the middle east etcetera, etcetera. As an Australian, after moving to America I had a similar feeling about guns, especially at first. I'd moved from a world where the risk of being shot was lower than being struck by lighting, into a world where shootings actually happened. It was a brand new threat that I didn't understand and basically all of my knowledge came from movies. Do the homeless people on the streets of SF have guns? Were those loud pops on the 4th of July fireworks or people celebrating by firing bullets in the air? Is the news I see about police shooting people online hype or a real risk? Similarly, it feels wonderful to go to a place where I have less worries. When I'm in Australia, I don't have to worry about getting shot, being bankrupted by medical bills, ending up homeless ever, tipping or a variety of other problems. There's just nothing like feeling a bunch of burdens evaporate, even if, when I think about them, they're very minor.

GiorgioG 9y ago
> Americans seem very very concerned with terrorism American government seems very concerned with terrorism. It also generates a lot of revenue which in turn produces political campaign contributions. Do you really have less worries in Australia? I’d argue since it’s your homeland, you are simply used to the things that non-Australians would find worrisome. I don’t worry about medical bills (I have health insurance,) not concerned about ever being homeless, don’t consider tipping to be something worthy of worrying, etc. And despite growing up in a rough neighborhood, I’ve never really worried about being shot.
- Veratyr 9y ago
  > American government seems very concerned with terrorism. I'm not sure, from what I hear they have a lot of support from the people, especially the conservatives. > Do you really have less worries in Australia? I’d argue since it’s your homeland, you are simply used to the things that non-Australians would find worrisome. I don’t worry about medical bills (I have health insurance,) not concerned about ever being homeless, don’t consider tipping to be something worthy of worrying, etc. I absolutely do have less worries in Australia. I think you need to turn that point about it being my homeland around. Just as there are things I might be used to as an Australian that worry foreigners (perhaps like the venomous native wildlife), the things you're used to are worriesome to me.
kaybe 9y ago
How about all those venomous small hard-to-see hide-everywhere animals? From far away that does sound scary.