Where does your state rank?
Just wondering.
Murder Rates
This is interesting because it points out that states without the death penalty actually have lower murder rates.
Could this mean that people are more inclined to murder someone if they have a chance at receiving a death sentence? 
Well, I guess you wouldn’t have to live with yourself over it for as long…
Oh, seeker, you know that the variables on something like this run into the hundreds at least…
| Quote (Guest @ Dec. 04 2004,02:42) |
| Could this mean that people are more inclined to murder someone if they have a chance at receiving a death sentence?
|
Or dis-inclined because they own a gun?
Ahhh! statistics!!
Now, don’t get us started on that gun debate again…
As a matter of interest, does anyone know how the murder rates in the USA compare to Europe, Japan, etc?
My own personal perception is that it’s much higher in the USA.
But that is purely a subjective opinion based upon TV etc.
But one subjective observation that is valid, is the number of gunshots I hear every night when staying in hotels in the USA.
There’s rarely night passes that I don’t hear at least one gun shot. Admittedly, I usually stay in the centre of big cities, but the only gunshots I ever hear in the UK are during the grouse season.
Ali
| Quote (Ali @ Dec. 05 2004,10:30) |
| As a matter of interest, does anyone know how the murder rates in the USA compare to Europe, Japan, etc? |
International murder rates
Tom, I'm sure the variables are in the hundreds, but I thought the one I used made no sense and was sorta funny.
Really, I have a couple guns, don't use them much, but I'm glad I have them and can have them.
Hope this link sheds some light on the internationality of murder. Interesting info I thought. Of course it is a pro-gun site, but I would think the stats are legit.
I actually found one site during my search that said Iceland had 0 murders.
Oops, sorry Seeker, I got the humor there, but I guess I didn’t indicate that very well.
There are scenarios in which the presence of a death penalty could actually cause a person to favor murder over attempted murder as a matter of costs/benefits, however.
As a History teacher I find it interesting that the “Right to bear arms” amendment used by the NRA and the gun toting public refuse to read the whole amendment which goes on to say " for a well REGULATED militia."Private gun ownership is not guarenteed by the constitution. All this being said I live in Idaho and have 12 guns in my household and hunt quite a bit. just an interesting fact I thought I’d throw out.
Cheers???
Guns are state regulated for the most part. Of course there is the ATF. Some states restrict certain firearms. Certainly some states are stricter than others. The second ammendment doesn’t really have much effect on gun ownership.
The actual verbage of the second amendment:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
I suppose if the Feds wanted to start treating the national guard like the well regulated militia that it is, it might be able to infringe on all that aren’t members.
Note that it stars out “a well regulated militia” it doesn’t go on to say anything after the peoples rights, and look at all those commas. You need an 18th century english expert that specializes in the use of commas during that era to make sense of it all. Cheers back at ya
Tom, I figured you did but I thought I’d clarify just in case. No probs.
Truth seeker, I really don’t wish to get into the pro-gun/anti-gun argument.
But, that site you pointed me to has several serious factual errors.
It states that gun control in England is fairly recent.
Well, in the first place, it seems that it doesn’t know the difference between “England” and the “UK” (and it’s the governmental body of the UK which controls weapon ownership).
But the fact is, ever since feudal times, weapon ownership by the commonality has been strictly controlled in England and Wales, and since 1712, in Scotland too.
But anyway, having looked at the site in depth, it appears more interested in making a case, than being factually accurate.
But, gun control aside; why are the murder figures for the USA so high for a non-third world country?
Any thoughts anyone?
Ali
Too much TV? After all, there is no tax on tv ownership here (except for sales tax when you buy one).
Or maybe it’s that #### rap music.
Edit
Here is a good article that suggests Urban Sprawl is to blame.
The Heritage Foundation
Brad, I think you have the answer! 
I have my own theories; but, as I cannot back them up by evidence, theories they just are.
In the UK, and the rest of Western Europe, we have our rich and our poor. But, the rich are not as rich as American rich, and the poor are nowhere as poor as the American poor.
So I think that the very uneven distribution of wealth is part of it. After all, if my kids were cold and hungry and the only way to stop that was to kill someone, how many of us wouldn’t consider it?
I think also that the easy availability of guns is part of it too. Sure, “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people”. Guns don’t often jump up on their own and attack people.
However, that homily suggests that a gun is no more harmful than a teddy bear. Wanna give your 3-year old a gun to play with? And why haven’t they armed the coalition troops with teddy bears? Would’ve been much cheaper.
Urban density? Perhaps, but the population density in the US is much lower than it is in the UK.
And another factor concerning guns.
I believe in the concept of an armed civilian populace. Not only does it help to keep the government in its place, but it’s another of those things that should be none of the government’s #### business. The tradition of the claymore hidden in the thatch of the cottage is one that is far from dead in the highlands.
But, when those guns fall into the hands of young punks, it’s another matter.
When I grew up, the gangs in Glasgow were as vicious and as major a factor as they ever were in NY or LA, but we were just armed with knives and razors.
Yeah, people died sometimes, but very rarely. It was enough to cut someones face to “prove manhood”, you didn’t have to kill them to do so.
But, all in all, I have to admit that the USA is a culture I really don’t understand.
Yet I feel I should. The USA has its roots in British society, you speak English, and we watch your movies and TV shows, but in many ways, you’re more alien than Borneo headhunters.
The strange thing is though, it seems that just as many Americans don’t understand their culture either! 
Ali
Not to change the subject, but I think it sort of relates. I was considering moving to London a few months ago. I may yet reconsider. Career decision. Anyway, one concern is because of the attitude of the US since the Iraq invasion, I’m concerned how my family would be accepted. In reality, after looking at the stats, even with the aforementioned concern, it looks as though my family would be safer there (statistically speaking). Couple that with the fear of a strange new place and having to figure out how to adapt all of the electronic gear it just doesn’t seem worth it.
An interesting thing here in the states, or atleast when I lived in California and Nevada, people were leaving California in droves. The crime and high price of real estate was just too much. It seems more and more people are moving to rural areas to get away from it all. I realize it’s not a new concept, but crime being what it is…
Brad, no matter how the Brits feel about the USA, Americans are generally very well liked and welcomed.
And don’t forget, the UK is part of the coalition too, in fact, it’s probably the US’s biggest supporter, (although, that feeling is far from universal).
London is a very cosmopolitan city, very international, and you won’t find many Londoners, or even Brits living in the centre, but, if you stay away from “Yank ghettos” and other “ghettos” you and you family will love it. (Except the weather that is lol).
As for adapting electronics, well, most computer stuff will work just as happily on 230V as 115V.
Of course your TV, VCR, etc., will be just so much junk, but, in my opinion, it is anyway!
Ali
Who’s the genius that thought we should all use different volts and hertz? It’s too late now, unless you guys want to switch. 
We are universal now Brad!
The UK used to be 240V, Europe, 220V, and the US, 110V.
Now, both the UK and Europe are 230V, and so is the US! (230V centre tapped, giving 115V each leg).
As for the 50/60 Hz thing, don’t worry about it, the efficiency difference in a transformer designed for one but using the other is negligible.
As your next president, Arnold Swartz…a thingy, said, "Keep on pumping till it Hertz!"
sorry 
Ali