Does this describe your demographic, then?

Better drunks with guns than liberal pussies.

Hahaha!!!! LOVE IT!!!
that was a pleasant surprise.

Texas is probably the last place in the world you'd want to do some looting. If memory serves, you can use deadly force in Texas to protect your property, not just your life.

If they could put laws like that on the books in all 50 states, you would see the crime rate PLUMMET in the United States.

Some years ago a would be robber in Wyoming entered a store and prefaced his demand for money with a shot through the ceiling. only one of the people in the store missed, and the state was spared thousands of dollars for trial incarceration and appeals.

All guys in Texas are this fat ? I understand why you got a lower life expectency than in other developped countries.
Sometimes cholesterol can be more dangerous than looters ...

That really is mystery to me : you, american people, always refer to god and the holly bible.
and in the same time, you all bear guns and promise to shoot everyone. Was there a mistake in the american translation of Jesus Christ message ? You know : never kill anybody, or New testament, Matthew 5:39-40, when Jesus says:

"But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also".

In God you don't trust anymore ?

No Prosper, we're more of a do unto assholes before they do unto you sort of people. You have to remember that the bible was written by a bunch of pacifists. The older vs. such as an eye for an eye were much more appropriate for today's society, hence the "shoot first, ask questions later" atitude we need to be adopting. As far as the cholesterol being more dangerous than looters, the "fat" person has chosen this risk on his or her own, the looter has no right to "choose" the victim. Very important concept that most liberal pacifists do not understand. Ray

Prosper,first it is holy not holly bible........ then we do not promise to shoot everyone, only those who transgress against us in a life threatening manner,we do trust in god, but not liberals or fools.

Ray wrote You have to remember that the bible was written by a bunch of pacifists

my question is : do yout want to follow the rules in it ? In france, we don't read the Bible at all. We (Catholics, that mean 80% of french people) study it when we are kids, but never use it as grown ups : certainly because of french laicism.
And you, you often refer to God (your national motto, the speeches of your president), but scorn pacifism, and consequently his Son.

There are a lot of misunderstandings between Europe and United States, that picture posted by Denny reveals one. And that's why i like arguing here...

It's because everyone is like you that you need those weapons.

In a civilized country, there wouldn't be any dangerous looter.

And someone with a piece of humanity would realize that your goods worth less than a life.

Even the life of looters is more important than anything.

This means you think your flat TV worth more than a human life !!!
You should be ashamed. What is sure, is that Hell is waiting for you.

This just show that : You don't respect life as much as money.

Fucking damn violent country.

Denny,

Why are those guys trying to do the police job?
Why don't they trust your police?
Don't you have the most efficient army and police in the world ??

This picture is a bit frightening, it looks like there are a huge amount of crimes in USA.
In EU we don't need guns to feel safe , because we know that nobody is gonna have guns to attack us.

And if a rober comes : We don't care, we'll be refunded by insurance compagnies ! And EU robers don't have guns.
I don't see why we would need to shoot at them !

To protect what ? They rob only insurance companies, they don't rob us.

Realy, this picture is frightening. It makes me think America is dangerous place to live.

Bunch of fools- fuck off, get a grip on things. Is it realistic for such a perfect world? NO. It can't exist. In every society there will always be someone who thinks that they have the right to disrespect someone and or their property. Animals deal with this too, some of them use camoflauge some use speed and others use poison to protect them selves. The ones who don't have a way of killing their enemy through poison or strength would probably shoot them if they could. But guess what they can't. And so we as animals do what we can to protect ourselves and our property. It has been this way for ever and will probably never change. And don't call us violent because we protect ourselves in a means that will insure that we won't have to deal with the same problem again and again.

PISS OFF A LIBERAL AND BUY A GUN!!!!!!

So W.T.F., you agree with me that in your country, humans still behave like animals.

Good ! You made the first step toward civilization.

Those are my kind of men in the pic!

Prosper, Bunch-of-fools, & Pierce,
Do you guys know where you are posting? The South East makes Texas look like the National “Welcome Wagon” when it comes threatening some one’s life, family, or property. My brother owners a gun store down in Savanna. The printed ( on signs, trailers, etc. ) slogan is “ don’t be a victim, buy a gun”. Does that give you a little clue? Your perception of our “ brutish” “ gun slinging” culture is as wrong as it is laughably naive. The picture posted on Denny’s page you refer to is most likely a tongue n cheek social & political comment on chaotic events that happened during the previous hurricane. As to your ridiculous statement that you would have us allow our property to be stolen and simply report it to the insurance company, I can ask you only this:
Your country is presently being “ stolen” from you and your fellow country men. You and your pious, holier ( spelled correctly) than thou, lazy attitude are allowing it to go on. When you wake up one morning and have some one knocking on your door to force you to pray “to the East”,,,,,, what insurance company are you going to call??????????????

Alan in Colorado ( home of the Make my day law)

I think Pierce is right, alan, isn'it the job of well trained police forces ?

No, No, you only have it partially correct. Read our constitution, it is a “ well trained Militia”

So you're telling me that the fact you need guns and can't trust your own police isn't frightening?

I wouldn't feel safe in a place like this.
Guns and property, I don't see the point. We own our land, but we trust our Police to defend it.

We simply don't need guns, that's all.
If I were in Amercia, I would buy a gun, 'cause I wouldn't feel safe.

By the time you call the police and they respond, you could be DEAD. All it takes is 2-3 minutes or less for someone to kill you. It would take the police (and I live approximately 3 miles from the main police station in my county) about 5-6 minutes to get to me. Hello?

As the old saying goes, "I'd rather be judged by 12 than carried by 6." I'm not a violent person, but if you invade my property and threaten my life, you're going to be carried out in a body bag.

Elizabeth
Imperial Keeper

Well, you bring up a good point. As a Christian, I have my own personal heros. A group I most admire were a few Jews in Poland. The Warsaw Ghetto to be precise. I am sure that they too, once trusted their police. WE do all know what happened do we not? Is your history written as is ours. That, that brave few “armed citizenry” held off Nazi troops so well, Hitler had to take troops off the front line to put them down.

Always the same problem : is there violence in USA because of large amount of guns or is there a lot of guns because of the violence ? I thought your constitution allowed you to bear guns to be able to fight against the ennemy, before you had an official army. Time has changed, you are no more in the 18th century, no more British King to fight...

A good point alan : in case of war on your soil, you'd be more efficient than any other people (with the exception of israelis). But during peace, your neighborhood is more dangerous than mine.

If you expect the cops to protect you, you are feaf wrong. Simply, there are not enough cops to do that anywhere. All cops can do in most instances is investigate and report.
rgarding the Bible: If it is so anti violence and pacifistic, why does it devote so many chapters to orders to slaughter? Are you aware that the Bible says to execute murderers , rapists, etc? Are you aware that when Jesus sent is apostles out he told them to take a sword?
Good fences make good neighbors, so does being well armed.

Elizabeth,

We simply never get shot by robbers. The worst case is when we get robed.

So the police have enough time to come.
And most of the time, they rob you while you're in holidays.

To defend ourself we got tear-gas, and it works good. Because the attacker doesn't have a gun.

Indeed, I would buy a gun to live in america, because I know that bad guys would also have guns.

I understand you, but, as Prosper said, do you buy guns because of violence, or is there violence because of guns?

Anyway, now it's too late, there are so many weapons in USA, that you have to buy one to defend yourself. It's sad.
And it wouldn't make me feel safe at all.

Jeremy,

the bible you talk about is the ancient testament. If you're christian, you should know that Jesus Christ , the son of God, died to say that what was in the ancient testament was wrong.
I don't believe in God anyway, but his words are full of love and not of punishment.

God doesn't punish since he spoke through Jesus Christ about loving even ennemies.

If you're musulism or jews, yes, your religion is much more violent.
Jesus Christ died fighting this violence, killed by Jews. Killed by people who didn't understand he was only love.

Prosper: Our neighborhood is also more prosperous than yours. Your economy is roughly equivalent to that of a single state in our nation. Roughly.

I'm an American. I'm also an athiest. Further, I'm a Social Darwinist. Watching irrelevant welfare states abroad criticize us is highly amusing to me. Thanks for your input, but for future reference, we'll let you know when we give a fuck what you think. I suggest you take some Pepto-Bismal to soothe that burning in your stomach. Kthx. Bbye.

Are you aware that the Bible says to execute murderers , rapists, etc? Are you aware that when Jesus sent is apostles out he told them to take a sword?

what the hell are you talking about ?

are you insane ?

Your economy is roughly equivalent to that of a single state in our nation. Roughly.

If you talk about California, that's true. But i don't really see your point...

- mns : our economy is only 6 times less powerful than the whole USA, and you got 52 states.

So our economy is almost 9 times more powerfull than one of your states alone.

Learn Maths.

And I don't either give a fuck of what a rude bitch like you can think.

oups, I meant 50 states, sorry

People in the United States own guns because it is a fundamental right of a free people. It is part and parcel of who and what we are.
The availibilty of guns has nothing to do with crime. In Switzerland, every household has a machine gun and crime is relatively low. Vermont has the least restrictive gun laws in the United States and the lowest crime rate. There is no correlation between gun ownership numbers and violent crime rates.
As far as trusting the police, what do you do in a situation when the police flee and there is no one to protect you but yourself?
Also, considering the ideal that a life is worth more than mere property. Then a robber or a looter shouldn't try to steal something and waste his life for the aquisition of stolen property. It is the looter or robber who is wasting their own lives, not the person who dispaches them to their reward.

Then why do you get a higher crime rate? In some conditions, guns don't raise the criminal rate it's true, but give weapons to poors, they'll use it to get money as it's easier than going to school.

I fully respect the fact that having a gun is part of your freedom, but I don't think you're safer with it.

In the case of France's economy verses the United States, I have to say that an attack on the economy of France is unfair. I've spent a month in France and traveled throughout Normandy, the Paris region and Alsace. France has a strong economy, with an excellent and modern infrastructure. Their road and rail network is excellent, much better than England's.
There are many reasons to bash France, but I think an attack on it's economy is ill founded.

"Then why do you get a higher crime rate?"
That's a very good question. I think it has to do with the "War on Drugs". It is easier to sell drugs at high black market rates then to get a legitimate job. Shootings and killings then occur because the rival drug gangs fight to protect their turf.
As far as giving guns to the poor. People aren't given guns and the regulation that exists only affects people that already abide by the law. Criminals will get guns anyway and just ignore whatever law is passed. This has happened in England , which has virtually banned guns(much more than France) and gun crime has actully increased since the ban. The criminals get the guns illegally and ignore the law.

I agree with alan and yosemite sam 100%. for those of you who live abroad most of which have gummintly ran new programms, all you see is americans running around shooting eachother. the part you don't see is that that is only a handfull of the people in this country with guns. the remaining part are all law abeiding citizens who have a gun to protect themselves. in the rare case that i will ever need to use my gun for self protection i will be damn glad to have it. the way i see it is, that who ever is threatning my life for no reason doesn't respect life enough to realize that what ever reason, doesn't really need to be here. do you people think that is fair if that person kills me and then the taxpayers of the united states have to pay for him to live in a prison the rest of his life, or even have to pay for his life to be takin. it isn't. i love being american, i love my gun and love my neighbor, but i will kill any one who thinks that they have the right to take mine.

PISS OFF A LIBERAL OR OTHER TYPE OF PUSSY FAGOT, BY A GUN!

Please do not quote the Bible unless you REALLY know the Bible - it is obvious most of you here do not know what you are talking about when it comes to the Bible. We are armed to protect ourselves - it is that simple. I do not listen to anyone from France in regards to my country. France uses dogs and cats as shark bait!!! Stay home Frenchie, maybe you SHOULD really study the Bible - you need it.

Yep, every frog is a shark-fisher. You know us well. I don't have to ask YOU to stay home, it seems that's what you already do, no?

I think the idea of using a gun as self-defense is as lazy as one of us average Americans. There are numerous other weapons that could be used in self-defense, but we're all too fat and lazy to bother with them. Easier to just point and shoot.

That's a silly and facetious comment Jimmy. What if you are handicapped or a small woman and have no other means to defend yourself? It's not like knowing karate is going to do you a bit of good if you are a 90 pound woman who is being confronted by a 250 pound rapist. But I guess in your world it is better for a woman to be strangled with her own pantyhose than for her would be rapist to be shot dead at her feet.

I don’t like gun and I wish that I do not have one in the house. With that said, I also have a family to protect. Oh sure, I can call the police and wait for 10 to 15 min for them to arrived while the criminal can slit my family throat in less than 5 min. When it comes to my family, the first person that can protect them should be me. I don’t expect the government to protect my family when it comes to a hurricane or when a maniac breaking down my front door or window.

I live in Austin, TX for more than 10yrs. I have travel more than half the world and it still amazes me how nice the people are in Texas even though more than half of the people that I know posses guns.

Jimmy, what color is the sun in your world? That has to be one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever heard. It has nothing to do with laziness, it's all about effectiveness, and given the choice between a baseball bat and a Remington 870, I mean, c'mon! Laziness? GMAFB!

That's fine, you don't have guns, Pierce. How about knives? You can get stabbed and bleed to death before the police get there.

A high-ranking Japanese officer was asked by an underling why they didn't invade the United states, and his response was that there would be a gun behind every blade of grass. So the ownership of guns in the United States probably effectively stopped the Japanese.

It is my opinion that the first step in conquering a people is to take away from them the means to defend themselves. Then the government (or criminals) can do whatever they want.

Elizabeth
Imperial Keeper

A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone!

It appears here (http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_cap) that the crime rate in USA is 4 times higher than in France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Australia or Great Britain. It may be the clue and i would perhaps bear a gun in your country.

Interesting site Prosper. Here is a statistic I found that is interersting.

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/cri_mur_wit_fir_cap

Notice that South Africa is over and above the most violent country as far as gun murders are concerned, 0.71 per 1000. South Africa has very restrictive gun control. I think the murder rate is caused by something other than availbility of firearms. Another factor to consider is that the murder and violent crime rate in the United States is very rapidly decreasing, while gun control has been lessened in many states. We must be doing something right.

Instead of availbility of firearms, I should have said legal availibility of firearms.

Also, the figures 0.01 per 1000 people for the European countries you cited and 0.04 per 1000 people for the United States are both very low. The 4 times figure in this case is rather misleading.

Oh boy, I read this thread and it reminds me how clueless some people really are. Where is Kim du Toit when you need him?

Prosper, people should always adapt to their environment. Perhaps a person does not need a gun for protection in Belgium or the Netherlands, but s/he might in Canada or the U.S. Not to mention that you never know what the future holds. In our country, the Supreme Court decided that the police cannot be held responsible for protecting citizens. If you dial 911 and no one shows, too bad for you. After hurricane Katrina, New Orleans police walked off the job when people really needed them.

I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. I've used my handgun twice since I've had the permit. Both times my firearm saved my life. The first time I was attacked by a freak with a baseball bat. The second time, a drunk tried to stab me to death. Needless to say, they didn't fair too well. I'm alive, but if I had a liberal-pansy mindset, I would be dead, a statistic.

There's your lesson for the day.

Anyone remember APARTHEID ?
Under that evil system, the group of people that was able to vote was also allowed to possess firearms!

Prosper, Pierce
WoW,
Had to check on a job ( rich gun owning American) building a house so expensive, it’s silly. Gone for a few hours and there are another 25 posts on this subject. Prosper, let me use this particular customer to explain some of or mentality. We spent more time this morning talking about his fire proof cement room with a regular bank vault type door on it, than we did about his mechanicals, kitchen, and room finishes. He, in no way, was building a panic room. He wanted to protect his firearms for when he needed them whether for pleasure of self defense. As W.T.F explained, your picture of all of us running around with a hog leg strapped on is in correct. WE carry hand guns to our ranges and meets in a cute little gun case. Very similar to a person who puts their bowling ball in a bag and head for the lanes. However, it is the firearm that is carried in a $ 100 plus leather holster in our belt that know one ever sees. It is intended to stay that way. Should it be called on for use, the person, or persons who provoked that situation have brought on a situation that most of the time they have no way to handle and are punished by law ( as you feel they should be ) if they survive the encounter they provoked. You are more than safe in our country from me and my fellow concealed carry holders. You would be surprised who you meet that is carrying what we all call a “great sense of security” in our belts. AS you can see we are VERY sensitive to any misunderstanding of our second amendment. We encourage your posts and hope to change your mind, not chase you away. :-)

I would rather point a loaded gun at a murderer ,than a white flag.So this proves France is stuck on stupid!

Pierce, relying on your well trained police to protect your property sure worked with Mr. Hitler, didn't it? If a foreign army ever invaded USA soil, I'd be behind a tree pulling the trigger on my SKS as fast as I could acquire the next target. Along with millions of other self-trained Americans. That's the difference: we don't rely on others for our protection and survival as a nation.

I don't understand why anyone would be afraid of those guys in the photograph (unless you're a criminal). Everytime they buy a gun or apply for a concealed carry license, they have to undergo extensive criminal background checks through the federal government. My guess is that no one in that photo has anything more serious than a speeding ticket on his record. Knowing their stance against crime and their decision to stop it, they probably never will be convicted of anything. Good guys.

As a matter of fact, I'd hazard that those guys would do anything for you. If some freak tried to abduct your child, they'd run to the rescue (gun or no gun). If some sicko tried to rape your wife, they'd be there in a heartbeat. If your car broke down at night in a bad neighborhood, you could call any of those guys and they'd get you home. They love football, BBQ, beer, and the idea that they can defend themselves and feel secure at all times.

America at its best, if you ask me.

Marcel-
Your last sentence sums it all up for me! Relying on the police is not only stupid and foolish, it's suicidal. When the S.H.T.F., I'm gonna be in charge of my own destiny, and it's not going to be with tear gas and pepper spray!

One of the reasons I like this blog is because I can learn a lot about different cultures by contrasting the opinions of members like Prosper & Peirce versus...everyone else.

I found this comment particularly interesting: "In EU we don't need guns to feel safe because we know that nobody is gonna have guns to attack us. And if a robber comes, we don't care. We'll be refunded by insurance companies! And EU robbers don't have guns. I don't see why we would need to shoot at them! To protect what? They rob only insurance companies, they don't rob us."

I cleaned up the spelling and grammar a bit. Now, let me translate that into a historical context and perhaps we can better understand these liberal European ideologies: "In Europe, we don't need guns and a large standing army to feel safe. We've failed to learn from our past mistakes and are doomed to repeat them. And if we are invaded, we don't care. We can depend on real countries like the United States of America. And most invaders can't contend with the U.S. military, so why should Europe help destroy them? To protect what? Why should we defend ourselves when the U.S. will do our job for us?"

If the United States would have assumed that mindset during WWII, the Axis would have crushed the world under its heel. France would not have been liberated, England would have been overrrun, Russia would have been worn down, and no one would have been there to stand against Germany and Japan. And if you don't think something similar will ever happen on this planet again, you're a fool. Read some world history and get back to me.

Marksman- thats about one of the most intellagent(?) things i have read in a long time. why do most people think we have one of the most powerful armies in the world. its because at an early point in the life of this country some people figuered out that the only way to defend freedom when some one wants to take it is to confront that problem with force. and then when things like world war 1 and 2 happen we learned that that can and will happen and that we will and do need to defend ourselves and others too. the french are a bunch of hipocritical self centered unthankful shits. if it weren't for us they would be under control of some phsyco nazi bitch. but the french have always been like that. oh yah, lets not forget the rest of europe. it might have been some 60 years since the war ended but we did that hole contenent a huge favor, and i don't think that a favor on that large of scale should ever be the past. and it was our gun toating, don't fuck with me attitude that created all of that.

LOL Love it!

"This means you think your flat TV worth more than a human life !!!
You should be ashamed. What is sure, is that Hell is waiting for you."

It depends on the life. I'm not here in this world to be a door mat for anyone. If they try to take from me, they're in for a fight. Guns or no guns. It's about a coomon respect for ourselves and others. If they feel they have a right to take what you have, it's time to educate them. "FIGHT CRIME----SHOOT BACK!!!!

Marksman, To add to your comments: Until US equipment began arriving in Russia, the SS and Wermacht were kicking ass. With out the under the table lend lease supplies, England would have crumbled. They would have fought door to door allthe way to the Furth of Forth, but would not have been able to stop Hitler. The Flying Tigers were ordered to volunteer. Thats why they integrated so quickly back into our Air Force. FDR incorporated the mindset of better to fight them there than here, and liberals today condemn Bush for stealing that idea.
Prosper, Read John 5: 31-47. Jesus reaffirmed the law of Moses by refrence. We do it in court citations all the time rather than restating an entire lawbook. Also read Luke 22:35-38, Jesus told the disciples to go out and buy a sword for each of them if they did not have one. Jesus also said he came to fulfill the law not replace it, and that not one word of it would pass away even when the earth ceased to exist.

Scaryguy, I used to have a T-shirt with a fisted gun on the front that said "Neighborhood crime watch, we call the coroner"
I personally don't think a TV, any TV is worth dying for, the question is: does the guy wanting to steal it feel the same way? If he is armed and I am not, he can have it! If on the other hand I have a gun, I will offer him the opportunity to prove that TV is worth dying for.
I believe that any person killed while comitting a crime should be counted as a suicide, and that the person who killed him should be protected from any legal action.

Those are some fine looking men....and I like the way they think.

Always the same problem : is there violence in USA because of large amount of guns or is there a lot of guns because of the violence ? I thought your constitution allowed you to bear guns to be able to fight against the ennemy, before you had an official army. Time has changed, you are no more in the 18th century, no more British King to fight...

Posted by Prosper at October 3, 2005 09:13 AM

What is wrong with this guy...? Spells like a sixth grader and bashes everything..it isn't arguing Prosper, it is insults that you enjoy. I would much rather have a Texan with a gun, than a wimp.

Vicki, give Prosper a break on his spelling, he is French, not an English speaker. Lets face it, Americaneese is a messed up language, we can even confuse the Brits and Ausies occasionally.
Instead, pick on him for his ideas and messed up social environment that he so dearly loves.

This has been bothering me, DRUNKS with guns? I only count two brews in the entire lot, even though all of them are packing serious heat.

They're just having fun--at the expense of liberal anti-gunners. Which is, of course, LOTS of fun!

Yo, where did Prosper & Pierce go? Did we scare them away? What is it about the French giving up so easy? I guess their lame arguments weren't insured by their "insurance compagnies."

I love it.

Thanks to Alan and Jeremy. Different point of views, always interesting to read...

Congratulations to Marksman2000, who can talk about Hitler and WWII on this subject !

;-)

As I said in another post, the Frenchmen on this site make it a very unique experience. Most people who don't fit in on a forum usually troll a while and then disappear. Prosper sticks around. A Frenchman with balls.

I feel like I'm closer to exclaiming that I've seen it all.

Hey Denny, your tree hugger filter down or something?

Now that you all sleep, it's my turn ;).

The French never surrendered during WWII, only Mr Fucking Pétain.

Pétain is the one who surrendered, he betrayed the French, and he was then judged by the French and throw to jail for having made a deal with the Germans.

The French Resistance was quite efficient. We blowed bridges, trains, we stole weapons and muredered important german officers.

We even freed several cities ourselves while you were helping us and making a diversion, attacking us in Normandie. We couldn't have done it without your help, but we never surrendered.

The French are not tempered to surrender, but our governement at this time, was simply bought by the ennemy.
That's why we punished them at the end of the war. Many French died in the Resistance, fighting for freedom.

Why do you think the French love to oppose authority? It's not a coward behaviour, even if this time (Chirac), and Prosper disagree with me, it was to protect wrong ideas.

To get back to guns, I think you have a wilder civilization. Individualism is the main value, and so, protecting yourself is a need. Like I said before, if I live in USA one day, I'll buy a gun.

But in EU, individualism is considered inferior compared to altruism. And having a gun is considered as having a tool of death and individualism. Show a gun to a EU, most of the time he'll tell you he doesn't like to see it.

If we are attacked in the street, guys mostly have knifes, and a strong tear-gas is enough to knock a guy out.
My girlfriend was attacked by a guy who wanted her wallet. She used her tear-gaz : the guy took everything in the face, he falled, she kicked him at the head till he stoped moving. Efficient too.
She was frightened, so she wouldn't stop kicking, and she managed to send this asshole to hospital.

But she felt a lot better than if she had killed someone. It's not a small thing to take a life.

In America, the guy would have had a gun. And she would have had one too, and the end of story couldn't have been a happy end.

Hey Frenchies, who was it that bailed you out of WWII? Can I hear any one say "those gun toating Americans"??? It wasn't just you underground resistance. And even if you gummint was a bunch of sell outs, does that mean that you just give up? No thats when everyone who has a gun gets together instead of lying down and waiting for the Americans to save your hot dog ass.

Pierce- so you agree its not a bad thing to own a gun, its just a cultural difference? A cultural difference that Americans hold dearly as a natural born right. (Its in the constitution)

Pierce:
"Why do you think the French love to oppose authority?"
One of the things I enjoyed the most about France was the French defiance of authority. We were in a restaurant in Savoy and there was a sign that said "No Smoking"(In French of course) and people were still smoking as they always had in that restaurant, totally disregarding that sign. Many Americans who are descended from French and Scottish people have this same kind of attitude.

Pierce- so you agree its not a bad thing to own a gun, its just a cultural difference? A cultural difference that Americans hold dearly as a natural born right. (Its in the constitution)

- W.T.F. : exactly, I fully respect your opinion, and I don't judge the fact you own guns, I'm just trying to understand from where those cultural differences come from.
Young Americans grow up inside a cultural environment, and we grow up inside a different cultural environment.

That's why we are different and don't react the same way, but understanding those differences is something quite hard since for a human, the "normal" thing, is the one he grew up with.

Hopefully the main ideas are the same, because we have ancestors in common.
However the way we (USA & EU) think about it is different.

As there is always several solutions to one problem, there are several good opinions about one subject.

- Yosemite Sam : historicaly, this defiance of authority comes from the French revolution. When we killed our king and build the first democratie in the world.
For a Frenchman, there is nothing funnier than smoking under a no smoking sign ;)

And it's this very defiance of authority that lead France to oppose the strongest, you, in the Iraky war.
As far as we were not concerned by the 9/11, our gummint shouldn't have used their Veto, it was a stupid anti-diplomatic decision.

I personnaly appreciate that you got there to kick some terrorists assholes.

Sadam deserved even worse than being captured.
I hope you'll give him wht he deserves : the capital punishment.

See now, Pierce strikes me as the kind of guy I might disagree with occasionally, but I'd still buy him a pint or three.

--TwoDragons

- TwoDragons, it would with pleasure, I'll bring you some good wine.

- Denny, while I'll be in Atlanta, as I never touched a gun, I would be happy you let me try yours.

- Pierce, I couldn't agree more with you. I think that if more people in the world would try and think in that perspecitive this planet wouldn't have as many problems as it does. Im not saying that thinking like that can create world peace because that can't happen. But more societies would get along and make it a more hospitable planet. I also think that it is obvious from an American's stand point why we like our guns- Because it has been like that since the beggining of our country, when your country was created the gun didn't exist so the chance for the gun becoming part of your culture was much less then it was here.

And if your ever in Durango Colorado you can come by my place and fire off a few rounds.

Pierce,
Tell W.T.F. to forget about shooting, get him to take you fly fishing in Durango and surounding ares.

oops, "areas"

Great site Denny, found your site about a month or so ago!
I've been cracking up reading these comments on the photo... my kind of neighborhood!!! I've been around guns all my life and I first learned to shoot when I was about 5 years old, it was an old .22 one shot rifle. Now I have a nice Walther p99 .40 cal pistol. Wally's a sweet gun.
Many years back I lived in a less than desirable part of town out here on the ‘left coast’- lots of gang activity, plenty of guns, drugs trade, etc. When my hubby and I and our housemate would hang out on our front porch to chat- we made sure to have our rifles sitting next to us. When I’d reload my cartridges I made sure the garage door was up so the punks could see what I was doing, even washing my car I’d have my pistol on my person. Every neighbor of ours had their houses broken into, their cars stolen or broken into, property vandalized. We had better stuff and a brand new car- nothing happened to any of our property. We were known as the crazy white folks with guns and were left alone.
You can check out history to see what happens when a government disarms its people. A government that cannot trust its populace with weapons cannot be trusted.

" If memory serves, you can use deadly force in Texas to protect your property, not just your life."

I lived in Dallas in the late 60's, and remember going into a hardware store for some picture hangers and seeing signs for sale that read "No Tresspassing - Survivors will be prosecuted". I commented to the store owner that was a funny sign, and he said that there was nothing funny about it, as it reflected the current law regarding tresspassing. I think Robert Heinlein was right ... "An armed society is a polite society".

- Alan, have you been fly fishing in Durango? Im still only a youngster but love to fly fish. Have you tried the San Juan below Navajo damn, near Aztec New Mexico. Its some of the best in the 4 corners area. If your an avid fly fisherman you should have to try that patch of water.

Slimefast said:

All guys in Texas are this fat ?

Fat?!? Are you blind, or just plain retarded?

Pierce said :

Realy, this picture is frightening. It makes me think America is dangerous place to live.

What really is frightening is your stunning arrogance and ignorance, you stupid moron. Unlike say, some places in Europe, it's actually quite safe. But I'm not counting on your hamster sized brain to be able to digest that information.

I am brain dead.

At the present time, I am one of the world's best offhand marksmen with a rifle, if not the best in the world. No prospective looter or criminal will fool with me, or even consider it. I have a star-gaged, custom Griffin and Howe springfield 30-06, which has an action as slick and fast as greased lightning. I can toss up a golf ball and put 5 bullets into it before it hits the ground. Here are the top 5 priorities this country needs to immediatelly start addressing. 1. A national firearms training program for every citizen, with firing ranges being built in every community, and at the same time a national policy of carving in stone our 2nd amendment gun rights, and to hell with senator edward kennedy, charles shummer, dianane fiensteine, mr. brady, barbara boxer, jesse jackson, and all the others of the same ilk. This training would include rifle, pistol, bow and arrow, knife, and any other means of defense that the citizen would want to learn. 2. Immediately closing our borders to immigration, and the deportation of all illegal aliens who are already in this country. 3. lower taxes, and keep them low. 4. Start drilling for oil in the places where they have not drilled yet. The first place to start will be ted kennedy's back yard. 5. Completely level all islamish mosques in the United States, deport these people, and don't let any into the United States. 6. Kill every damn terroist in the whole world that we can find.

Concerned Citizen - Works for me.

What is it that gives Americans the right to "Kill every damn terroist in the whole world that we can find" ?

To 'nobody'
Short answer: September 11, 2001
Longer answer: Self defense. As I told another person on a friend's blog "The terrorists (Osama bin Laden specifically) have declared war on America, Americans, and American interests wherever they may be found" in the world.

> Longer answer: Self defense.

Fair enough - but I guess I get concerned about when self defense becomes an excuse to invade another country.

I get even more concerned when I see pictures like this and read threads like this which seem to not do much but promote America as a country full of gun carrying people who are more than happy to shoot first and ask questions later ... I can only hope that attitude does not go all the way up to the man with his finger on the nuke button.

At some stage Americas right for self defense might have dire affects on the entire world - not just the America portion.

Most french are fucked. They are french pussies. brainwashed and paranoid. fuck you your appeasement culture and superioty bullshit. fuck off the earth. the planet would be so much better off without you and you crooked moronic Chirac administration.

In the end the criminals will always be able to get guns that has been proven in every country in which guns have been banned. Most gun owners in america are good people. I come from the south. I was raised around guns all my life. I have had numerous lessons on how to use a gun or firearm and the proper safety precautions that go along with firearms. To be able to get a gun or weapon legally you must pass multiple layers of background checks and registrations. Not only that but go through classes and pay extra fees for this right. Of all the gun owners also a vast majority are also licensed hunters. Hunters are not only paying all that but pay extra in licenses and taxes on hunting equipment that go towards many good programs. Hunters rank in as one of the biggest groups to fund environmental conservation and more. In the end guns are not evil and never have been. People are evil when they used them in the wrong way. Evil people or criminals will get and used guns whether they are legal or not. As for all the religion chat i will say one thing. People need to check the original hebrew translation before quoting thou shalt not kill commandment. The original translation is thou shalt not murder. Murder to kill with malice. to say that someone shooting someone in defense of their life is to kill with malice is a sad mistake. As for the fact of certain european countries not supporting the war on terror, huh, maybe the fact they were going to lose millions of dollars in debt that Iraq owned them in illegal weapon sales and parts to military aircraft with they weren't suppose too. The fact that Iraq's government had been violating international law for the past 10 years (ex: violating the no fly zone, trying to shoot down UN aircraft patrolling the no fly zone, buying weapons illegally through the oil for food program, and etc) was reason enough to do what was done. As for the crime rates there are plenty of other countries with more crime than the US. Of course not all these countries have accurate crime records and census programs like the US. As for the whole economy thing which im not even sure why people bring up, the US has a huge complex economy and it is also dragged down by having to spend money on all sorts of stuff. Oh yeah the international space station that most of the countries that signed on don't pay their share of, Most UN military actions with require mainly US military serviceman and materials, Loans to quite a few countries in the world, sending food and medical supplies to third world countries all over the world, and more than i care to list. The point is that there isnt too many countries in the world which have such an economic impact and impact on world safety in general. The universal currency when it comes to trade in the world is still the US dollar and what do you think would happen to the world economy if the US crashed? i mean look at the impact to the world economy the crashes in asia had and they dont account for the same amount of money and trade as the US does. Yes in the US we do things different, but at the same time there isnt much we have done to screw up the world. I definitely feel that the spirit of the gun carrying, law abiding, tax paying, protector of not just themselves but their neighbor as well, is something i want to see more of. If these qualities disgust you that much then please stay exactly where you are dont attempt to use any invention that was made by an american (stop lights, gas mask, telephone, light bulb, the airplane, space shuttle, television, microwave, steam power, the INTERNET!! and more) so while you are sitting in the dark having to go see every in person or write letters by candle light to communicate please think of some of these things before you get on a website to argue with people for fun because you have nothing else better to do in your wonderful life. I will never use my firearm to harm an innocent individual, but in the event that a criminal comes to attack me my family or even you my (in my humble opinion) disgusting uneducaated misinformed individual, i will be willing and waiting to defend our lifes