Totally agree with your point about nasty goings on closer to home Alan, but just because things are legal in the USA doesn't make them acceptable. There is plenty going on here that is legal but objectionable.
Bearing in mind these gun-toting Republicans tend to be the ones who love hunting, shooting black people for trespass with impunity, and supporting the Capitol rioters, whilst at the same time being bible-thinping Christian evangelists, their hypocrisy and intellectual mediocrity needs to be questioned and challenged if they hold public office especially.
Their customs and practices may not be acceptable to you but lecturing foreigners is a slippery slope that seldom ends well. And to repeat, this is legal in the USA and there are parts of the USA where the population having what look to us to be military grade weapons is legal, normal and acceptable.
If you're going to get into sweeping judgmental generalisations I think you've made my point above, they're white Republicans and probably some sort of Christians so they're fair game. Personally I find your post more objectionable than their gun toting Xmas message.
I didn't put you on Ignore as you suggested recently ,I prefer to challenge what's written. I'd like to do so in this case but first would like to take the opportunity to tell you that,as you discovered I was pretty annoyed at the suggestion I had deliberately misunderstood you when you said you didn't care if you get a 'like' or not. Better to have explained it, I'd have thought. That was then compounded by claiming that I was 'intensely stalking' you. I dealt with that too. It was then further compounded by responding to whoever apologised for 'treading on sensitive' ground...I can't recall who..by telling him that he'll soon see who the 'prolific' posters are....ie me. Your posts to date..29,041..mine 7,411. Both joined in 2009. You tell me who's the more prolific.
That was then,this is now so let's move forward.
First off, I only see in Lindsay's post a criticism..a legitimate one in my opinion too, not,as you claim, lecturing. The latest available data for incidents involving firearms is 2019. 39,707 deaths. 60% involved suicide. Would that figure be so high had firearms not been so available ? Suicides account for 50% of gun-related deaths. 14,861 homicides were carried out using a firearm .That accounts for 37% of all gun-related deaths. 3% are accidents. There are 115,000 gun-related injuries a year., In 2018 75% of homicides were carried out using a firearm.
Just on the point of availability.. Whilst chatting to Americanss about their gun culture when I was over there I pointed out that the availabilty issue was paramount. I pointed out that here in the UK when an altercation got out of hand the only available weapon would, normally, be a knife and most times people would survive a stab unless it was to a vital organ. Domestic violence involves beatings,rarely stabbings. Because guns are so available in the US all too often it's the weapon of choice because it's available. You can read..eg 'They were having a heated argument and...whoever....then ran into his house and came out with a gun and killed his neighbour'. The consequences of easy access are obvious. That gun ownership is part of their 'culture' doesn't detract from the obvious fact that it's to the detriment of a safe or at least,safer society and to criticise is legitimate.
You've also taken umbrage at Lindsay pointing the finger at 'white Republicans and Christians'. You may not like it especially re the Christians, having recently declared yourself to be one, but it's true. Despite the US being the most devout of western democracies it's also the most armed. A survey carried out in Kansas amongst Christian gun owners found that 41% were white Evangelicals along with a couple of Catholics and a Buddhist. Those people saw gun ownership as a battle between good and evil. They believe in a supernatural evil and want to protect against it.One week after a 2018 mass school shooting in. Florida the vice President of the NRA said.."The right to bear arms is not bestowed by man but granted by God to all Americans as our American birthright". Couldn't be clearer could it. The more that someone embraces Christian nationalism ...ie the belief that America is blessed by God , the more they are against any form of gun control. We hear the invocation of God at the conclusion of speeches by politicians most noteably, the President..at any given time. He ends his speech with..' Thank you..and God bless America". The other main group who are against gun control are white conservatives ...small 'c' Republicans.
However, smaller groups are now joining them and arming themselves. Those who feel threatened..blacks. There's an African-American Gun Society. For those at risk from prejudicial taunts or worse, there's a recently-formed group within the NRA..the Pink Pistols ...for LGBT members. There was a shooting in a church in TX a couple of years ago .I still recall reading about it...and a nearby resident ,who was a churchgoer but at home, heard the shooting and went out with his AR Assault rifle and shot the perpertrator as he left the church. The man later said.." I think my God ,my Lord protected me and gave me the skills to do what needed to be done. I just wish I'd gotten there faster" An Evangelical preacher said that it made him feel safer knowing that about 25-50% of his congregation had their guns with them.
A society like that invites criticism not only from within but,as with Lindsay, without.
www.bbc.co.uk
as I've had partners and friendships from every continent except Antarctica and they've followed many of the major religions and yes there have been customs and views that I've disagreed with but the thing is that we have to respect other peoples, religions and cultures, unless of course things go beyond the acceptable like FGM.
worldpopulationreview.com
edition.cnn.com
..but I'm actually lost for words. I just got the basic details I needed and didn't read the whole article so missed that revelation so thanks for highlighting it. I mean, what can one say ?
