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"It's always too soon to talk about gun control"
RE: "It's always too soon to talk about gun control"
#26
(10-13-2017, 02:23 AM)Morganite Wrote: That's such a broad assertion that it's basically impossible to judge. What changes, where? Homicide rates are far from evenly distributed, so just saying "American" is overbroad to start with. (Also, the nationwide numbers are already going down, so maybe we now return you to our cultural changes already in progress?)

But on the other hand, I've seen some reasonably compelling arguments that you could get a huge improvement by ending the war on drugs, and that's not really a cultural change as such, even if it ties into cultural views about crime and punishment.

The big factors seem to be the American views on violence, guns, minorities and crime and punishment.

I'm generalizing massively, I'm well aware of it, but frankly? While ending the war on drugs would be a considerable step forward, it does not address the underlying issue. And that issue is how unevenly such efforts have been handled. The war on drugs pushed two drugs in particular as harmful, crack cocaine and marihuana, and that was no accident. Because crack cocaine was often used by poor black folk and marihuana by hippies, both of which groups likely to be opposed to the then incumbent political party and president.

Meanwhile, rich white people using powder cocaine were very lightly touched in comparison.

It's basically an attempt to stifle the ability to vote by felony disenfranchisement. And it's been quite successful at it too directly and due to knock on effects.

Quote:Yeah, that part about returning posessions and rights... it just doesn't sound like they do that unless you go after them with lawyers. While the need for rapid action is sort of understandable, the part where by default there's nothing like "go before a judge and prove that you have a good reason to take someone's property" is pretty suspicious. (One story I read suggests that they by policy don't even tell the person whose property is being run off with *why* they are doing so, which just adds a fine coating of motor oil to the whole production if true.)

Ah, so basically it's just government authorized theft? And given the target is often people who are depressed, suicidal, both or otherwise in a position that renders them unable or unwilling to file a complaint they are going to keep getting away with it. Rather like civil forfeiture in the US.

Quote:(I've also seen it suggested that SAFE is basically one solid mass of HIPPA violations, but I'm not sure how well that plays out in practice.)

Looking at the summaries that might well be right.

Quote:That sounds about as sensible as grouping together car vs. deer accidents and red light runners when looking at traffic safety. They're different kinds of problem that aren't going to respond to the same remedies.

Although accident ratesĀ involving eitherĀ are likely to respond well to better brakes.
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RE: "It's always too soon to talk about gun control" - by hazard - 10-13-2017, 10:50 PM

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