More hairy chest thumping. From the article in the OP: <<<There are 3,142 counties (or equivalent jurisdictions) in the United States. 63 of those counties, just 2%, accounted for 51% of all murders annually. 157 of those government entities, a mere 5%, accounted for 68% of gun murders!>>> Echoing Trump's 2016 campaign statement: "You are living in poverty, your neighbourhoods are like war zones, your schools and hospitals are broken...." Referred to as "liberal shitholes" by another ideologically-blinkered poster on this thread. I note your tag line: "America is at peace because the CIA is at war". Some contradictions with that proposition? America is at peace... yet many feel so unsafe they perceive the need to carry a gun as protection from their own compatriots….? As for the CIA, its mission to promote US interests alone will in no way ameliorate conditions overseas that led to, eg, Trump's own (not very helpful) proposition that the Mexican Wall is vital, to keep out refugees from "shitholes" in Africa and Latin America. In short we are all in this together, whether gun lovers or gun haters. Lets get rid of poverty wherever it exists. Starting point: UN Universal Dec. of Human Rights, article 25: Everyone has a right to above-poverty participation in the economy ["It's the economy, stupid" - Bill Clinton]. So how do you propose to eradicate the nation's poverty? I've yet to see a reasoned proposal from a Conservative perspective.... merely allocating blame for poverty, when in fact the resources to eliminate poverty do exist, is not good enough.
Because those who "carry a brain" cannot be victimized by the actions of outside participants, correct? Those who "carry a brain" did not get Donald Trump as their president of the united states?
Not really, if you understood what the CIA is you might realize they are not a domestic intelligence agency, that would be the NSA, as such the statement "America is at peace" relates to international peace, not domestic peace. https://www.cia.gov/about-cia As such your comment and reference to it, is way off topic. As for "more hairy chest thumping" that comment should be directed toward those who believe brawn is the solution to proper self defense, however what those folks fail to realize is, brawn requires personal contact and in todays world of diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis, it is best to avoid such personal contact with criminals, criminals who frequently use narcotics and share needles and the diseases that come along with that practice.
I think it a bit more complex, and, I’ve no illusions I may leave the gene pool before my friend. Despite his inability to defend himself an aversion to learning, he being politically polar opposite, he has other attributes I find of high value (honesty, integrity, and more). Given a gun, he’s one of those not likely to use it, always holding out for that hope against hope. He won’t train and certainly has no experience unarmed or armed. Yes you’d think not high a survival prospect. But then there is me. A product of fighting and training my entire life, a large part because life circumstance. That coupled with being raised with a moral code to protect the weak, young, women, and those that can’t defend themselves where I have a tendency to intervene, ignore a certain amount of risk in doing so, and have had more than my share of luck. I am not alone in that. But, who has more potential to be a stat? At some point running into burning buildings to rescue the cat a building will fall. As my Da used to quip, the meek will inherit the world because of those who fall protecting the meek. He will behave as he does, I will continue mine, and he will likely live beyond me.
1. The US at peace, internationally? As of July 27, 2018, there have been 2,372 U.S. military deaths in the War in Afghanistan. 1,856 of these deaths have been the result of hostile action. 20,320 American servicemembers have also been wounded in action during the war. In addition, there were 1,720 U.S. civilian contractor fatalities. 2. The "hairy chest thumping" refers to failure to engage reason, it does not refer to reliance on brawn (eg, in preference to 'pulling a trigger', the topic of the OP); your hairy chest thumping betrays a lack of interest in/understanding the connection between poverty and violence, which is why you made no comment on the significance of poverty on the regional crime statistics referred to in the OP. You referenced the sermon on the mount: here is another verse from that sermon "blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God"; but in the meantime the hairy chest thumpers (driven by unreasoning instinct and its offshoot, tribalism), and religious fundamentalists (driven by ideology) will cause chaos, eg Rabin's murderer, spouting Old Testament mythology, aided and abetted an endless cycle of violence in the M.E., as noted above.
Off topic, in your opinion, because you prefer to "pull the trigger", rather than engage your brain. In fact, you can't engage your brain, because if you did, you would have to face the contradictions inherent in your world view ("America is at peace internationally because the CIA is at war" etc) And at home: <<<There are 3,142 counties (or equivalent jurisdictions) in the United States. 63 of those counties, just 2%, accounted for 51% of all murders annually. 157 of those government entities, a mere 5%, accounted for 68% of gun murders!>>> Yep, off topic, though it was quoted in the OP!
