Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Guns are useful for defending yourself from a home invasion [View all]Straw Man
(6,951 posts)98. Unlikely.
You just said the gun can be used as deterrent, but the fact is that without an investigation, we won't be sure a crime was even going to take place in the first place.
Even with an investigation, you'd never establish it to a certainty. Yet a DGU may very well have taken place, and if you don't account for these, then you will under-report.
If some drunk pounds on your door in the middle of the night because he thinks his wife is sleeping with you, and you say "Go away -- I have a gun" and rack the slide on your shotgun, has a crime occurred? No. Has a DGU occurred? Absolutely. Will the incident be reported? Possibly.
If you go road-rage and point a pistol at another driver in traffic, has a crime occurred? Yes -- brandishing. Has a DGU occurred? No. Will the incident be reported? Not by the person pointing the gun, so not as a DGU.
Also, and this is important, if the self-reporting is accurate, then that means that a small proportion of the population is involved on some level with a significant fraction to a few times the current reported incidences of violent crime, with the only factor being gun possession.
If this is so important, perhaps you could express it more clearly. Did you get my point about people in high-risk areas being more likely to own guns for protection?
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
Recommendations
0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
142 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations
Why would someone care more about hurting their neighbor than defending themselves?
AZ Progressive
Dec 2015
#9
Yeah, in today's fuck everyone else society, that sounds about right.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
Dec 2015
#14
As long as the innocent person who dies isn't from my family, even by my hand, it's all good?
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
Dec 2015
#16
What if lightning were to strike? We should all have portable lightning rods just in case.
Ed Suspicious
Dec 2015
#127
This post right here is why you shouldn't be allowed to have firearms...
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2015
#87
The reason its suspect is because, the amount of DGUs, on the high end, exceeds the amount...
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2015
#88
Considering only a quarter of gun owners live in urban environments, it seems another argument of...
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2015
#93
Most violent crime happens in urban environments, and yes, why not, especially if they feel...
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2015
#97
You last assertion is demonstrated to be false, unless most violent crime happens...
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2015
#102
I linked to the Pew research poll about it, did you fail to read it? n/t
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2015
#108
I'm pointing out that, unless you want to argue that armed people are seeking trouble...
Humanist_Activist
Dec 2015
#129
That sounds like the improper way to use a gun. Not supposed to draw unless you shoot
MillennialDem
Dec 2015
#38
Well of course not supposed to draw or shoot unless defending - but how often does a person with
MillennialDem
Dec 2015
#51
When I got broken into, they mostly made a mess and actually left some valuable things
kcr
Dec 2015
#134
Very little is needed to validate a thought that one is biased to already believe
HereSince1628
Dec 2015
#32
Unless this sort of thing is common and frequent in my neighborhood, it's just not worth it.
Tommy_Carcetti
Dec 2015
#42
I'm actually for significant gun control, but I believe in the right to defend oneself
AZ Progressive
Dec 2015
#49
Everybody dies, it is a given--- Killing is a choice, it is a karmic decision
sanatanadharma
Dec 2015
#57
I'm old school, and I prefer that world. There wasn't a concern about getting shot because you
rusty quoin
Dec 2015
#80
Your basic shotgun or hunting rifle will do just fine for 99.999% of all home invasion type
Downtown Hound
Dec 2015
#114
Why is this in GD? I thought there was a dedicated toile... errr... home for this stuff.
Ed Suspicious
Dec 2015
#128
They are also useful for killing sentient creatures, regardless of place, time or context.
LanternWaste
Dec 2015
#140