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Life is fragile, and it’s all that we have. More guns equals more gun deaths.

No other country has anywhere near as many gun deaths as we do here in the U.S. The Second Amendment talks about “a well-regulated militia.” It was written in 1791, when arms were far less deadly than they are today. There is no right to own a bazooka, a sidewinder missile or an AR-15. Let’s get real. …

We can change laws and change our culture and reduce gun killings of our children and ourselves. They’re unnecessary. They’re wrong. Each of us needs to speak up. To stand by without speaking is to accept the killing. Tell your family, your friends and your newspaper that you want change, that you care about our children and about us. Do it please, for us, for our children, and for yourself.

— Peter Hanson in Life Is Fragile. Gun Culture Is Changeable

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95 COMMENTS

  1. Sidewinder…naw, only a couple of Stingers.

    The rest of his screed was blah, blah, blah…for the children…blah, blah, blah.

    Same old pearl-clutching, guilt-tripping shyte.

    • RE’ “It was written in 1791, when arms were far less deadly than they are today. There is no right to own a bazooka, a sidewinder missile or an AR-15. Let’s get real. …”

      Reality is the history rewrite author failed to mention Black Powder and its bomb making capability; instead of shooting up the barn musket owners could just blow it away.

      The author failed to mention his beloved Gun Control is the twin to the Gun Control that history confirms walked hand in hand with racism and genocide throughout history.

      To whom it may concern…I know the preceeding paragraph is redundant but so is everything relating to fighting Gun Control. The difference is my redundancy has teeth and other redundancy has proven itself to be toothless. The author peter hansen knew he would be speaking to Gun Control history illiterates and took advantage of it…Not the fault of my redundancy.

    • Socrates warned about saving the children. Using that excuse is as old as humans have been self-aware.
      When a woman is allowed to become a man’s equal, she becomes his superior.
      Socrates
      The result of women entering the Second Amendment debate is the passing of unconstitutional laws. They run most of the anti-Second Amendment cults. They keep pressing and the Limp D…ed male legislators go along with it.
      They ignore that fact that the Supreme Court has ruled and that is the end of the debate. I can’t wait until SCOTUS lowers the hammer on all the illegal legislation and sends the anti-2A cults back to Hades where they belong.

      • Let’s suppose for a moment that your appraisal of women’s influence were correct. Now that our Progressive leaders have abandoned the mission of defending the powerless, women are awakening to the fact that their men can’t or won’t defend them and their children. The influence of self preservation is emerging. They are discovering Samual Colt’s great equalizer. The campaign for gun rights might never be the same.

  2. “No other country has anywhere near as many gun deaths as we do here in the U.S.”

    That is patently false.

    Just look to many countries in South America for higher homicides by firearm. Brazil had 49,436 deaths in 2019 (more than 30% higher than the United States.

    Countries with the Highest Rates of Violent Gun Death (Homicides) per 100k residents in 2019:

    El Salvador — 36.78
    Venezuela — 33.27
    Guatemala — 29.06
    Colombia — 26.36
    Brazil — 21.93
    Bahamas — 21.52
    Honduras — 20.15
    U.S. Virgin Islands — 19.40
    Puerto Rico — 18.14
    Mexico — 16.41

    • The tolerant and enlightened left always disregard the “brown” countries. You know, the ones they insist so fervently are not shit holes as they are run by dictators, despots and cartels.

    • The author knows that their illiterate, uneducated, and apathetic audience will never bother to search for the truth. So they lie at will.

    • Brazil had 49,436 deaths in 2019 (more than 30% higher than the United States.

      This while statistically trie gives a false imoression.
      Two thirds of “gun deaths” here in the US are by suicide using a gun. This skews the statis significantly.
      Take the reported number of “gun deaths” in the US and divide by three to get the killing of others wth a gun statistic that is now comparable to the numbers in the chart above. That would be ONE FOURTH the rate reported for El Salvador. And so on down the list.

    • Brazil has just LOOSENED their firearm laws to REDUCE firearm death stats.
      🤔
      Seems they understand how this works.

    • guess he’s talking about “advanced nations”…which doesn’t say a lot about the countries that made that list..

  3. Life is fragile, and it’s all that we have. More guns equals more gun deaths.

    Life is fragile. That’s why good people need access to firearms to protect themselves from people who would have no qualms about killing them.

    Why is this so difficult for Liberal gun-grabbers to understand?

  4. Wow, what a crock . . .No Country has more gun deaths? Opening line is incorrect. We might have more guns, but not the most deaths by them. In addition, more guns do NOT equal more deaths. More people, living in often overcrowded conditions, being improperly raised, not educated about RESPECT for life, including their own, suffering from a multitude of psychological, physical, over medicated and other human flaws are the issue.I have yet to meet a person that is reasonably stable that has taken the lives of others. I do however know of a handful that have taken their own life. Two used firearms, three did not. One of the firearms deaths was someone in their mid 80’s diagnosed with cancer. The other three were in their prime, between 16 and 24. All accident and or accident and drug related.The accidents, were not accidents. The news would or obituaries would never tell you this. If your life seems to be heading into a spiral of unhappiness, seek help from someone that can hopefully help; not from a bottle, pill, or weapon of choice. Don’t disrespect the lives of others because you have lost hope and respect for yourself.

    • “. . . seek help from someone that can hopefully help; not from a bottle, pill, or weapon of choice.”

      Tragically, from personal experience, I have found this advice NOT reliable.

      All too often those “someone[s]”, who should “hopefully” have been able to help, have failed in their undertaking. (I hasten to add that a couple are succeeding magnificently and a couple more tried their best but the student wasn’t capable at the time.)

      Conversely, four different “pills” – by themselves – have successively proven, incontrovertibly, effective for me over 35 years. (I do NOT assert that everyone would be so lucky as I have been in finding effective pills.)

      Ironically, my last psychiatrist enthusiastically endorsed my pursuit of one such pill; from someone OTHER than himself. He knew very well that it would, probably, be extremely useful to me. And safe. However, he would not prescribe it to me himself. His reason? He didn’t want to have to defend his license for prescribing this drug off-label.

      To anyone who has suicidal ideation, take notice:

      There IS a pill that works 70% of the time to alleviate the misery leading to suicidal ideation. (Google, in this case, is your friend.)

      It’s perfectly legal.

      It’s cheep: $50/month retail.

      Psychiatrists know it is safe, available and effective. But they won’t write the Rx.

      Wonder why.

      • MarkPA,

        I just spent a few minutes on Google and I was not able to figure out what you are describing.

        I am wondering if a very low dose of some opioid would do the trick??? Needless to say, using a very low dose of some opioid to improve your mood is an off-label use and could potentially jeopardize a physician’s license for prescribing it as such.

      • A pity you don’t share with the rest of us the name of the wonder-drug you have found. I read recently that at least 25% of the US population is on some psych med or another… many of us for depression-related syndromes…

        • It’ ketamine. Ask and ye shall receive

          If you care to know more . . . Well, now I’ve given you the secret incantation

  5. He doesn’t give our founding fathers much credit. You don’t think they envisioned future advancements in weapons technology?

    • “You don’t think they envisioned future advancements in weapons technology?”

      I love it when they play that card. I remind them if that’s true, then the Fourth Amendment applies only to physical scraps of paper, and not their personal computer or smartphone, so give it to me so I can see what smut you enjoy…

      • the 2A’s basic concept and intent was to keep civilians at rough parity with the military in terms of personal weapons…the founding fathers would have found something like an AR-15 to be well within those parameters…..

    • such drivel pushers as this one fail to have done their research. Didjya know there WAS a high capacity rapid fire semiautomatic rifle on the market during the time of our war to boot King George out of our country……. it was called the Griandoni, or very close to that. Its “ammunition feeding device” hel up to FORTY ROUNDS. Pelosi stick that one where te un don’t shine. It was also semiautomatic in action: one trigger pull one round fired, release trigger, ready for the next round. Its rate of fire was as fast as one round every three seconds or so, massively faster than the muzzleloaders of the day. The Brits tooka full two minutes to reload after firing one round. In that time the Girandoni could accurately fire twenty rounds. Unfair advantage? Nope.Go spend the money and get your own. (they were NOT cheap… very dear for that time. But effecive.

      Surely the then-equivalent to todays AR 15. Ir is that AR14? Or maybe it was AR 74? Oh wait, it was AR 47…. got it.

        • Never mind- google is my friend. Your talking the air rifle in use by Austria and carried by Meriwether Lewis on the Corps of Discovery 1803. It was complicated, expensive and slow to produce, but was very effective at short ranges. Napolean threatened to execute any Austrian troops captured with the Giriondoni rifle…

      • Brit’s intention was to fire one, hopefully effective volley…(Quebec?)…then charge with the bayonet…which worked more often than not…reloading was not a high priority except when firing from fortifications or in a defensive position…

    • we’re no longer living on the frontier..and over time we have come to trust others for our protection…but when that status is threatened people will revert to the previous model…..

  6. I taught my children to respect others and to defend themselves when necessary. They were all taught true firearm safety and use. Neither the nor I and the millions of firearm owners are out killing or maiming others. Your proposals are disingenuous and counter productive.

    Arms in 1791 were just as deadly as modern arms . intellectually you are deficient to make a claim otherwise.

    You are fool Hanson. And so are the rest like you.

    • “Arms” that are deadly have always been deadly. “Just as deadly” doesn’t make a lot of sense when deadly is deadly.

      How did Cain kill Able? Able was dead, “just as dead” as if killed by a firearm.

      There is a difference between the modern firearm and others. “Colt’s” firearm is as deadly in the hand of the weak as the sword has been in the hand of the strong.

      • How did Cain kill Able? Able was dead, “just as dead” as if killed by a firearm.

        we do not know, as God nas seen fit NOT to include that little titbit in the narrative. We DO know that the murderer was banished, run out of town and told never to return. We also know that God did NOT prohibit the possession/use of whatever tool was used in the murder, Perhaps that should be taken to heart…….

        As always its never the hardware always the software.

        • Cain, the putative slayer of his brother Abel, apparently went off to live with his wife’s kin in “the land of Nod, east of Eden”… The existence of whom gives the lie to the idea that Adam and Eve, and the whole Garden of Eden mythology is factually true. They certainly, by Biblical accounts, were not the ONLY people in existence at the time… (No offense meant to those religious souls who believe the Bible is a literal account written by the Deity Himself)…

        • seem to recall something about “plowshares”….but perhaps that was voiced in a different context….

    • Joe would seem to be continually targeting the wrong group(s)…in our estimation, anyway…but perhaps that’s by deliberate design as they make up the greatest threat to the implementation of his agenda….

    • Ban rope, we would have less strangulation deaths or suicide by hanging, if we ban tall buildings we might have zero suicides from people jumping off buildings. If we ban knives we would have less deaths by stabbing.

      The key to less violence is a moral and educated public. Thats hard it requires good parents and hard work. something most people in America aren’t will to do or be anymore.

      The anti gun movement is addressing the symptoms not the cause. It will fail because the symptoms will just manifest themselves in different forms of violence. The antigun movement should just be honest and admit they hate the gun itself, not violence. They could careless about other forms of violence, it’s just the gun and what it represents and who primarily owns them that they hate.

      • Here’s and idea: Let’s ban opiates; absolutely, for any use whatsoever.

        Go ahead, tell your anesthesiologist, you forbid his use of opiates for your anesthesia.

        Now, implement your opinion as a public policy. Who will comply? Will your anesthesiologist comply? At whose expense?

        With a “recreational” user comply with your ban? At whose expense?

      • Yes. It’s our decadent, degraded culture that’s the problem. If “Gun culture’s” tenets of personal responsibility and safety were to spread society wide, you’d see a lot of these problems go away.

      • guns do facilitate suicide…and make it easier to act in an impulsive manner…true…but they don’t eliminate the motivation to carry out that act…people will find a way…still remember that doctor’s advice to John Wayne in “The Shootist”

    • yes, it’s pretty hard to carry out a mass-shooting with a flintlock…people with those intentions in the past often resorted to explosives or other means…

  9. Can you guarantee that those who would oppress us through tyrannical overreach, crime or foriegn incursion are sub-armed to level you seek?
    This includes not only criminals or foriegn attackers but also the military, police, intelligence agencies and security details for the elite.
    If you can guarantee that then we can talk about it.
    The answer will still be NO, but at least we’ll know you’re acting in good faith.
    But you’re not.

  11. You have a birth right to own a Bazooka. And many people do. You also have a right to own fighter and bomber aircraft. And many people do. You even have people who make their own bazookas. And they have a right to do that too.

    You don’t need the government’s permission because it’s your Civil Right to carry guns on your boat or your private airplane. Air piracy is a real thing. And piracy at sea or on any body of water, inside the United States is also a real thing.

    A sidewinder missile??? You can also make your own rocket launchers and Rockets for them. And there are many people who do. And for those that don’t know it. Look up Robert Goddard from the 1920s and see what you come up with.

    There are plenty of people make their own ammunition. And they can even make their own anti-armor ammunition.

    • I do not write to dispute your points.

      However, personally, I think it poor tactics to engage in the ‘right to nukes’ hypothetical.

      I refuse to engage in such a discussion so long as the gun-controllers refuse to answer this question:

      Why did The Donald enjoy the privilege of bearing arms in NYC whereas Melania would never have been granted that same privilege before she married? Had she wished to bear a 2-shot derringer, comparable to a 1791 pistol, she would have been denied.

      After the gun-controller has made a good-faith effort to debate this question, then I will discuss nukes, bazookas and machineguns.

  13. “Change the gun culture”. Mr. Hanson, what if I don’t want to change? How do you intend to bend me to your will?

    • Gadsden: Right on, bro, well said. I too have no desire to “change”, insofar as it concerns my Second Amendments RIGHTS. And they are natural RIGHTS recognised and protected by but not granted by the Constitution.

  14. This is not the first op-ed post from the Ct Mirror that we’ve seen here at TTAG. This is seemingly an anti gun publication so it makes me wonder if there are ever any opposing views published. The little I know of Connecticut would seem to be in line with the Mirror’s viewpoint which is sad.

  15. UM, NO Gracie. More CRIMINALS on the streets equals more gun deaths. I abhor your liberal slanted articles that do not EVER tell the truth. There is a wild thugs with guns culture that is out of control. PUT THEM IN JAIL !!! Where they belong. Arrest ANYBODY with a firearm that should not have one. Ten years in the pen should do it. ARREST ANYONE who commits a crime with a firearm and give them twenty years in the pen. That should do it. Thanks to thinkers like you the criminals have run amok. THAT is the problem, Gracie.

    • Grace Stevens didn’t write the column, Chris. She merely reprinted salient portions to exemplify Hanson’s tortured liberal logic. Printing in italics followed by attribution to Hanson indicate the piece isn’t originally Stevens’.

  18. MY gats didn’t “violence” anyone. No one’s do. Humans commit crime’s. In ILLannoy Dims wish to disarm lawful gat owner’s& they wish to do it nationwide! And they’ve passed the Purge law in ILL too because cash bail is somehow “raciss”. They are about the reap the whirlwind. Now where did I hide my flamethrower?!?

  19. The more these anti-gun radicals speak, the dumber they sound. How can anyone with a peanut size brain equate an AR-15 with a “Sidewinder”(sic) missile?

  22. “Life is fragile, and it’s all that we have”
    That is exactly what the right says about abortion.

    “Silence is Complicity, So Speak Up…”
    That is exactly why the right keeps speaking up.

  27. What exactly is this “gun culture,” people speak of?
    Seems to me, gun control people find the absolute worst stereotype and point to that as if that applies to all gun owners.
    They always find a Klee-tuss type, that uneducated, redneck, living in squalor, in a old single wide, with three or four rusted out hulks of cars in the front lawn.
    They seem to look down on anyone without a college degree but who is a gun owner as something less. Based off what I have been reading over the last 8 or 10 years, having a degree from a college is not something to be proud of any more. Certainly does not give anyone the right to judge anyone else.

    So, what is “gun culture?” IMHO, it is a person who values the Constitution. A person who values liberty. Someone who is responsible. Someone who strives to be the best person they can. Someone who gives trust and respect to those who return that same trust and respect in kind.
    Should we not want more of those kind of people? America just might be a better place if we had more of those kind of people.

  28. Silence is not complicity. Stop trying to guilt trip.

    People aren’t screaming out in the numbers you desire because they have enough sense to realize every thing you say isn’t true making you look like a fool.

    You need to practice this…

    ” Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. – Abraham Lincoln”

    • .40 cal,

      I’ve seen that quote attributed to Lincoln by others, as well, but to the best of my knowledge, that quote is courtesy of our greatest American humorist, Samuel Langhorne Clemens.

  29. What needs to be considered is exactly who is doing the shooting and why. Take an honest look at where and who is involved. Very seldom do we see Joe homeowner or farmer Bob shooting anyone.
    As for a modern firearm being somehow more deadly than the firearms used in the late 18th century, guess again. While the musket ball used traveled slower than most modern rounds, that massive lead ball did horrendous damage.
    The better answer would be to teach youngsters moral and honorable behavior. Teach kids to be responsible adults instead of ill mannered punks. Insist parents be held accountable and responsible for their offspring. And above all, stop rewarding bad decisions and behavior.

  30. i certainly do want to change the gun culture.
    i want it louder, more activist, less tolerant of infringement, and more willing to.put the elected officials it votes for on the spot and demand positive results from them.

    Merry Christmas, y’all.

  31. “More guns equal more gun deaths……………….of gang members, potential future Big Gov (Statist) tyrants, home invaders, foreign & domestic neo-Marxist types, etc…” Not a bad tool if ya ask me. He who is for taking away the semi auto ability from the citizenry MUST be utterly destroyed.

  34. The “gun culture” I subscribe to is all about personal responsibility and safety. Nothing this “gun culture” has ever done has led to the death of a single child. In fact, the gun culture I belong to has probably saved thousands.

  38. There was no printing press in 1791 either; so someone take this soyboy’s computer away from him – he should only be able to spread his vile, anti-freedom propaganda by printing press.

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