Reply #48: A lot depends on where you live. [View All]

A rational person should be concerned about lightning. A lot of people in Florida get killed because they ignore common sense when walking outside in a thunderstorm. I've personally known several people who got knocked off their feet when a lightning bolt struck near them. During the summer we often read stories about deaths caused by lightning. I'm not a Fundamentalist Christian and I have at times made comments that might piss off the God that the Fundies believe in. Therefore, in case he exists, I try not to make myself a target.

http://cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/2001/fyi/news/06/18/lightning.awareness/index.html

I also take care to practice situational awareness when I walk the streets of some city like Tampa. Again, I try not to act like a target. I believe that if you go looking for trouble it will find you. Therefore, I'm careful of where I go and I show respect to people. If all fails I have a concealed weapons permit and I carry. I practice with my weapons and while I don't consider myself an expert with a firearm, many people who have watched me shoot do. The absolute last thing I would ever want to do is use my weapon to defend myself, but if necessary I won't hesitate.

My mother and my daughter used handguns to discourage rapists. Quite possibly I exist and my two wonderful grandchildren exist because of the proper use of weapons to deter criminals. No one was hurt in the incidents.

You disagree that the availability and use of illegal drugs causes violence. A statement from the link I provide below:

"Broadly speaking, the link between drugs and violent crime could occur in three ways: violent crime by consumers of drugs, violent crime associated with the production and distribution of drugs, or violent crime directly associated with the attempt to enforce drug prohibition."

http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/drugs_and_violence/Drugs_and_violence.html

You disagree that video games and rap music contribute to violence. The army uses video games to train soldiers. You might find this link interesting.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/13/AR2006021302437.html

As for lyrics in rap music:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn3695-violent-song-lyrics-increase-aggression.html

Perhaps we should consider legalizing some drugs, reducing the profit motive involved in illegal trafficking.

I hesitate to recommend censorship for video games and rap music. I feel that might prove as big a failure as the war on drugs and hopefully would fail in the courts. However I feel violent video games and gangsta lyrics can contribute to problems in our society. Solving this problem will require pressure on the companies who produce this material to act in a more responsible manner.

As I stated before, Guns don't cause violence but violence causes guns. Reducing violence should reduce the proliferation of guns in our nation. Our problem is finding real solutions to lowering the crime rate. If we all work together and elect politicians who really have our best interests at heart, we might make some headway.