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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 3, 2020 17:18:39 GMT
This is a controversial point, but take the killing of George Floyd as an example of how American events combined with social media eclipse anything that goes on elsewhere in the World. Whilst the anger & protests in the US are perfectly understandable, I don't see why the rest of the World needs to mount similar protests in response. In 2011 there were similar protests that degenerated into riots & looting after Mark Duggan was shot by UK police, this prompted rioting in other parts of the UK but crucially not in America.
It's the same with US politics. In Britain we know as much about Trump & lesser figures like Biden & Sanders because our news is saturated with it. Does the US media devote nearly as much time to covering our politicians? You ask the average American who Boris Johnson is, let alone Keir Starmer, they have no idea. It's the disproportionate time spent on American affairs that bothers me.
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Three Litre
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Post by Three Litre on Jun 3, 2020 18:22:16 GMT
This is a controversial point, but take the killing of George Floyd as an example of how American events combined with social media eclipse anything that goes on elsewhere in the World. Whilst the anger & protests in the US are perfectly understandable, I don't see why the rest of the World needs to mount similar protests in response. In 2011 there were similar protests that degenerated into riots & looting after Mark Duggan was shot by UK police, this prompted rioting in other parts of the UK but crucially not in America.
It's the same with US politics. In Britain we know as much about Trump & lesser figures like Biden & Sanders because our news is saturated with it. Does the US media devote nearly as much time to covering our politicians? You ask the average American who Boris Johnson is, let alone Keir Starmer, they have no idea. It's the disproportionate time spent on American affairs that bothers me.
Yes, you are right about the asymmetric new coverage. I was on holiday in the US in '84 and remember trying to find coverage of the miners strike and failing. Then there is the fact that some black people feel our police are racist as well. Personally, I like to read about what's going on in the US because of it's place in the world but you make a good point.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 3, 2020 21:11:37 GMT
Racism is certainly an issue, particularly if it directly affects you, but I think people miss the bigger picture which is male violence, a much trickier issue to address because it involves half the population & has nothing to do with race. In terms of George Floyd, I've read that he & the police officer who has been charged with murdering him knew each other, they worked as doormen together & so were presumably no strangers to violence. Men are forever harming & killing one another & have been since time began, so it's become normalised.
I think we need to look at why many men resort to violence so easily rather than looking for easy answers like 'he did it because he's racist'. Like the gun issue in America, why do they feel so strongly about being armed? They talk about the Constitution & their 'right to bear arms' but other countries look on & scratch their heads, why do you feel you need to bear arms? The threat of violence is taken for granted, as if it's a reasonable way to settle things.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jun 4, 2020 6:23:48 GMT
The US gun laws are totally insane. They are obsessed with the second amendment and the right to bear arms, which was added at the time of the war of independence in the 1780s. What may have been appropriate for a new country over 200 years ago is now totally wrong. Maybe in remote areas where there could be dangerous animals it could be OK to have hunting rifles etc, but these gun nuts, backed by the NRA want to have military grade assault weapons which could take down a helicopter.
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Post by Dirty Epic on Jun 4, 2020 10:48:41 GMT
The US gun laws are totally insane. They are obsessed with the second amendment and the right to bear arms, which was added at the time of the war of independence in the 1780s. What may have been appropriate for a new country over 200 years ago is now totally wrong. Maybe in remote areas where there could be dangerous animals it could be OK to have hunting rifles etc, but these gun nuts, backed by the NRA want to have military grade assault weapons which could take down a helicopter. Couldn't agree more Carty!
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 4, 2020 14:50:02 GMT
Exactly, they still have a 'wild west' mentality where the gun is king. When questioned about the issue they talk about 'freedom', how can a people claim to be 'free' whilst they're owning or carrying an object designed to kill? Owning a gun to protect yourself from others with a gun makes absolutely no sense, like youths who carry knives 'for protection', who are they protecting themselves from if not people who are prepared to use a knife? No one needs to be armed, it's a choice that has been made & it can be unmade, just as people can choose not to judge others based on their ethnicity.
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DI Alex Drake
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Post by DI Alex Drake on Jun 4, 2020 17:32:09 GMT
The thing is even if the laws were changed, those who didn’t surrender their guns (and I imagine there would be a LOT of those) would then be the dangerous ones and have the upper hand. It is something so utterly alien to us (thank god!!). I can’t imagine what it would be like to grow up somewhere where it was the norm. I’m not actually certain I’ve ever seen a gun that wasn’t fake/deactivated, let alone used one.
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Cartman
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Post by Cartman on Jun 4, 2020 18:54:26 GMT
The only gun I have ever used is one of those ones at the fair where you shoot pellets at tin ducks.
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DI Alex Drake
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Post by DI Alex Drake on Jun 4, 2020 19:03:37 GMT
My initial thought is “the poor ducks!” But I know the kind of comment that would elicit from you so I won’t say it.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Jun 4, 2020 19:20:44 GMT
Might be a naive suggestion but why don't they just limit the number of bullets that are manufactured & sold? Other than hunters & those who shoot for sport, presumably everyone else, other than criminals, own & carry a gun in case they face a rare situation where they might need to arm themselves. As such why would they need any more than 6 bullets at any given time?
Owning a gun isn't enough, you then need to learn how to fire it, that means practicing at a firing range. I would think once you've learned how to fire one you wouldn't just put the gun in a drawer & forget about it like a first aid kit. Guns are seductive for many people, how many of us who've never used one but seen them countless times in films wonder about firing one?
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