100 percent of shootings are done by people with guns.

0 percent of shootings are done by people without guns.

I have no doubt that I am safer living in an (almost) gun-free society like Ireland than a society with loads of guns like the USA.

From one of those Rabid, American Gun Dealers

Boise, Idaho, USA
http://www.ponderosasports.com

Sarah writes a compelling article from the stance of having positive knowledge about the gun statistics. A couple of respected references with facts supporting her claims would be of interest.

Here in back woods, hormonal and angst-ridden USA, the statistics have proven different. Extensive studies by “Kleck”, do not report that owning guns, places the home owner at greater risk. Only Sarah can speak for Ireland.

Apparently America, much younger than Ireland, has not yet developed the sophisticated criminal capable of confidently taking away a home owners gun.

I think Sarah’s friend is mush safer than Sarah.

Cliff Harrison
Cliff@PonderosaSports.com

The history of Guards having guns – and here I’m drawing on some of the anecdotes which go around the Defence Forces, including a rumour of two Garda-inflicted ‘friendly fire’ deaths in the Eighties* – is a long lesson in why these budding Dirty Harrys shouldn’t be let near the things, in the interests of the safety of themselves, their own colleagues and the general public.

* they died “in the course of” a certain high-profile incident, but the bad guys were never charged with their murders, for good reason.

If you don’t want people with shooters then don’t provide them with the means and motivation to shoot.

It might be “just the odd spliff” but if 50’000 people have the odd spliff then its a market to be served. If you want to smoke up then you have to be willing to accept that to service this habit someone will take risks and these risks include having guns and shooting people to get what you want.

I am ambivalent on the issue of legalising drugs. Right now it is illegal and drugs =guns and guns = people shooting people.

In general uniformed gardaí should remain unarmed for as long as possible. The problem of gangland and organised crime is a separate issue and needs to be dealt with special measures which involve not just the police, the courts, and so on, but raising the general question about the war on drugs and whether there should be a change of tack? Or raising the issue – which has begun to be hightlighted recently – of the link between all drugs users, including canabas users, and the explosion in organised crime. Perhaps some half way house could be found – some drugs delisted completely, and others remaiin the object of sustained and massive increases in resources in combating their users and their suppliers.

And as for the 5-0 having guns they need to learn to drive before I would be happy with them being armed. They are not trained for high speed chases and a number of guards have a letter from their Inspector in lieu of a full license. If they can’t drive to a high standard and this is tolerated it follows that this will come to the training and issuing of firearms.

I won’t feel any safer when we have armed cops who have never shot them or “red de buke on it”.