What Sly_RJ just said... :thumbsup

When it came down to it... In his desperate search for the reason 'why', the closest reason Michael Moore could come to was a media and government-perpetuated fear. Having lived in the UK, Canada and the US, I have to agree that fear is indeed what sells in the US. However, I don't think that's necessarily much different than the other places. What IS different, Sleazy has already pointed out... Handguns are readily available to get in the US, as opposed to Canada and the UK. Sure, if you really, really want one there you can get one if you try, but it is harder to do. British culture is, and always has been, horribly violent; if they had easy access to guns, there'd probably be a bloodbath at every England VS Scotland rugby match.

where i live, i know a bunch of people who NEVER lock their door at all, like me :P

Super. That's Canada. I don't live in Canada. Different cultures are into different things. Americans are shocked by bad things and are sucked up into them. It's annoying as hell when you're trying to drive somewhere and there's an accident, everybody slows down to check it out.

Thanks for that review Sleazy... I have some family up in Michigan and they don't lock their doors either, not even their car doors... They like to make fun of us city people... But that goes without saying that they live in a small secluded area and any outsider is noticed right away...

I'd leave my door open all the time, but sometimes WIERD shit happens... you always hear about crack addicts breaking into places looking for stuff to pawn... Yes it DOES bother me that I need to lock it, but it bothers me if I don't lock it... I tend to avoid my neighbors because most of them aren't interested in what I'm interested in -- I'm more educated than most people around me -- I don't have much in common with most people around me -- but I don't want to have anything in common with other people -- because I'm an artist -- if I was like everyone else I'd no longer be creative... It's a virtue and a curse...

I think handguns should be regulated -- same goes with automatic weapons... but really I don't think it will make much difference... there are just too many ways to kill someone.

The movie is kindof looking for a solution to our "problem"... I think the problem with America is capitalism, too many people left behind due to the greed of the uncaring, wealthy minority... some luxuries are just sinful when there are so many people suffering... The wealthy feel "I am superior" so this money is mine... This is just stupid and I won't explain why... but it's not so apparent that it's stupid in a big city where most people are anonymous... in a smaller community it's obvious who needs help because you see the same people every day. For instance a black guy (maybe he's homeless) today asked me for some change... I see this guy all the time and I've never seen him drunk or annoying people so I felt fine giving him a dollar... Last time he asked me for money was maybe two years ago... Anyway I think lots of people in the USA, especially war vets and adolescent kids with no family structure get left behind in society... they turn to drugs (and probably not very good drugs) and that's when the violence begins... and the result is fear and the fear spreads, especially in a big city where everyone is essentially anonymous... Cities are fun but they really do suck because nobody really gives a shit about you because you're just another stranger... and I think automobiles and industrialization are to blame... When you're all alone in your SUV, it doesn't really matter if you know who your neighbors are -- it doesn't matter if you see that old homless guy walking by himself day after day because you never have to look him in the eye or say hello because you've got your windows rolled up and your doors locked... so go ahead and ignore the problem in your gated community or in your SUV, but the shit will come down eventually and it won't be pretty :1orglaugh

When you are referring to automatic weapons, i assume you are talking about full-auto weapons. Actually, there has been one one crime committed in USA with a LEGALLY OWNED full-auto, and that was committed by a police officer......:ak47:

Japan and Hong Kong are two of the most capitalist countries in the world and they have an extremely low rate of gun deaths per capita.

I tink Cypress Hill once said something like this...

"When the shit goes down you better be ready... and by the way you got a hole in your head in your motherfucking head..." :1orglaugh

Sleazy, do you live in a rural area?

If you lived in Toronto or Vancouver do you still think you wouldn't lock your doors? Would you have your family lock the door if you weren't there?

Saying that all americans lock their doors and live in fear is bullshit and misleading. If there was no practical reason for locking a door then why do Canadian doors come with locks? Why have any locks?

What does a lock really do anyway? If someone wants to break into a house they can easily break a window in most cases.

I think Michael Moore's movie was seriously biased, misleading and generally a bunch of anti gun propaganda.

If I learned one thing from living in Brooklyn... you look people in the eye... people on the streets aren't dumb -- if they see hate or fear, you might be in trouble just because you're a threat to the fabric of things...

The real problem is these poor, unsupervised and uneducated kids... They're fucked in the head from a dozen different directions...

How about bukkake deaths?

50

These parents are building weapons of mass destruction for Lockheed Martin or some shit, so why are they suprised their children are being murdered? :1orglaugh God has a sick sense of humor sometimes... Payback is a bitch.

Maybe the USA just has bad karma and that's why it's fucked up... :1orglaugh

i think everyone needs a gun.

look at how the soviet union and usa effectively kept the peace through fear for so long. knowing your neighbor could blow you and your buddies the fuck away at any second will keep anyone honest.

its said a lot, but if guns are outlawed, only the outlaws will have guns.

anti gun nuts will talk their shit till the end of time
and when someone busts into their house and steals their shit i wont help them

I think the implication was that the KKK was disbaned one year, they all went and started the NRA either that same year or the year after.

So they quit the illegal club, and joined up in the more aptly named legal club.

Ah that makes sense.


I was also quite surprised about Marilyn Manson. Before watching the movie I thought that he was nothing but a freakin nutcase, but now I am very impressed and actually believe that he's an intelligent man.

regarding the fear issue...michael moore has a very valid point.

I've noticed it in the past, but it's really so much more noticeable now because I am looking for it.

Every afternoon just turn into the shows before your local news comes on and they ALWAYS have tag lines like this...

"The hidden dangers in your city's water."

"Are their hidden dangers in the equipment at your children's schoolyard playground?" referring to arsenic in the wood.

The list goes on....and these are substitutes for the slow news night otherwise it's...

"Mother of two buys bat at wal-mart then beats her children to death."

There is always a hidden danger lurking somewhere in our lives and the news just points it out every chance they get.

Marilyn Manson has not spread hatred or violence in this country. That's not what his music is about. He has committed a serious crime, however, and that is turning our youth into fashon victims. Seriously, anyone who dresses like that is going to have those pictures used against them as blackmail some day. Poor bastards.

What made you believe he was a freakin nutcase?

I don't lock my doors when I'm home OR when I'm gone. I lock them at night just because if someone DID break in, I want to hear about it. :) In fact, my son left my front door wide open for more than 6 hours one day - I was just really pissed because it was 30 degrees outside and the heater had been running like crazy trying to heat the house!

My car keys are currently in my unlocked car. So is my wallet. Wig with achdebit.com (see sig :)) lives on the other side of town, and his house is the same way. And I'll guarantee you that we have the highest percentage of gun owners (including handguns and automatics) than most areas of the US. Having a lot of guns in your town doesn't mean there's a high crime rate or that you're afraid.

Criminals are criminals. They will find ways to kill, rape, threaten, steal, etc. I have a guns for protection against people (I carry one in the car for when I have to go to Atlanta) and animals - animals don't have guns (at least that I know of......:eek7) so I don't just have guns because "the bad guys have guns".

I see the "gun related" death stats - does anyone have the actual CRIME stats for places? i.e. how many rapes, burglaries, robberies, murders etc. are in each location. Showing me how many GUN related deaths there are doesn't show ME the level of crime.

I know in Kennesaw, when they passed a law that said you must own a gun, crime dropped. You're not going to find many criminals that are excited about breaking into a home where they KNOW there's going to be a gun, hehehe.

And no, I haven't seen the movie - it's on the Netflix list though. I refuse to pay to watch it. :winkwink:

Automatic weapons are illegal in the US...for the average person to purchase. It requires a very special Federal license to purchase automatic weapons. Some are illegally owned and they represent less than 1% of all gun related crimes. It is cheap handguns that are overwhelmingly responsible for gun deaths in the USA (so called saturday night specials).

I live in a high crime county. It is a high crime county because of the drug users. Most businesses in the area require drug tests to be employed at the business (I would imagine this would apply virtually everywhere in the States). Pot users and users of other types of drugs cannot pass a drug test thus they remain unemployed. In order to buy their drugs they resort to crime. I keep my doors locked day and night (there have been several home entries during the day). I own several weapons and seldom...if ever...go anywhere without being armed.

It is my understanding that 70% of our prison population is composed of drug related criminals. It is difficult for druggies to get a job...and it is difficult for them to hold a job...so they resort to crime...and some of the crime is gun related crime...including shootings.

Beeeeeeep! Wrong.

I don't believe anyone should be afraid of anything when you are 3-4.

He was talking about walking alone in the dark...

What would make sense to me is not assuming that smoking pot, excluding during business hours would make anyone less inclined to work at wal-mart.

Good point, Peaches. :thumbsup While British shootings are relatively low, there may well be a disproportionate number of stabbings and other violent attacks over there. As for Canada... well, who knows what keeps those gosh darn Canadians so nice... must be sedatives in the beer up there or something. :winkwink:

There is places in the US where people dont lock their doors. Like North Minnasota and Montana :winkwink:

Alot of other places just have more fucked up people and fucked up things happen.

Maybe fucked up people dont like cold :winkwink:

:1orglaugh

Yeah the pot smokers are out killing people and raping women for herb money!

Problem in this country is the DRUNK GUYS WITH GUNS.

ALCOHOLICS AND GUNS DONT MIX!

Walmart will not hire you if you cannot pass a drug test.

I should have said qualified instead of inclined. It's late I'm tired.

Pot smokers have a difficult time finding employment...they also have a difficult time holding a job once they gain employment. Thus they resort to crime...as it is difficult to survive without income from somewhere. They committ all types of crimes...primarily burglaries...but some also committ gun related crime. I will state again that it is my understanding that 70% of the prison popultation are in prison because of drug related crime...and that means those that were stealing or robbing among other things...and they sometimes kill when robbing.

I don't think anyone who's not either under the age of 14 or on heroin anyway turns to crime to pay for pot. Pot can't wack your head out so much that you'd put smoking it over getting a much needed job. For that you'd need a drug that would actually compensate for a shitty life on the streets, like heroin.

You really need to educate yourself before making posts.

Your 'stoner stereotype' is enough, the rest doesnt even deserve response.

Most Marijuana related crimes are for POSSESSION. But the UNEDUCATED always like to speak louder than they should.

Its funny to see alcoholics blame pot smokers for 70% of the prison population

'Taxpayers annually spend between $7.5 billion and $10 billion arresting and prosecuting individuals for marijuana violations. Almost 90 percent of these arrests are for marijuana possession only.'

http://norml.com/index.cfm?Group_ID=3381#point1

'More than 734,000 individuals were arrested on marijuana charges in 2000. Eighty-eight percent of those arrested were charged with marijuana possession only.
REFERENCE: Federal Bureau of Investigation. 2001. Uniform Crime Report Crime in the United States, 2000. Table: Arrest for Drug Abuse Violations. U.S. Department of Justice: Washington, DC.'

'Drunk driving costs Americans more than $50 billion each year in economic losses.'

http://www.californiadrunkdrivinglaw...ngOverview.cfm

You said yourself that possession is a fine. 70% of the prison population are not in prison for possession...they are there for criminal activity...because they were drug users...including pot...of course some are there for being dealers. 70% is not my number BTW. It is you that need to educate yourself about the composition of the inmate population.

Have another drink and turn on the news.

You use no facts or intelligence only opinions and message board theology.

I let the number speak for themselves.

I would think that more often than not, "being dealers" just means they had more than an ounce on them. I recently got charged with distribution in a school zone when I was doing no such thing, didn't even have knowledge of the marijuana in my car and had no packaging or weighing materials. I also had only a few dollars in cash on me. Anyone who smokes knows that an ounce really isn't all that much pot.

Ignorance and alcohol, its whats for dinner.

:1orglaugh

And they do not ususally...if ever...go to prison for being arrested for possession of marijuana...unless the amount in their possession quailifies them as being dealers. They may go to jail...but jail is not prison.

Yeah unless it's mandatory minimums in a school zone. Even if you get caught outside a school zone if it's your first offense you'll just get probation.

But lumping marijuana into the "causes of drug related crime" is pretty weak. It's like making alcohol illegal cause winos snatch purses for bottles of cheap vodka.