Killarney "I don’t doubt your argument regarding gun violence and black populations. But you are leaving out the two other major distinguishing factors linking race to gun violence – poverty and discrimination."

Exactly, Jay of Melbourne. Surely working on these two causes of discontent amongst many African Americans would go a long way to lessen the violent tendencies,
as opposed to your rather draconian method of "... if Obama is serious about reducing the murder rate he needs to hire some Israeli military advisors, seal off the ghettos and go house to house IDF style disarming every Black person in the country."

Are you a closet Nazi by any chance?

It must surely have seriously upset you when Obama became President, what with your problem of Melanophobia?

misanthrope,

School cadets had real rifles at school, as an Army armourer I used to visit schools to check their weapons.
The Cadets had to have their rifles at school when we arrived to do inspections.
The Bren Light Machine guns were kept at the school as were the Vickers Medium MGs.
The Officers (teachers) pistols were their own responsibility.

Post WWII the rifles were No1 Mk 3 and 3* .303 and pre-war the Cadets had single shot ,310 Martini rifles.

Rest assured that the School Cadets had real rifles and that they had them at school, exactly the same rifles as the Australian Army had until 1960.

To Susieonline.

Humans live in paradoxical societies where violence towards external enemies is generally applauded, while violence within societies is generally condemned. Human societies have glaring differences in their attitudes to the cultural acceptance or non acceptance of violence within their particular communities. Switzerland's homicide rate is one of the lowest in the world, despite the fact that the Swiss population is the most heavily armed in the world.

Australia's homicide rate is similar to Switzerland's, while the USA's national homicide rate is five times that of Australia. Mexico's rate is three times that of the USA. But even within the USA, wide differences in state homicide rates occur. Despite having almost no firearm laws, northern US states that are primarily still very much majority white, have homicide rates similar to Australia and Switzerland.

It is the US cities which are primarily black and Hispanic which greatly distort the overall US homicide rate. This is hardly surprising when one examines the culture of young black and Hispanic males. The phenomenon of "gangsta" rap music, in which the main themes are the glorification of misogyny, drug abuse, and criminal gang behaviour, highlights the degree to which culture directs behaviour. But the acceptance of "rap" culture, or any other crime glorifying "youth" culture manufactured by the entertainment media is not limited specifically to blacks or Hispanics. Such crime endorsing media can affect the behaviour of all young people, regardless of race.

The most ironic factor in the demands of those who wish to see all guns banned, is that their attitudes do not extend to the entertainment media where the criminal misuse of firearms is endemic. Our media has glorified the criminal misuse of firearms to such a degree, that no self respecting drug trafficker or swaggering thug would be without one. In the same way that the entertainment media promotes alcohol and cigarettes through "product placement", firearm manufacturers are now advertising their wares through movies. The problem with that, is that some fans of these violent role model movie stars will emulate the violent behaviour of these role model stars.

To Jay of Melbourne.

You are only partly correct. Whatever information you have that supports the idea that violent media does not affect behaviour, is media created disinformation.

Scientific studies over the last 60 years have consistently linked violent media to increasing levels of violence in western societies. In the USA, respected scientific and medical organisations including the American Psychological Association (APA), The American Association for Child and Adolescent Psychology, the American Medical Association (AMA), The National Institution for Mental Health, and the American Academy of Paediatrics, issued a historic Joint Statement to the US Congress, testifying that a causal link existed between violent media and real life violence.

The APA submission contained the statement that "the scientific debate is over........there is absolutely no doubt that the increased level of TV viewing is correlated to the acceptance of aggressive attitudes and increased aggressive behaviour." The AMA submission stated "the link between media violence and real life violence has been proven by science, over and over again."

The link between genetics and violence is also a contributing factor. Amusingly, our liberal friend Susieonline unconsciously supported this when she wrote "it is just in some humans nature to be violent." She got that right. The connection that you and Susie then have to make is that it is logical that those communities which possess a genetic proneness to violent behaviour will therefore create a culture which endorses and glorifies their unconscious violent genetic conditioning. Intrinsically violent communities produce violent cultures. Thus we have today's cultural manifestation of rap music which is very popular among those ethnicities most noted for their violent behaviour.

So, in the USA, and increasingly in other western societies, we have increasing numbers of people from ethnicities genetically prone to violent criminal behaviour who are both creating violent culture and acting out the values of that culture, which is greatly distorting western crime rates.

Suse and Jay, do you also think porn is not addictive and has no associated negative impacts on society?

The link between genetics and a propensity to violence, is tenuous at best; whereas the cultural link and attitudes/childhood learning are extremely strong and evidence based; and where violence is presented as entertainment; and domestic violence almost mandatory!

Similarly there appears to be a substantive link between a regional absence of zinc in the local foodstuffs (animal and vegetable) and very quick irrational tempers!

One also notes the sheer numbers of single mum families, who predominate in African American and Hispanic Ghettos!

One also notes the previous predominance of male teachers as role models for motherless boys, and their sheer lack in more recent decades. Hence the more obvious changes?

As recent studies have shown, even girls need a moderating male role model or a dad, in order to develop

Now if we could only bring back compulsory school cadets, and rifle range practice, replete with a he who must be obeyed drill Sargent, and regular boot camps!

However, I believe the days of taking these things home are behind us!
I mean, even regular armory have their weapons stored in the armory until actually needed for training or other duties!

Even there, I would allow off duty solders, who have completed their firearms training, to carry a small concealed weapon and wear Kevlar overalls when off duty.

Never again ought we see a young off duty soldier hacked to death, just because he came out of a barracks, wearing his uniform!

I found nothing more demonstrative than seeing first hand the damage that could be done to marine grade plywood, by a rifle firing blanks at very close range, to understand the lethal power of firearms!

Currently, all kids are allowed to grow up believing, is these things are toys!

Politicians aren't the only ones needing armed protection.
As David has said, when you need police protection seconds count and with the best will in the world, their response is invariably in critical minutes!

Police rarely if if prevent crime; but rather investigate it; but particularly, gun crime!
Rhrosty.