Thanks for weighing in as someone who's actually lived close to it. That sounds pretty fucking terrible. Did you take any extra steps to feel more secure, conceal and carry license perhaps? I definitely understand that smaller scale violence (mugging, snatching, jumping) goes on in the really bad areas on a daily or near-daily basis, didn't mean to downlplay that, but I just didn't want to perpetuate some stereotype that all the little black babies in our country fall asleep to the sounds of gunfire.

There's a lot of disparity in the country. I mean, people talk about small countries having individual areas where the culture, habits, etc, are different, but spend time in New York City and then go to the deep south and it's like visiting a completely differetn planet.

I spent some time in rural North Carolina and the number of apparently crazy folks who just walk around with guns in their bags, for example, is fucking terrifying. Over here these people would be considered harmless, but is anyone who packs a lethal weapon that requires a minimum of skill and effort to do serious damage harmless?

Every single time...

Having a gun doesn't prevent anything though. Even with a conceal and carry license it won't stop a mugger from sticking you up. And if you tried to pull out your gun you think they wouldn't get scared and pull the trigger? The only thing to do in that situation is move and that is hard to do on a whim.

Walking to the store and back I wouldn't carry more than $10 on my person. I would also never leave the house without a knife.

Hey released a new Dagoth album today, if anyone wants to click in my sig...it's definitely the most "metal" and doom-y and its also the most intense and focused album I've done. It's also Silent Hill inspired...so yeah.

That's certainly something. It's so minimal at times that it almost collapses in on itself. It was a draining listen getting through the first song. You've got some pretty oppressive stuff going there. There are moments where things resembling riffs come up and keep repeating but they're obviously treated and twisted. I dig it. I think it's cool that you seem totally dedicated to this completely "out there" kind of music.

Yeah, that's good stuff you've got there man. Love the atmosphere.

See, the thing is you're a Canadian and (I'm assuming) haven't really had much personal experience with guns. A car can kill you pretty much as easily as a gun, and you're much more likely to get killed by a car than by a gun, even in the US. Do you feel unsafe around cars all the time? I don't. If people aren't snapping left and right and going on vehicular manslaughter sprees, I don't think you really have to worry too much about random gun violence. Yes, there are muggers to look out for, and getting on a drug dealer's bad side is probably not a good idea, but you don't have to worry about regular people shooting you any more than you have to worry about them running you over. I mean, did anyone ever threaten you with a gun while you were in the US? Did any gun accidentally go off? Did anyone even ever fire one near you? Or did just the idea that maybe someone might have a gun and might use it irresponsibly scare you?

Just bought it. Good stuff.

I think what would make sense would be to increase strict regulations and punishment, instead of trying to ban all guns in the states. If you want to carry a pistol, even own a rifle, you should get registered with your state. Simple as that. Not alot of red tape and legal hoops to jump through, just take a class, fill out some paper work, get a background check, and then you can carry and own. And when someone has a fire arm that doesn't have any legal authority to do so, give them a huge fine, possibly even some jail time. And anything deal with assault with a firearm, breaking and stealing weapons, anything like that, automatic ten years, with no possibility of ever owning one again. And if you get caught with one again, give them fifteen years. Any actual attempted murders, or anything more extreme should get life.

I'm not a violent person, I am actually pretty passive. But I have guns to protect myself, my family, and my belongings from all of the possible mortal dangers out there.

Rofl. There are a lot of decent arguments in favour of the 2nd amendment, but the "protecting myself from the evil oppressive government" one has got to be the silliest, most reality-denying one so far. Even if your government could do what you claim it could, do you really think your shotgun is going to help you when the SWATS tear down your door and arrest you? What are you gonna do, shoot them? And then get detained for murder? Seriously, did you even think things through at all before spouting off so much nonsense?

I'm with Morrigan. A god damn glock isn't going to help you. The government has tomahawk missles and attack choppers that can spray rounds from miles away. They aren't scared of your guns.

If we assumed a mass of 2 kg, on the average, for a gun, the US guns in civilian hands would contain roughly enough steel to build two carrier battle groups. Don't say getting rid of them is impossible! You could even name the carriers The Second Amendment and My Cold Dead Fingers. Would be SO cool!

Especially when they finally get scrapped.

Right. Well, I mean, if the fascist come knocking at your door, better to kill one than none, I'd say.

At least, I presume that's the logic behind that argument.

On that note, any Swiss dudes feel like showing off their assault rifles? Please?

Tell that to the Soviet Union.

It's true that maybe one person with a gun can't do alot of damage to an oppressive regime. But if the time ever when tyranny was knocking on my front door, I'd feel alot safer with a pistol, rather than a skillet or some dumb shit.

It's largely a placebo effect.

When the Nazis came for Polish Jews in the Warsaw ghetto, they fought back with what few guns they had. They held them off for a month. If all the Jews had guns, history might have been a little different.

That's a pretty good point actually. I don't really see the problem with people having guns.

Aaaaand Godwinned.

I don't see how it's a placebo effect....I mean guns are objectively better at killing people than skillets. Unless the latter was held by some sort of skillet assassin.

If SWAT/Nazis/Communists/whoever else people are scared of, was kicking down my door, I'd rather shoot at them through the window and kill one rather than fight them off with my fists.

Besides, it's not just one person. It's called organization, it's called guerrilla warfare, it's called the fact that tanks require people to leave them in order to change crew and re-fuel. If say, in the distant future America was invaded. They'd have a heck of a time with the people there.

Well then. I missed class this morning and I still have to write a four page essay on the Medea and the Bacchae. I should listen to some Rotting Christ to get me in the mood.

To sum it up nicely, I'm pro-gun. Anything else is pretty damn silly.

I misread his post, I thought he said he felt safe with a gun (as opposed to safer). I don't think one guy with a gun (who isn't Bruce Willis) can do anything when faced with a tactical team with military training.

Or the Taliban. Fighting the most powerful fighting force on the planet with AK47s, PKMs and RPGs and still haven't been defeated.

So somebody who doesn't agree with you is silly?

Guns are overrated anyway. Battleaxes are cooler.

Also, didn't know that you were Québécois, Necroticism174. Est-ce que tu habites dans un trou perdu?

Also, even if you don't have the strongest military force in the world, there's something really cool and often effective that's called guerillas

Haha non, je suis pas mal proche de Montreal (j'habite a Lasalle) et je descend souvent pour des concerts. Heureusement que j'suis pas dans les forets de Mirabel.

Contacte moi pour des concerts dans le futur
Hahaha, Mirabel is not that ''trou''. I used to live there some years back. It's only 1 hour from Montréal.

Hand-to-hand combat is messy, you're likely to sustain significant injuries if you don't have a shield for defense, and it can get quite complicated. Although I'm trained as a fencer, I would rather defend myself with a gun if necessary. I haven't gone hunting with an axe though, but I'm not sure I'd want to.

So, FFA, let's all recap what we've learnt today: American males all carry guns because they're trying to make up for that small piece of skin they lost when they were circumcised...

Yeah hand to hand is a recipe for disaster. I'll stick to ssault rifle + body armour and helmet thank you very much!

For sure dude! And it totally is if you don't have a car I used to have something going on with a girl who lived over there and the commuting was pretty intense. It didn't last very long.

hahaha yeah, Lasalle to Mirabel, damn, must be like 2hr30 of commuting. Not fun!

Indeed, it was soul crushing. Where are you located by the way? Tu vis au centre ville?

Pm me if I'm being a danger to your misanthropic hermit lifestyle

I wish. I'm in Laval, just outside Montréal though, so it's not so bad. Nah, I'm not really an hermit, that's more Hellblazer's thing!

Thanks to whoever thought of putting the band Death at the top of the search list when you search for "Death." It was annoying to have to sift through hundreds of bands that have Death in the title somewhere to find Chuck's Death.