This is why in my opinion, banning guns is equivalent to abstinence-only sex ed.

[TheWraith]

In both cases, there's no scientific evidence to support the idea that the policy works, and in fact a tremendous amount to suggest that it does no good whatsoever. It's based entirely on a visceral, non-reasoning reaction. People die, therefore guns bad. Teens pregnant, therefore sex bad. Neither practice does anything to address the underlying problem, or the realities of what causes the objectionable events.

Ending the drug war and teaching teens safe sex: the reality-based way to deal with problems.

[Turbineguy]

1. It's the fear that makes people

want to own guns.

[rd_kent]

3. Fear of what exactly?

If you are saying that I fear for the safety of my family and myself because we have a crime problem, then you are right.

[Turbineguy]

8. I am speaking of manufactured fear.

That's what has been driving gun sales lately.

[TheWraith]

14. Manufactured fear drives everything these days.

It drives TV news ratings, drug laws, gun laws, gun sales, opposition to healthcare, and on. We're a fearful nation, with very little reason to be so.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. For this, I agree.

As much of a firearms enthusiast as I am, there's just no logical justification for the recent run on firearms or ammunition.

Violent crime may be trending down, but the 'fear' buying still worries me.

[rd_kent]

2. You are spot on. Education is the key.

[Deja Q]

5. Education, with incentives, and being mindful of others.

Education alone, like anything else on its own, doesn't work.

[rd_kent]

6. Correct. But education is the foundation

everything else is built upon.

[Deja Q]

4. Yes, but with abstinence,

nobody listens and we end up with more unwanted children for the privatized prisons to take care of, and as for diseases the overpriced insurance companies and doctors will continue to jack up their rates, sorry for the deliberately poor choice of wording...

Teach people to be conscious with their guns... both the bullet shooting type and the DNA shooting type too.

Won't happen. We tell people not to text while driving and that doesn't stop them either. So let's drop every law and ramp up anarchy.

If you know you'll get in trouble for ________, then you'll not do it or do it after putting some thought into it.

Maybe that's why relationships were invented, sex-wise... emotions, children, bypassing diseases...

Whatever the topic is, you have to tell them EVERY reason. Just knowing where a sperm goes is meaningless. Context is needed.

[whyverne]

7. Bad analogy, methinks.

Let me rearrange your equation.
People die = Teens pregnant.
Doesn't compute for me.

The only real argument for or against gun control is the acceptable level of deaths.
Some are willing to accept the current levels.

If incidents like the recent one here in Pittsburgh happened everyday, the call for gun control would be ramped up. That would be a reasonable reaction.

I'm not taking sides. Personally I don't have any guns because I'm bipolar. I'm crazy but not so crazy that I don't know it.

[TheWraith]

15. Equivalent in terms of their policy origins.

They both are created by a non-reasoning instinct. "Bad thing happens, therefore make law." It's a reaction that does nothing to address underlying problems. Of course a teenager getting pregnant isn't the same as someone being shot. But the way people react to them, to try and take an "easy" way out of just making a law against it, is very similar.

[iverglas]

9. and here is why, in my opinion, pomegranates are equivalent to hand grenades

They're both kinda round and have things inside.


What on earth is this insanity?

Oh, I know.

banning guns is equivalent to abstinence-only sex ed

is equivalent to

big things made of straw are equivalent to bad stuff

Indeed.

[xchrom]

11. indeed. sperm colliding with an egg

has little resemblance to a bullet colliding with a body.

even diseases contracted from sexual contact have little in common with that.

[iverglas]

12. evidently

you meant to reply to some other post ...

[xchrom]

13. i must have. nt

[AtheistCrusader]

17. Hand grenades indeed. Pomegranates, and Mangoes do terrible, terrible things

to my digestive system.

[iverglas]

18. well

then I recommend you not add straw to your diet!

[spin]

10. K&R (n/t)

[Taitertots]

19. Poorly Written

Refusing to educate your children about guns is like abstinence only education. Is what it should have said.

[JonQ]

20. Absolutely, a good way to tell when one side knows it is in the wrong

but is unwilling to change is when they fight against education.

Holds true on sex ed, and gun education, religion and pretty much any other issue I can think of.

If you are unwilling to let people know the facts then there is a good chance you know the facts don't help your case.

Now, which side prefers ignorance on the gun debate?

[iverglas]

21. is when they start spewing laughable shit like this OP

made even more laughable by the fact that it's based on a misrepresentation of recent events. But the fact that it just plain makes no sense is enough for a good roll on the floor.

But hey, you managed to go one better!

The OP refers to banning guns being like opposing sex ed -- not a stitch of sense to be made of that.

And you drag in:

If you are unwilling to let people know the facts then there is a good chance you know the facts don't help your case.

No particular facts, I guess. Just any old facts.

"Banning guns" somehow now means "unwilling to let people know the facts".

Whoo-ee. What is your first language, guys?

[JonQ]

22. I'm really not sure if I could break it down for you

in any simpler terms.

It makes sense to everyone else though.

Oh well, can't win 'em all.