Why is the murder rate in the US so high?

Originally Posted by Vinjeux

France - .000015625 (how do they do it?)

They don't take themselves so goddamned seriously, that's how.

Brazilians, too.

They play harder than they work. They're not wound as tightly as Americans seem to be.

Of course, this is my own observation. I've been to France, and the lifestyle is a lot more simple, but a lot less stress than in the US. Life isn't focused on GET MONEY, SPEND MONEY as much as it is here. People here would sell their soul if it meant they'd get a little richer. Not to say some people overseas aren't like that, but society doesn't really shove it down their throats like we have it here.

I don't even want to speculate about the guns. I'm sure it's got something to do with it, but I suspect the mental health of the nation has more to say about our murder rates than the gun control issues.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by LeHah

Why is the murder rate in the US so high? Boston Red Sox fans.

Jesus. Bitter much?

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by LeHah

As opposed to 80 years of jokes about Babe Ruth and pianos falling by people who mispronounce every word containing a vowel in a second rate city? Not even close.

So you're here to contribute absolutely nothing to the actual conversation then?

You're just going to sit there and talk trash about fans of a certain sports team in the middle of a discussion about murder rates?

As for the actual topic, here: why would people jump to the conclusions that guns are "probably" to blame for the high murder rate in this country? Criminals in any nation will likely obtain a gun, regardless of the law.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Well, I mean, let's face it: if you want to kill a person, there's more than one way to do it. You don't need a gun to murder.

Which is why I am a smidge confused about the gun control argument here. Like I said, I think it says something about the American psyche more than anything.

Why are we such murderous assholes? Is it REALLY because guns are more accessible here than in any other nation?*

*I don't actually know this.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

On the other hand, it's really easy to say "I only need so much money enough to get by."

Think of all the unnecessary crap Americans buy - how much shit do you have laying around on your shelves that you never use? The things you purchase "just because." What is "enough to get by?" Enough for food, shelter, and warmth? Is it because that's all you can afford? If you could afford more, wouldn't you have more? Where is the line drawn?

I agree with the majority of what Gray said, but at the same time, I don't think the world at large is without a lot of the same symptoms. The world is becoming a smaller place, and it's becoming the same-old, same-old everywhere.

Americans, I think, have just become so stressed out and so distanced from what is reality that they're losing themselves in their endless pile of stuff.

We're bred to think a college degree, a great job, and productivity in a meaningless job in a high-rise someplace is what we should all aspire to become. Creativity is lost, which in my opinion is a great outlet for people to get in touch with each other.

It may sound cliché, especially coming from me, but I think we've lost a sense of self. We're wrapped up in what we "should" be, and aren't focused enough on what we want to be. This, I believe, can cause a lot of societal problems. I know people who go through endless cycles of jobs, careers - even family - and they still don't know who they are or what they want. There's no cutting loose, there's no exploration of yourself, there's no doctor to tell you what you really need in lieu of writing something up for the pharmacist to prepare.

The answer isn't in drugs, television programs, self-help videos, or even in riches. It's in ourselves.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by LeHah

Good job, the fat girl can't put down her box of donuts long enough to read what I did post...

How's that one-trick pony thing working out for you?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?