Changes

The "Western societies" edit strikes me as unjustified, and even offensive.  It implies that non-Western societies primarily use guns to attack each other.  I don't think so!--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 08:37, 15 April 2008 (EDT)

The "Western societies" edit strikes me as unjustified, and even offensive.  It implies that non-Western societies primarily use guns to attack each other.  I don't think so!--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 08:37, 15 April 2008 (EDT)

: It may not be that accurate, i.e. too narrow, but neither was the previous wording accurate, in my opinion.  In some parts of the world, guns do seem to be more for offensive purposes, but perhaps I was a bit hasty with making that change.  I think the wording needed to be changed, though.  It was a very general statement, making no distinction between different uses for guns.  Guns are used for (a) personal defensive purpose, (b) sporting (target) shooting, (c) hunting (duck shooting, deer shooting, etc.), (d) shooting pest animals, and other farming purposes, (e) culling excessive animals, (f) police and security guard purposes, (f) military purposes, (f) crime, (g) para-military(?) purposes (rebels, etc.), (h) terrorism, and perhaps others.  In the U.S., most of those would apply, except (hopefully) the last couple.  And apart from perhaps military, (a) is probably accounts for most gun sales.  In some other western countries (e.g. Australia), (a) would not apply, but (b) to (f) apply (and a little bit of (g)).  In some other parts of the world, the relative proportions would change quite considerably, and I wonder if (a) is really all that high in those places.  But then, does (f) come under the category of "defensive" or not? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:45, 15 April 2008 (EDT)

: It may not be that accurate, i.e. too narrow, but neither was the previous wording accurate, in my opinion.  In some parts of the world, guns do seem to be more for offensive purposes, but perhaps I was a bit hasty with making that change.  I think the wording needed to be changed, though.  It was a very general statement, making no distinction between different uses for guns.  Guns are used for (a) personal defensive purpose, (b) sporting (target) shooting, (c) hunting (duck shooting, deer shooting, etc.), (d) shooting pest animals, and other farming purposes, (e) culling excessive animals, (f) police and security guard purposes, (f) military purposes, (g) crime, (h) para-military(?) purposes (rebels, etc.), (i) terrorism, and perhaps others.  In the U.S., most of those would apply, except (hopefully) the last couple.  And apart from perhaps military, (a) is probably accounts for most gun sales.  In some other western countries (e.g. Australia), (a) would not apply, but (b) to (f) apply (and a little bit of (g)).  In some other parts of the world, the relative proportions would change quite considerably, and I wonder if (a) is really all that high in those places.  But then, does (f) come under the category of "defensive" or not? [[User:Philip J. Rayment|Philip J. Rayment]] 09:45, 15 April 2008 (EDT)

:: Philip, violent criminals are less than 1% of the population in ''all'' countries, Eastern or Western.  There is no way to convert that basic fact to a claim that guns are purchased mostly for criminal or militarily offensive purposes ''anywhere''.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 09:53, 15 April 2008 (EDT)

:: Philip, violent criminals are less than 1% of the population in ''all'' countries, Eastern or Western.  There is no way to convert that basic fact to a claim that guns are purchased mostly for criminal or militarily offensive purposes ''anywhere''.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 09:53, 15 April 2008 (EDT)