Honestly I don’t see how there is going to be any productive conversation between us. “Useful” is a synonym for “purposeful” which is a word you’ve used. I do not know how many times I can repeat that I was responding to your point about a purpose to society rather than homing in on the word “nondeadly” and YES…

You’re extrapolating beyond what I suggested. Hunting is necessary. Just because it may not affect you where you live does not mean it doesn’t affect millions of people. Wild hogs and expanded deer population (both of which are at historically high levels and tend to proliferate with human populations and cause…

Your view is simplistic and uninformed. Obviously parents make a difference in children’s lives. No one is disputing that. It’s like if we were to discuss the issue of public transportation and you chimed in to point out that trains go. There are plenty of things that cause/effect discipline issues. Parenting is one…

Oh yes, I agree about the privatization of schools (regarding charter schools and testing).

YES. I think a huge part of the problem is actually from public attitude and glorification of guns, etc, and that a public awareness / public education campaign could do loads of good (along with better mental health services, less wealth inequality, and some sensible gun regulations). But before anyone can talk…

I love the idea of doing this locally, first. Hardcore people would move in the beginning, but if it caught on, it would become a movement and eventually the public would become used to it and it would be a norm. Real change is usually slow. The only piece with which I’ll nitpick here is the term “semiautomatic”. That…

Yup I agree with all that. And I wish we had a system like that. Still, wanting something and having a plan to get it are two different things, and I have yet to hear anyone with a practical plan about what to do about it. Background checks and wait periods, perhaps even a ban on certain technologies, registration of…

I think a registration is a good idea. But what would you do about all the guns already out there (300 million) and how would you enforce the registration?

This is really an absurd approach. The post made the claim that guns serve no purpose to society. I’m responding that this reveals an urban bias as they are very useful to the huge chunk of society living in rural areas, as well as those on the outskirts. Yes of course they are deadly to animals in this instance.…

Well, they are fair questions. The drug trade is not only fueled by drug addiction, if that is what you are implying, and even drugs that are non-addictive have been impossible to regulate or control.

What does that fact have to do with anything? I can imagine several implications that you intend here, and I could assume a few of them and follow the implications out to their natural conclusions, but I think if you want to add something to a discussion, you should do more than imply. What are you actually saying and…

Sorry- your post was spot-on. I sounded defensive a bit because I’m old enough to remember when NOW and prochoice advocacy groups attempted to persuade prolifers by presenting women who get abortions as being sad would-be moms making the most difficult and heartbreaking and traumatic decision of their lives. Which for…

I agree, but what would you suggest and how would you suggest implementing it? And would your plan only affect future gun ownership or involve the 300 million already in circulation?

I don’t care what opinions you hold, but don’t try to link yours to mine when we’re not saying even remotely similar things. Moreover, there is nothing wrong with being a garbage man. It’s actually a pretty good job with decent benefits, it provides a much needed service to society, you don’t have to deal with much…

I don’t know that abortion is ever going to be super rare though. I think about my own case. I have never been able to handle birth control. I’ve tried off and on my entire life, and there has never been a hormonal method that works for me. There are IUDs now that do not include hormones, and that might’ve worked.…

This makes me exhausted. I long ago gave up having this conversation with people.

I’ve had loads of gun violence touch my life as well. But emotional arguments (not saying YOU were doing that, but certainly that happens a lot on this topic) and the confusion of desires with reality (wanting something to happen like a ban with no plan to implement it) do not help anyone.

Yes I mostly agree with those points, although here in Texas there are plenty of charter schools that accept ESL students (most the ones I know of) and some are in fact dedicated to second language acquisition. But otherwise, yes I totally agree. I can see why a parent, however, would make that choice so long as…

Ban those shoes! Save those poor soles!

This seems like semantics. I took the idea that “there are no non-deadly purposes” for guns to imply that they had no use beyond killing people. Obviously hunting and culling (and other land management issues) involves killing by definition, and therefore it is a deadly (to the animal) use, but this seems rather a…