How long will Chicago suffer?

[Dukasaur]

Really there's two major things you need to do. First is end the War on Drugs. Eliminates three-quarters of the gang warfare and probably at least half the murders. Put the drugs in the hands of trained and licensed dispensers in legal, taxpaying establishments.

The "War On Drugs" won't solve the issue of illegally obtained firearms, or vice versa.

HR wasn't asking about how to solve the issue of illegally obtained firearms. He was asking how to end the violence.

There are two approaches to ending violence: removing the means (guns) or removing the motive (there are obviously many motives for violence, but a very large percentage in urban centres comes from drug-based conflicts). I'm suggesting one should ideally do both: address both the means and the motive.

Second, and I think you know this, is stop making the guns so ridiculously easy to get. End mail-order and other ways of getting a gun anonymously. Make sure that to buy a gun, someone has to show up at a licensed gun shop, put their thumbprint on a license application, and show proof-of-age. Personally, I'd want them to also show proof of gainful employment, but that might be a really hard sell politically.

Chicago already has some of the most strict gun laws, and yet has some of the most gun crime. I'm all for making sure that only the right people obtain new firearms by making sure they are thoroughly checked, but this cannot account for unregistered firearms or illegally obtained firearms. I think this has more to do with the legal permit, and not on the firearm itself.

Municipal gun laws are largely symbolic. If one cannot buy a gun in city x, it's pretty easy to go next door to city y. State gun laws are largely ineffective for the same reason. Can't get a gun to state x, go to state y. The only gun laws that have any teeth are federal.

No handguns to anyone under 25, ever. (Except maybe for training purposes, at a certified range, under supervision.) They're just not emotionally stable enough. Long guns with small magazines are okay for younger people, provided that they've passed a certified gun safety course. It's good for a kid to learn early on how to hunt his own food. Of course, if someone in Chicago came and asked me for a .306, I'd ask pointed questions about what they hunt and where.

Bit of a stretch to say everyone under 25 is too emotional to buy, own, and maintain a handgun in a safe way, no? What is the reasoning for 25? I would agree with some but not all. Blanket statements are almost never true. Like saying all Trump supporters are all racists, or all liberals are crazy, etc...

Of course it's a generalization, but it's a generalization that works. It's the reason your car insurance premium drops by half when you turn 25, because under 25s are just naturally impulsive and have a hell of a lot of accidents. Of course there are exceptions, but insurance companies aren't interested in putting your life under a microscope to see if you're a special case; they're playing the overall averages.

You have a minimum voting age of 18. Does that mean everyone under 18 is incapable of making an intelligent political assessment? Of course not; lots of 13-year olds are better educated on the issues than most adults, but you draw the line somewhere and that's where they've drawn it.

[Jdsizzleslice]

HR wasn't asking about how to solve the issue of illegally obtained firearms. He was asking how to end the violence.

There are two approaches to ending violence: removing the means (guns) or removing the motive (there are obviously many motives for violence, but a very large percentage in urban centres comes from drug-based conflicts). I'm suggesting one should ideally do both: address both the means and the motive.

Well, in the US, you can't remove guns (unless illegal), so it's not related to the motive.

Municipal gun laws are largely symbolic. If one cannot buy a gun in city x, it's pretty easy to go next door to city y. State gun laws are largely ineffective for the same reason. Can't get a gun to state x, go to state y. The only gun laws that have any teeth are federal.

It's not really symbolic when you consider Municipalities that have much higher restrictions have the most crime. You can't stop people who want to do illegal acts, so you allow people to arm themselves to prevent that. It is very difficult to be a law abiding citizen by obtaining a permit and registering your firearm because the municipalities have made it harder to obtain permits and firearms legally.

Of course it's a generalization, but it's a generalization that works. It's the reason your car insurance premium drops by half when you turn 25, because under 25s are just naturally impulsive and have a hell of a lot of accidents. Of course there are exceptions, but insurance companies aren't interested in putting your life under a microscope to see if you're a special case; they're playing the overall averages.

You have a minimum voting age of 18. Does that mean everyone under 18 is incapable of making an intelligent political assessment? Of course not; lots of 13-year olds are better educated on the issues than most adults, but you draw the line somewhere and that's where they've drawn it.

Personally, I don't agree with the insurance dropping once you hit 25. Should be lower. I can buy a car but I can't rent a car. How does that make sense?

You bring up voting in the US, but that is the age federally at which you become an adult. At 25 you have been an adult for 7 years. Huge distinction between 18 and 25. Huge distinction between 18 and 21, even.

Of course some generalizations have to be made for some age requirements, but anything over 21 is too restrictive. To say every person under 25 is not emotionally stable as the reason for your argument is a blanket statement. Are you trying to say instead that people under 25 have not yet had enough life experiences to justify them being able to purchase a handgun?

[NomadPatriot]

You have a minimum voting age of 18. Does that mean everyone under 18 is incapable of making an intelligent political assessment? Of course not; lots of 13-year olds are better educated on the issues than most adults, but you draw the line somewhere and that's where they've drawn it.

when a Canadian criticizes the voting age in the US..
but then never mentions

--> In Canada the legal voting age is currently eighteen, therefore if you are eighteen on the day you cast your ballot and can prove that you are of age, you should be allowed to vote under the Canadian election system.

but let's try to guess which one the 13 year old boys will vote for..
the porn star
or
Grandma...

[Dukasaur]

You have a minimum voting age of 18. Does that mean everyone under 18 is incapable of making an intelligent political assessment? Of course not; lots of 13-year olds are better educated on the issues than most adults, but you draw the line somewhere and that's where they've drawn it.

when a Canadian criticizes the voting age in the US..

I don't believe I ever criticized the voting age in the U.S. I'm pretty sure I was using that as an example to point out that age can be a valid criterion for things.

But please, go ahead and continue making up shit I never said.