Ah.  If they all took guns to work with them on the subway, they could have spotted the bombers, shot them, and continued on with their commute!  

Then there would have been no need to shot the Brazilian guy!  

So simple when you put it like that.

I was in the airport Sunday, and I saw this guy, that looked like a bomber, and I didn't have a gun, so I just ran away from him.

He wasn't a bomber though.  So I'm glad I didn't have a gun.

 

Sorry Ed, can't follow your logic. If everyone in the world was armed, bombers who leave devices and wander off would still succeed as would suicide bombers. Some guy walks out of a Cafe, forgets his briefcase, You going to shoot him?

Our Police made a mistake, a dreadful mistake with the Brazilian guy. There were circumstances in mitigation, not the least was 56 dead people from 14 days before. Neither the country nor the Police have given-in or rolled over, in fact the Police have been quite good at catching bombers since the 70s and the last few days in particular.

You don't like our gun laws, fine, quite a few people here don't either but they are the result of democratic decisions which are a matter for our electorate and our representatives. Unless directly asked I would not offer an opinion on US domestic policy. Foreign policy yes, because it, or the results of it, can directly affect me. Which is why people abroad have very different ideas about "best" US presidents, for me that would be Clinton & Nixon, very different politically but good, foreign policy-wise from my standpoint.

 

OK Ed, I totally accept your point about having the right to personal defence, we have decided democratically not to allow it and you have a constitutional right to it.

Not right, not wrong just different.

You also say that some people are not capable of handling a gun properly, I accept that as well. It's the who and how of the decision to allow some but not others that slightly bothers me, also the the constitutional "Well ordered militia" defining "Well ordered" in this day and age may well prove very tricky but they are your issues not mine so as I have said before I'll keep out of U.S. domestic politics.

I take all the points you raised, I may or may not embrace them but I see where you are coming from.

I still don't understand the implied linkage that our society in general not being armed somehow made terrorism more likely, or the tragic mistaken shooting less likely but I think I'll call it a day on that one.

Personally I see terrorism as an UNWINABLE situation.  If people are so determined to hurt/kill you that they are willing to give up their own life in order to complete the "mission" I don't see ANY way to stop them.  The only way to stop them is to stop the source and that unfortunately is their religion.  So, what are we to do?  DON'T shoot and let a few through?  SHOOT and kill a few innocents?  Simply adding up the numbers I'd say shoot and stop potential carnage.  Be on your BEST behaviour on public transit.  Take off all coats/jackets while approaching?

The problem is that when you "secure" one area the terrorists simply go after something that isn't secure.  We CAN'T live in fear of terrorists and we shouldn't.  We are in a VERY difficult time now because of the infrequency of terror attacks and I'm sure the terrorists know that.  They will keep us "on-edge" and "off balance" for as long as it takes.  They KNOW that if there are too many attacks that the citizenary will revolt against them and the government, demanding an end to the terrorizing and then they will be hunted by everyone.

I DO know that the root of ALL these problems is religion and one in particular.  So, what do we do about it?

Joe,
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