Despite being awash in guns Houston TEXAS ranks number one for burglaries

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Where are the Houston gun ownership statistics?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Burglary is when people enter a location illegally to commit a crime. You know, the situation that having assault weapons in the home is supposed to protect you from.

So what happens if the burglars, who are burglars and don't care about the law, have assault rifles and you don't. My mom's step brother was killed last year in Vero by burglars when he came home early from his sons baseball game. They shot him. He wasn't the gun owner type, but considering how the flag pole from his porch was found in the living room with bullet holes in it, we assume he fought back. Why shouldn't he or someone in his position be allowed to have a gun?

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

How often is this scenario getting played out where you live?!  I have never in my life heard of a burglar showing up with an assault rifle.  With as many guns as we have floating around out there I am sure it's happened somewhere but honestly I think the chances of me being killed by eating too much red meat are way higher... and I still am quite reckless and eat a burger ever now and then.

Surprisingly, it has happened. In case you haven’t heard, West Palm Beach’s neighbor, Rivera Beach, is the drive by shooting capital of the South. I live in Boynton-not a lot of crime besides drugs and Haitian gang fights, but the feeling holds up.

Why is it only gangsters in the hood and right wingers have these problems?

So my moderate Democrat step uncle (who was apolitical) isn’t dead? So he doesn’t have the problem of being…well, dead? Where did he go Link? Is he on vacation? Is he in New Orleans for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras? Visiting Central Park in New York? Perhaps at a bluegrass festival in Live Oak? Please enlighten me on why average people are never murdered, because that’s basically what you just said.

Does anyone have Houston’s gun ownership statistics? Because I doubt its has awash with guns as you would like it to be. Texas isn’t just known for guns. It also has its fair share of idiot governors, decent Congresspeople, and wonderful BBQ.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

So my moderate Democrat step uncle (who was apolitical) isn’t dead? So he doesn’t have the problem of being…well, dead? Where did he go Link? Is he on vacation? Is he in New Orleans for the Super Bowl and Mardi Gras? Visiting Central Park in New York? Perhaps at a bluegrass festival in Live Oak? Please enlighten me on why average people are never murdered, because that’s basically what you just said.

No one is glad your step uncle died, and no one thinks his death is any less meaningful because of his political leanings (or lack thereof). That said, there's no guarantee that he'd have lived had be been armed. Just as there's no guarantee that the monsters who shot and killed him would have had the means had they not lived in America, a country that allows even the most hardened lawbreaker the opportunity to gain access to military-grade weaponry so long as he's willing to travel to the right state and dealer.

His point is that average people are almost never murdered, which is, to be fair, absolutely true. In 2009, the murder rate dropped to 5 per 100,000, the lowest it's ever been. (That murder rate includes "non-negligent manslaughter.")

Still pretty high? Arguably. But if your uncle is white, then his likelihood to have been murdered drops even more. In New York City, for example, 96% of shooting victims are either black or latino. African Americans make up about 12% of the population, but account for over 50% of the shooting victims nationally. And since your uncle was in his home, it's also relevant to mention that if you're going to be shot and killed by a stranger, it's unlikely to happen in your own home -- only 4.8% of murders are committed there.

No one is glad your uncle died -- he got dealt a really ugly hand in the sh**ttiest lottery known to man. Sorry. But those of us who think there needs to be more regulations on gun ownership are motivated in taking guns out of the hands of the bad guys -- something the NRA is literally on the record of being against everywhere but in press releases.

For the record, I just want to point out that my experience on Atlas has been very, very pleasant even on the worst days, and I know that none of the members were attacking/mocking the events leading up to/around his death. So there is no need to apologize or treat the incident with kid gloves. My point in even bringing it up was to highlight a scenario in which you would need a gun to defend yourself. My response to Link was not heated, but actually rather sarcastic. I understand your arguments, and it is nice to see somebody posting raw facts to back up their opinion, something which I admit I rarely do. Quite frankly, you have stumped me. I guess Rivera Beach is just an exceptionally bad city