Texas

[Fishmanpa]

I understand how everyone is tired of the restrictions and requirements. This has not been pleasant for anyone by any means. That said, with the number of variants and high baseline levels of infections and deaths in the US, as well as Texas being #2 in the country with infections and deaths, how this is remotely logical?

It's not going to be a positive outcome I assure you! I guess Texas wants to be #1 eh?

FMP

[Pamplemousse]

Around 1990 myself and a mate decided to visit a pub in the town where I have now lived since 93. We walked in and I swear if there'd been a bloke playing a piano he would have stopped. Half a dozen blokes turned to look at us, there was dead silence.

Oh, you've been to Chatteris too? (where it happened to me, Mrs. PM and her Mum)

[AntsyVee]

[QUOTE=Pamplemousse;1993279]Oh, you've been to Chatteris too? (where it happened to me, Mrs. PM and her Mum)

LOL What is the UK version of "yee haw"?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Around 1990 myself and a mate decided to visit a pub in the town where I have now lived since 93. We walked in and I swear if there'd been a bloke playing a piano he would have stopped. Half a dozen blokes turned to look at us, there was dead silence. I was expecting the barman to say 'we dunt ave no strangers round ere, get ye garn'.

There was another country pub where the landlord's regulars were almost like the only people allowed to drink there. He would react as though I was inconveniencing him if I asked for a pint. 'Get ye back where ye came from, and keep te the rood cross them moors'.

That's sounds like some pubs I've been in too.

During the pandemic one local pub (back street industrial area type, barely ever see anyone in there) put up a locals only sign.

And no, I don't live in Royston Vasey

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I've lived in the Bible Belt for a period of time when growing up, and it was not fun. In order to understand the gun culture, you have to understand the paranoia that follows it. The people who are the "gun nuts" are paranoid of what the government might do to them, what the "other people" might to do to them...and they're also paranoid of each other. I live and work in a huge urban metropolis with gangs, and drugs and murders, and I have never felt the urge to own a gun here. The only place I've felt any urge to own a gun? The Bible Belt. Why? Cause you're surrounded by a bunch of crazies who all have guns themselves who are just waiting for an excuse to fire them. And if you call the cops? Chances are they know you are already biased against you in some fashion.

Here, this cartoon may help you understand, AJ.

Take away the 2nd Amendment paranoia and fear of crime in a gun society and we could all experience the same.

Pretend guns had been collected up all over the world in a big bundle and thrown into the sun courtesy of the man of steel (that's not a porn reference ) . So now a government says we all have the right to bear 6 inch knives. The result is all the criminals carry them hence the public start wanting them for self defence from the criminals and younger people think they are cool so carry them too.

Then two people get into an argument, get physical and out comes a knife. Some people get drunk, get physical and out comes a knife.

Forget knives and say we are allowed to carry broken bottles or screwdrivers. Same result.

You put it there and someone will always use it in situations like above. It's just common sense.

I do think changing a society so close to it's guns might mean phases so as to improve public confidence less criminals have them. But at some point you have to get rid.

No doubt then you will need a new Trump wall to stop all the guns coming up on the backs of migrants...

[Lencoboy]

Take away the 2nd Amendment paranoia and fear of crime in a gun society and we could all experience the same.

Pretend guns had been collected up all over the world in a big bundle and thrown into the sun courtesy of the man of steel (that's not a porn reference ) . So now a government says we all have the right to bear 6 inch knives. The result is all the criminals carry them hence the public start wanting them for self defence from the criminals and younger people think they are cool so carry them too.

Then two people get into an argument, get physical and out comes a knife. Some people get drunk, get physical and out comes a knife.

Forget knives and say we are allowed to carry broken bottles or screwdrivers. Same result.

You put it there and someone will always use it in situations like above. It's just common sense.

I do think changing a society so close to it's guns might mean phases so as to improve public confidence less criminals have them. But at some point you have to get rid.

No doubt then you will need a new Trump wall to stop all the guns coming up on the backs of migrants...

I reckon that the increased fear of knife crime here in the UK over the past 15 years or so could ironically be one of the reasons why we don't seem to hear so much nowadays about the epic pub brawls that were more commonplace in the past, especially before the 2000s.

The serial troublemakers are now probably more inclined to think twice before starting on anyone down the local boozer in case those on the receiving end might be tooled up.

I'm not in any way condoning people who go around tooled up as a means of self-protection, but is still interesting, if true.

As far as guns are concerned, I thank our lucky stars that (touch wood) Columbine-type incidents in schools here in the UK still remain unheard of.

[ankietyjoe]

Here, this cartoon may help you understand, AJ.

I've seen the cartoon before actually, and I do get that component of it. There is a refusal to let the weapons go away from that dynamic as well though. The contact I mentioned just refused to accept that he should have to let his guns go, and the simple fact was that he just wanted to keep them. And this is the crux of it, in the US and most of the West now, we are so incapable of change that we reject reality as it's unfolding in front of us. The refusal to give up the guns is the same as the refusal to wear a mask or accept Covid for what it is. An excruciating inability for mental flexibility in the face of overwhelming evidence that change is necessary.

[Lencoboy]

I've seen the cartoon before actually, and I do get that component of it. There is a refusal to let the weapons go away from that dynamic as well though. The contact I mentioned just refused to accept that he should have to let his guns go, and the simple fact was that he just wanted to keep them. And this is the crux of it, in the US and most of the West now, we are so incapable of change that we reject reality as it's unfolding in front of us. The refusal to give up the guns is the same as the refusal to wear a mask or accept Covid for what it is. An excruciating inability for mental flexibility in the face of overwhelming evidence that change is necessary.

And likewise a bit like us in England refusing to give up smacking our children.

Also, had the govt not banned smoking inside indoor public places back in 2007 we would probably be opposed to such a ban now in 2021, despite the fact that even fewer people actually smoke now compared to back then, but there's bound to be the odd know-it-alls who like to think otherwise, who wishfully think that smoking rates have actually increased since then, despite superior evidence to the contrary.

I think we're just far more resistant to change as a society today, period.

[MyNameIsTerry]

I reckon that the increased fear of knife crime here in the UK over the past 15 years or so could ironically be one of the reasons why we don't seem to hear so much nowadays about the epic pub brawls that were more commonplace in the past, especially before the 2000s.

The serial troublemakers are now probably more inclined to think twice before starting on anyone down the local boozer in case those on the receiving end might be tooled up.

I'm not in any way condoning people who go around tooled up as a means of self-protection, but is still interesting, if true.

As far as guns are concerned, I thank our lucky stars that (touch wood) Columbine-type incidents in schools here in the UK still remain unheard of.

Spree killers with guns are thankfully rare. We get the occasional shotgun murder suicide.

It used to be man running amok with sword too. Usually someone very unwell who needed more mental help than the failing system was giving and/or going off meds/booze/drugs combos. We don't seem to of those as much now.

I don't about the brawls, football hooligan went tooled up. I think it's more policing or it certainly is in my city. When I was younger group fights were an every Friday night thing between young guys in the same vein as opposing schools meeting up to fight. I think the police just stamped it out with more presence especially in the city centre. Plus door crews got organised, for instance, in one of of two big hotspots around here 20 years ago they had linked themselves to pass Intel on troublemakers they have thrown out.

[Lencoboy]

Spree killers with guns are thankfully rare. We get the occasional shotgun murder suicide.

It used to be man running amok with sword too. Usually someone very unwell who needed more mental help than the failing system was giving and/or going off meds/booze/drugs combos. We don't seem to of those as much now.

I don't about the brawls, football hooligan went tooled up. I think it's more policing or it certainly is in my city. When I was younger group fights were an every Friday night thing between young guys in the same vein as opposing schools meeting up to fight. I think the police just stamped it out with more presence especially in the city centre. Plus door crews got organised, for instance, in one of of two big hotspots around here 20 years ago they had linked themselves to pass Intel on troublemakers they have thrown out.

You're right in that we rarely hear about baying mobs of kids from rival schools squaring up to one another now like we used to back in the 70s, 80s and even the 90s.

Same also for clashes between kids from certain suburbs/housing estates, which was a common staple of our local rag in the 80s and very early 90s, but virtually unheard of nowadays, thank God!

I'm sure there was even talk of tribalism between members of different working men's clubs in certain areas at one point.