Any one from canada???

[Guest helloimtim]

I was wondering if what I hear about the great white north is right.  From what I understand your news and newspapers really don't so much talk about the violence and stuff and focus on the more positive news?  If this is true that would be interesting.  I have seen others speak about this. While Canada has just as many guns they  don't have the issues simply because its not all over the news and t.v. like in America.  A few years ago I went to Denmark for a short vacation. I know there they don't allow guns. But the one thing that struck me as odd was this. They took out allot of the violence from movies. But to see a show or commercial with a woman with no top on was no big deal. This is NOT A RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS thread.  This is more about our attitude toward violence. I must ask to have our kids see every day man's inhumanity to man every day on the news and in the papers why is it we just can not bear the thoughts of our kids seeing a male or female with nothing on. Which is worse? Lets face it, we see allot of dive by shootings but how many dive by f@#%$*^% do we see?  Rape does not count cause in my humble opinion has nothing to do with sex but more toward control and violence both toward males and females. Yes guys have been raped..........

[falco]

I live in Canada but it's like everywhere else, has the good and the bad.There is crime and violence here but not to such a scale as most parts of the US. You have to remember, the population of Canada is only 31 million(I believe).Less people=less crime. Also, they had instituted gun control a few years back which means you have to pass a gun course to be able to buy a gun and everything is documented.You were supposed to register all your guns you own when it came in but alot of people didn't. Bottom line is that it penalizes honest people(hunters) from getting guns but the crook will get his guns from off the street. I don't think the criminal will have his gun registered before he commits an armed robbery. Canada is a beautiful country but we aren't the frozen north like everyone thinks. Winter is a little longer than most states but still the same. It is just in the far north where things are frozen(arctic).They very rarely get snow on the west coast(same weather as Seattle, etc.) Most of the winter you would see in Canada is comparable to Idaho and Montana. We do have good beer! :D

[FallowEarth]

Interesting topic.....I live in rural Ontario, Canada, and I own several guns -- a shotgun, couple rifles and a pistol.  However, I do not own guns for security purposes (well, that's not my main reason anyway), I was born into a family and society of hunters, and have done so most of my life.  I also enjoy simply shooting guns, I can't really explain why....I suppose it is just the fact of being able to harness such an awesome power.

While there are lots of guns in Canada, there do seem to be relatively few crimes involving them.  Those people who own guns are responsible with them (for the most part): gun lockers, trigger locks, keeping amunition in a separate part of the home, etc.  However, there are parts of this country where crime is an issue, and shootings are abundant.  These areas are mostly in cities with a denser population.  Out here in rural country, you can shoot a gun and nobody cares, you've got room to breathe.  When you compare Canada to USA, the ratio of urban:rural population is much lower, and I think that crime rates are a direct representation of this, not a mere coincidence.

Regarding the news content, all I know is that I won't watch if it's all killing and crime.  The way I see it, I can't do much about it, and watching it on the news is a form of encouraging such behavior.  If I want guns and blood, I'll throw on a Tarantino movie, thank you.  Otherwise, I try to limit the amout of bull that I allow into my life from the TV.  Shut it off, go outside, and make your own news.

[Guest philp]

When you compare Canada to USA, the ratio of urban:rural population is much lower, and I think that crime rates are a direct representation of this, not a mere coincidence.

Absolutely. Podunk, Arkansas will have less crime than New York City for the obvious reason. 300 people can't commit as many crimes as 8,000,000.

[falco]

I live in the province of Alberta in Canada. It is more rural than urban. The two largest cities(Calgary and Edmonton), have a population of 2 million of a total of 3.1 million for all of Alberta. Lots of breathing space and a diversity of prairies, mountains, and forest which is very sparsely populated. Lots of ranchers, hunters, farmers that have long guns. The total land area of Alberta is comparable to Idaho and Montana combined.

[FallowEarth]

Absolutely. Podunk, Arkansas will have less crime than New York City for the obvious reason. 300 people can't commit as many crimes as 8,000,000.

Not unless they are seriously motivated!  But i mean, rural life is just more laid back.

[Guest helloimtim]

The problem with the here is the violence is so bad its just not in the big citys anymore. Our kids are killing each other in school. Parents are killing there kids. I guess I just really dont see a whole lot comming from the great white north along thoes lines. It would be intresting to know ratio wise if america is truly the worst about this kind of violence. I would have to rule out the middle east and such because thier beliefs differ so much from ours. I will say the middle east is much tougher on there criminials.

[FallowEarth]

The problem with the here is the violence is so bad its just not in the big citys anymore. Our kids are killing each other in school. Parents are killing there kids. I guess I just really dont see a whole lot comming from the great white north along thoes lines. It would be intresting to know ratio wise if america is truly the worst about this kind of violence. I would have to rule out the middle east and such because thier beliefs differ so much from ours. I will say the middle east is much tougher on there criminials.

There is definitely some nasty stuff that goes down in our notoriously good-natured country.  Just recently I remember a story about a marijuana grower who took out 4 RCMP (federal) officers during a bust before turning the assault rifle on himself.

http://www.worldaffairsboard.com/archive/index.php/t-4888.html

There's sickos everywhere, even here. 

[FallowEarth]

Well I'm not from Canada, But I have been there several times.

The only thing I don't understand is why the food there tastes like crap but the beer is sooooo goooood !

Maybe you just don't know where to eat up here, CRE8OR!  It doesn't matter tho, if you've got a barley and hops sandwich or two in hand, that about as true (and as good) a Canadian meal as it gets, breakfast, lunch AND dinner.