[Atlantis]

I haven't been to the US for 30 years and decided that I'll never visit the country again. Both domestically and internationally, the US behaves like an outlaw. We should all boycott everything American.

Amnesty International today issued a travel warning calling for possible travelers and visitors to the United States to exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the country due to rampant gun violence, which has become so prevalent in the United States that it amounts to a human rights crisis. It aims to hold up a mirror to the U.S. using the model of the United States Department of State’s travel advice for U.S. travelers to other countries.

“Travelers to the United States should remain cautious that the country does not adequately protect people’s right to be safe, regardless of who they might be. People in the United States cannot reasonably expect to be free from harm – a guarantee of not being shot is impossible,” said Ernest Coverson, campaign manager for the End Gun Violence Campaign at Amnesty International USA. “Once again, it is chillingly clear that the U.S. government is unwilling to ensure protection against gun violence.”

The travel advisory addressed growing gun violence, mostly hate crimes, including racism and discrimination, highlighting that the traveler’s race, country of origin, ethnic background, sexual orientation or gender identity may place them at higher risk after recent attacks linked to white supremacist ideology.

The action called attention to the extent to which all aspects of life in the United States have been compromised in some way by unfettered access to guns, without comprehensive and uniform regulation of their acquisition and use. By prioritizing gun ownership over basic human rights, the U.S. government is willfully and systematically failing on multiple levels and ignoring its international obligations to protect people’s rights and safety.

Amnesty International has been calling for common sense reform regarding the use and possession of firearms, including comprehensive background checks, national regulations for registering and licensing firearms, required training, a ban on high capacity magazines/assault weapons, and mandatory safe-storage laws. Amnesty International USA’s campaign to end gun violence has focused efforts on passing S.42., the Assault Weapons ban, and the Disarm Hate Act.

Background

A report by Amnesty International, “In the Line of Fire: Human Rights and the U.S. Gun Violence Crisis” examined how all aspects of American life have been compromised in some way by the unfettered access to guns, with no attempts at meaningful national regulation.

Last month, Amnesty International published a report examining how survivors of gun violence in the United States suffer years of trauma and pain due to a destructive combination of government policies which ignore their needs.

[BigSteve]

[Zionist Nationalist]

[blackjack21]

I haven't been to the US for 30 years and decided that I'll never visit the country again.

Boy, America is sure to be let down by your decision. I guess all the hotels should be prepared to write off losses from the cessation of your visits once every 30 years.

We should all boycott everything American.

Start with the internet, Admin Edit: Rule 16, computer CPUs, etc. You'll be just fine.

[Pants-of-dog]

This is yet another way that the US is like a developing country.

[Finfinder]

This is yet another way that the US is like a developing country.

That is hilarious because I have always considered Canada like the friendly neihborhood Down syndrome kid.

[BigSteve]

That is hilarious because I have always considered Canada like the friendly neihborhood Down syndrome kid.

That's an "ASNR": Acute Spontaneous Nasal Reflux.

Otherwise known as "shot coffee out my nose"...

[Pants-of-dog]

That is hilarious because I have always considered Canada like the friendly neihborhood Down syndrome kid.

How so? The average Canadian seems far smarter than the average US resident.

[BigSteve]

How so? The average Canadian seems far smarter than the average US resident.

I used to travel extensively throughout Canada. I'm confident, in fact, that I've seen more of Canada than most Canadians.

Your comment is so far removed from reality it's silly...

[Pants-of-dog]

I doubt that there is a significant difference in average IQ.

But Canada is able to avoid the perception of having many mass shootings.

[BigSteve]

I doubt that there is a significant difference in average IQ.

But Canada is able to avoid the perception of having many mass shootings.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_massacres_in_Canada

[Pants-of-dog]

I never claimed that Canada has had no mass shootings.

[Kaiserschmarrn]

Amnesty International today issued a travel warning calling for possible travelers and visitors to the United States to exercise extreme caution when traveling throughout the country due to rampant gun violence, which has become so prevalent in the United States that it amounts to a human rights crisis. It aims to hold up a mirror to the U.S. using the model of the United States Department of State’s travel advice for U.S. travelers to other countries.

So it looks like this is a publicity stunt. If so, ill-advised as it may be, it would at least mean that Amnesty is not as deluded about violent gun crime in the US as it pretends to be.

The travel advisory addressed growing gun violence, mostly hate crimes, including racism and discrimination, highlighting that the traveler’s race, country of origin, ethnic background, sexual orientation or gender identity may place them at higher risk after recent attacks linked to white supremacist ideology.

Not hopeful, but I'd be genuinely interested in evidence for the claim that each of the mentioned groups is at a significantly higher risk to become a victim of gun violence than in the past due to "white supremacist ideology".

[Tainari88]

The statistical possibilities of being a victim of some mass shooter at a mall remain low. But? it is distressing how common it has become on the news. I do remember having two close calls. One at Columbine High School in Littleton Colorado in which my husband drove by the high school on his way to work and saw the two shooter kids wearing trench coats, and the Aurora, Colorado theater shooting in which I told my oldest son not to go to the Batman premiere at midnight with his friend because it was too late and not a good idea for some teens to drive so late at night. So I told him "No, that is final." He was pissed and disgruntled? But did not go. The next morning the Holmes guy was all over the news.

My son has always had bad consequences when he disobeyed me about things. Now he says to me, "Don't tell me, anything Mom. Once you say don't do something and I go ahead and do it? It is like the kiss of death." Lol. Mothers know best always.

No one can live their lives full of fear of what may happen. Just use some common sense and live your life as best you know-how. Be safe. I think taking drugs and acting crazy is probably worse for you statistically speaking by far than thinking someone might shoot you in a mass random shooting.

I was reading stats on mass shootings. The USA has had a steady diet of a mass shooting for years. But in terms of it affecting large groups of people? Not really. Having guns in a house is a problem for people who don't know much about guns. I just don't have them period. Puerto Rico and Mexico have very strict gun laws and it seems to not stop gun violence. I think it has to have a cultural change in which people are not prone to resorting to violence for suicide and homicide as a way out of their emotional troubles.

Decent programs for dealing with emotional problems would help a lot.

[Kaiserschmarrn]

While it seems that Amnesty's impetus for this travel warning are mass shootings, they are referring to gun violence in general. But regardless, neither is more common today than it used to be.

Pew Research

Since 2001 firearm homicides have averaged ~4 per 100,000 and in 2017 it was ~4.5 per 100,000, so still much lower than in the 90s. From the CDC data visualisation tool:



School shootings from this article:

[QatzelOk]

Mass shootings are not the problem. They are a major symptom of a major problem - societal breakdown and everyday violence.

And American violence has contaminated most of Latin America as well, meaning that Brazil and Honduras are other places that those that don't have to visit those places should probably look into other destinations as well.

People don't travel to be confronted by human-less sidewalks and polluted streets filled with gun-toting SUV-drivers who hate you because... you're walking.

[Rich]

America is far more violent than Canada, because it was a multi racial country. If the American founders had had an ounce of wisdom, they would have realised that slavery wasn't politically viable long term. They would have stopped the importation of slaves immediately. On the other hand Lincoln's solution of giving the slaves citizenship led to the violent, angry divided society that followed abolition.

[skinster]

Related:


Also, this org has been for regime-change wars of late.

[Verv]

Here's an interesting line from the article:

The travel advisory addressed growing gun violence, mostly hate crimes, including racism and discrimination, highlighting that the traveler’s race, country of origin, ethnic background, sexual orientation or gender identity may place them at higher risk after recent attacks linked to white supremacist ideology.

Obviously, the attacks in California and Ohio are being what is referenced here, as well as perhaps the two synagogue shootings which happened earlier in the year.

Objectively, this sort of violence is absolutely nothing compared to the overall number of murders that occur in a year. In 2017, the number of homicides was 19,510[1] (and it was 19,362[2] in 2016). Oddly enough, I can't find the homicide numbers for 2018 either through the CDC or FBI, and the FBI specifically only having the preliminary report out for 2018 which just doesn't have the raw numbers. But you get the point.

I also couldn't find any travel advisory about France in 2016 or so concenring the number of prolific terror attacks taht had been perpetrated against the French and the Jews of France in spite of the highly escalated violence. And let's remember: if we are saying that violent terrorism by white nationalists with guns is on the rise in the USA, why was it not the case that there was concern for the terrorist incidents occurring in France in the mid 2010s? The reason is obvious: Amnesty International has a political goal here.

If they were even sincere about "gun violence" (which is not the focus here), they would point out that the overwhelming majority of gun violence has absolutely nothing to do with politics. The amount of it that is related to hate crimes is microscopic.

It's simply a biased and silly declaration if that was really the focus.


[1] CDC Fast Stats
[2] Drug War Facts (Citing the CDC

[Pants-of-dog]

Here's an interesting line from the article:

Obviously, the attacks in California and Ohio are being what is referenced here, as well as perhaps the two synagogue shootings which happened earlier in the year.

Objectively, this sort of violence is absolutely nothing compared to the overall number of murders that occur in a year. In 2017, the number of homicides was 19,510[1] (and it was 19,362[2] in 2016). Oddly enough, I can't find the homicide numbers for 2018 either through the CDC or FBI, and the FBI specifically only having the preliminary report out for 2018 which just doesn't have the raw numbers. But you get the point.

Yes, the USA has many problems with gun violence.

The fact that regular gun homicide is also higher than other developed countries does not change the fact that the USA also has a significant problem with mass shootings, and specifically mass shootings by white supremacy terrorists.

I also couldn't find any travel advisory about France in 2016 or so concenring the number of prolific terror attacks taht had been perpetrated against the French and the Jews of France in spite of the highly escalated violence. And let's remember: if we are saying that violent terrorism by white nationalists with guns is on the rise in the USA, why was it not the case that there was concern for the terrorist incidents occurring in France in the mid 2010s? The reason is obvious: Amnesty International has a political goal here.

In the same vein as my previous criticism, the fact that France may have had a problem with Islamic terrorists previously does not change the fact that the USA has a problem with mass shootings.