"gun violence" is a misnomer

[Kal'Stang]

Like the title says, "gun violence" is a misnomer. It's also nothing more than a talking point designed to instill fear of guns into people.

Why is it a misnomer? Well first lets determine what a "misnomer" is.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary ~ misnomer

Simple definition that does not have any sort of wiggle room to it.

Now, what is the definition of gun violence? Well, going by Merriam-Webster dictionary there is no definition for it. So we have to go for the individual definition for each word.

Merriam-Webster ~ gun
Merriam-Webster ~ violence

So, under proper grammar the term "gun violence" indicates violence caused by a gun.

Problem with this....guns do not cause violence. A gun cannot shoot on its own. A gun cannot walk around and threaten people, things, or animals. A gun cannot use force. A gun cannot cause violence. Period.

People with guns can cause violence. People with guns can walk around and threaten people, things, or animals. People can use force. In fact people can do those things without once holding or even referring to a gun.

So, if you're using the term "gun violence" know that you are using it inappropriately and falsely. If you continue to use it knowing all of the above, then know that those of us that are not so gullible are on to your use of it as a talking point meant to cause fear of guns.

 

[OrphanSlug]

Our problem is how this has developed over the years, the misnomer is applied to other things and that tends to happen to issues of a political nature.

The idea of needing to place blame means looking beyond the person (and it is most unfortunate that we do, I would agree.)

 

[Rexedgar]

A Yahoo search of "gun violence" returns millions of "results."

 

[ttwtt78640]

It allows the reduction of freedom for the law abiding to be called (mislabeled as?) thing control. Many forms of crime could be reduced by limiting the freedom of all and essentially establishing a police state. A lot of crime is committed by (street?) gang members (gang crime?), yet membership in a street gang is not illegal.

 

[Phys251]

Like the title says, "gun violence" is a misnomer. It's also nothing more than a talking point designed to instill fear of guns into people.

In a way you're right. It's not gun violence, it's flying bullet and shell violence.

 

[Rucker61]

In a way you're right. It's not gun violence, it's flying bullet and shell violence.

If firearm suicides are gun violence, hanging/suffocation suicides are "rope violence".

 

[Kal'Stang]

In a way you're right. It's not gun violence, it's flying bullet and shell violence.

More fear mongering. :roll:

 

[Kal'Stang]

A Yahoo search of "gun violence" returns millions of "results."

So? How does this in any way debunk what I stated in the OP that you couldn't even bother to quote? All you show is that there are millions of hits of people using a misnomer.

 

[DebateChallenge]

Like the title says, "gun violence" is a misnomer. It's also nothing more than a talking point designed to instill fear of guns into people.

Why is it a misnomer? Well first lets determine what a "misnomer" is.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary ~ misnomer

Simple definition that does not have any sort of wiggle room to it.

Now, what is the definition of gun violence? Well, going by Merriam-Webster dictionary there is no definition for it. So we have to go for the individual definition for each word.

Merriam-Webster ~ gun
Merriam-Webster ~ violence

So, under proper grammar the term "gun violence" indicates violence caused by a gun.

Problem with this....guns do not cause violence. A gun cannot shoot on its own. A gun cannot walk around and threaten people, things, or animals. A gun cannot use force. A gun cannot cause violence. Period.

People with guns can cause violence. People with guns can walk around and threaten people, things, or animals. People can use force. In fact people can do those things without once holding or even referring to a gun.

So, if you're using the term "gun violence" know that you are using it inappropriately and falsely. If you continue to use it knowing all of the above, then know that those of us that are not so gullible are on to your use of it as a talking point meant to cause fear of guns.

Exactly. The proper term to use would be "criminal violence" not "gun violence."

 

[lwf]

Exactly. The proper term to use would be "criminal violence" not "gun violence."

It is a subset of criminal violence: Criminal violence that includes the firing of a gun. "Gun violence" is shorthand.

 

[DebateChallenge]

It is a subset of criminal violence: Criminal violence that includes the firing of a gun. "Gun violence" is shorthand.

Nope, that would be "criminal violence that involves the use of guns," not "gun violence."

 

[lwf]

Nope, that would be "criminal violence that involves the use of guns," not "gun violence."

"Gun violence" is shorthand for "criminal violence that involves the use of guns." Sort of like AOC is shorthand for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. There may be some people who don't like it, but that doesn't change the fact that it is accepted shorthand.

 

[TurtleDude]

A Yahoo search of "gun violence" returns millions of "results."

that means lots of ignorant people

 

[TurtleDude]

More fear mongering. :roll:

what liberals really fear is not armed criminals committing violence with firearms, but rather activist gun owners mobilizing to vote against the creeping crud of collectivist leftist politicians.

 

[Phys251]

If firearm suicides are gun violence, hanging/suffocation suicides are "rope violence".

Perhaps. But homicides by rope are a tiny fraction of the overall homicides, which are mostly by firearm.

 

[Phys251]

More fear mongering. :roll:

Really? So ultra-high-speed projectiles are not dangerous?

You do remember from Physics class what kinetic energy is, right?

 

[Rucker61]

Perhaps. But homicides by rope are a tiny fraction of the overall homicides, which are mostly by firearm.

So are you acknowledging that including gun suicide numbers in "gun violence" numbers is done just to inflate the numbers and influence the naive?

 

[DebateChallenge]

"Gun violence" is shorthand for "criminal violence that involves the use of guns." Sort of like AOC is shorthand for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. There may be some people who don't like it, but that doesn't change the fact that it is accepted shorthand.

Nope the proper terminology to use in that case would be "gun misuse."

 

[Phys251]

So are you acknowledging that including gun suicide numbers in "gun violence" numbers is done just to inflate the numbers and influence the naive?

You would have a point if rope violence, if that's what we are going to call it, were anywhere near as big of a problem as gun violence is.

 

[DebateChallenge]

Really? So ultra-high-speed projectiles are not dangerous?

That depends. It depends on what direction they're flying and what they might hit.

 

[Rucker61]

You would have a point if rope violence, if that's what we are going to call it, were anywhere near as big of a problem as gun violence is.

So whether or not lives are important depend upon a number? Hanging/suffocation suicides claimed 13,000 lives in 2017. On average, "assault weapons" used in mass shootings are used to kill about 17 people per year.

Thanks for setting the bar so high.

 

[Phys251]

So whether or not lives are important depend upon a number? Hanging/suffocation suicides claimed 13,000 lives in 2017. On average, "assault weapons" used in mass shootings are used to kill about 17 people per year.

Thanks for setting the bar so high.

Nice shift of the goalposts, but we were specifically talking about homicides. What type of weapons are used in most homicides in the US?

 

[perthbum]

right on, the guns are innocent, lets all stick up for the rights of guns, they have feelings to.

 

[lwf]

Nope the proper terminology to use in that case would be "gun misuse."

Gun misuse doesn't imply criminal action. Gun violence is the proper shorthand for violent criminal action involving the misuse of a firearm.

 

[Rucker61]

Gun misuse doesn't imply criminal action. Gun violence is the proper shorthand for violent criminal action involving the misuse of a firearm.

But GCAs include suicides and unintentional gun deaths in "gun violence" numbers.