Pat Oliphant for July 29, 2011

Hmmmmm….

But you know, if you can get away with one murderous spree every 60 years, that’s doing a whole heck of a lot better than, say, the U.S.

I agree with what the strip is saying — and it’s so beautifully expressed. The artwork is gorgeous.

GOtta wonder how many lives would have been saved if a couple people on that island (besides the criminal) had a gun….Just sayin. It’s worth a thought or two…

Besides, the Vikings came from Denmark.

OK, somebody’s gotta be the first to say it:“Viking helmets didn’t have horns.”

(It’s still a marvelous cartoon.)

On another note; MADNESS? This is…

Well, of course not – that wouldn’t quite support their agenda. Just like it does not suit the anti-gun folks to mention the child gun death figures they often quote include everyone under 18, including gang bangers blowing each other away.

What annoys me about the gun issue is that both sides of the arguement have lost all credibility with me, using scare tactics, skewed figures, and faulty arguments. That, in my opinion, is why we won’t see effective, reasonable gun laws in this country any time soon.

Tue Elung-Jensen: Sweden went for Germany (30 Years’ War) and – wait for it – Norway. Norway became independent only in 1905.

Vikings even travelled down the Volga- they went wherever they wanted.

Even in America teens don’t bring guns to summer camp.

I live where there are coyotes, bears, and cougars. They avoid people like the plague, having an accurate impression of our general lunacy. Raccoons (not native here- live on human garbage) and neighbors dogs are the biggest problems I have preying on my livestock.

Rick Perry is a bigger idiot than George W Bush.

If he didn’t have horns on his helmet, most people in the US wouldn’t recognize him as a Viking.

Artistic license.

Pat Oliphant, this one of your best political cartoons. Thank you.

No “madness” can match that called “war”.

I have an insatiable urge to goosestep.

I don’t think this will prompt most Norwegian police to carry guns. Some already do, on certain patrols (vehicular I think, but kept locked up). Like the police in the UK, they do have armed patrols contrary to popular belief. They might increase these patrol cars equipped with arms because of a slow rise in armed incidents in crime of late; but it won’t be because of this massacre. To most advocating more guns here. I have the unique experience of leaving a violent country heading for a more peaceful one. I returned many years later to the 1st but left again after a mere 4 years when I felt overwhelmed by its over armed society. Far more than in the USA. It had become even more violent. I had a good life there, with far more luxuries than I do now, but living in constant fear stressed me. Violence begat more violence. I read of armed have-a-go heros saving the day and I read of armed have-a-go heros losing. More often than not, the deaths were because of inexperience, the guns being taken and used against the owner and because it was easier to take out the intended victim before s/he could each for their gunYou guys really don’t want to go down that route. Norway’s PM has already stated, with his countrymen’s support, that they want a more open democracy despite this atrocity. The Norwegian approach is one to be admired.

Here is something really scary.The Wall Street Journal and Jerusalem Post think the Norway terrorist had a point.

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2011/07/25/277863/wsj-jerusalem-post-norway-terrorist-had-a-point/

Also Breivik is a global warming denier.http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/07/25/277564/norway-terrorist-is-a-global-warming-denier/

Cute game. Let’s see what I come up with… …just looking at some stats of homicides of most countries these past 10 years and I see a fairly consistent 5 homicides per 100 000 people for the USA. Norway 0.6 per 100 000. In a pop. of approx. 5 million, that’s about 30 homicides in total? 34 in 2008, down from 46 in 2002 (51 in ‘03). The US had approx. 15250 in a pop. of 305 million. If US was the size of Norway, 250 homicides. If we add Breivik’s murders of 77 to 30, we get 107. I’d say you have a couple more sprees in your turf. (looking at ZA, wow, dropped from 50 per 100 000 in ’00 to a mere 34 in ’09. My homeplace is a whole lot safer. :-| Still about 7 times more deadly than the USA and about 60 times more deadly than Norway.)

omQR- I think that may be just the FIREARM homicides in the U.S., not all violence requires a gun, it’s just easier at a distance than with a baseball bat, but a gun is noisier, and more likely to draw cops, than a knife.

If my uncle had tits, he’d be my aunt.

omQR- yep, we’re coming down- that 15, 250 (Homicide and non-neglegent manslaughter) was for 2009. ONLY 41 people per day. Gun deaths are still running around 32,000 with half reported as suicide or accidents, so I was going from that. Motor vehicles are down to around 40,000 annually, and safer designs and safety equipment are helping a lot, now if we could keep drunks off the road. We still are about the most dangerous “industrial” society, must be the water.

If you lefties ever read the Bible, you’d know the Norse Nut was not a Christian. It’s nice to know that Billdog listens to Beck.

Just wanted to say thank you for your nice remarks. It’s fun to stretch the braincells from time-to-time — and then take them out to play.

Tiger-striped Mittaines says;Stupid, ubiquitous humans!