Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
Gun Control...
Jimmy_Scythe
Member CommonPosts: 3,586
My personal policy: If there's a gun anywhere in a 50 mile radius of me, I want to be the one in control of it. 
I can run down all the boring arguments about the safety of guns, but I don't really think toting a hand cannon makes you any more or less safe. If you pull a gun on an openly hostile person, they're just as likely to kill you before you get a shot off. If you keep your guns secure and teach the kids to stay out of them, then you don't have to worry about them hurting or killing each other by accident. A gun simply can't pull it's own trigger or load itself.
I think that pretty much puts a blanket on the various dead horses that get beaten frequently when this topic comes up.
less traveled arguments revolve around the idea that that possessing or carrying a gun changes a person's behavior to imitate Dirty Harry or John Wayne. 
I'd LOVE to see some psychological studies on that line of shit.
Another argument is that violent situations lead to panic on the part of a gun holder causing things to escalate into the death of one or parties involved. This one holds a little more weight. On the other hand, if you knew that any tense situation could potentially result in your death, how far would you go to stay out of tense situations? An armed society is a polite society.
Finally, there's the argument against the tyranny of government. This is absolutely air tight. Hitler, Stalin, Saddam, Kim Jong-il, the first thing that many of them did when they came into power was disarm the population. Kim Jong-il didn't have to do this since his father had already taken care of that. You can tell me that a bunch of farmers can't fight back against the military of an industrialized country with just deer rifles and shotguns, bu that's exactly what the Viet-Cong did. Also remember that guns were completely outlawed in Iraq and yet the US military was still faced with a well armed and supplied militia. A militia, I might add that is still inflicting casualties to this day.
For me, it all boils down to whether or not people have the right to defend themselves. In many cities and states in the US, stun guns and pepper spray are banned. Criminals have no problem getting hold of anything illegal, obviously, so why inhibit the ability of law abiding citizens to defend themselves? Why stop citizens from employing less lethal means of defending themselves? For that matter, why stop citizens from using any method of defending themselves?
Maybe it's because the powers that be know damn good and well that a defenseless community cannot do anything other than peacefully protest and petition. Forms of protest that those in authority can comfortably ignore. It's funny how those in power don't give a shit until you demonstrate your ability to fight back.
Comments
To be honest, I see the arguments against gun control exactly like the arguments for communism. They work BRILLIANTLY in theory, but the fact is, THEY DON'T HAPPEN IN THE REAL WORLD.
I LOVE the 'an armed society is a polite society.' Just walk around New York City for a bit. THAT'S NOT POLITE. Look at all the ghetto gangsta's, most of whom are armed. I don't see them being polite to eachother, let alone anyone else.
Your 'air tight' argument is full of holes. "You can tell me that a bunch of farmers can't fight back against the military of an industrialized country with just deer rifles and shotguns, bu that's exactly what the Viet-Cong did. Also remember that guns were completely outlawed in Iraq and yet the US military was still faced with a well armed and supplied militia." Read that alone. That's my counter argument. Your first point is valid, but the others are entirely contradictory. "Deer rifles and shotguns" are the kind of weapons that are generally permitted in gun-controlled states. The fact taht guns were completely outlawed in Iraq proves that gun-control does not stop resistance militia forming to overthrow a regime, undermining the entire paragraph. Think critically next time.
As regards your next paragraph, I agree on the whole, though I think even that needs control. Allowing violent offenders and such to have weapons like pepperspray and stun guns (I personally disagree with allowing anyone to use a stun gun; they produce too much of a risk to the person being stunned, not to mention they are quite a disproportionate response to certain 'attacks.') seems stupid to me; they may not be lethal themselves, but can 'aid' in lethal action.
And as for your last paragraph, once again, you're totally ignoring the REAL WORLD. Think Ghandi. Noone managed to ignore those peaceful protests. Violence begets violence.
Do you know what the odds of two people having a gun on the same airplane are? Even more astronomical.
Therefore, anythime I fly a commercial airline, I always make sure I am the one with the gun....
I don't like gun control in the houses of regular living people. Accidents happen, and when they do, you don't wnat a gun around :P
__________________________________________________
In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08 - Rest In Peace; you will not be forgotten
www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp
Not 3 feet from me sits a 12 gauge, a 20 gauge, and a .30-06. Upstairs my brother has a 20 gauge, a .22, and a .22-250. My dad has a .357 Magnum, an M1911, a Glock 17, a Glock 22, 3 .30-06's (two military, one hunting) and a .22, as well as my mom having a Taurus something or other. My dad even has a concealed carry permit, and carries everywhere. Has he ever had to shoot someone? No. But if shit hits the fan, the option is always available.
We are obviously anti gun control. There have been guns in this house since before I was born, and I was raised with an ingrained respect for the power of a firearm. The first thing I do after picking up a gun is to make sure it is unloaded. The last thing I do before putting down a gun is to make sure it's unloaded.
Why should law abiding citizens be punished for the acts of criminals who, I may add, don't obey the law in the first place? What use is gun control when the people who are committing murders and robberies using the weapons have already obtained them illegally? Laws against people owning their own guns are only obeyed by people who obey laws.
*P.S. There's enough ammo in this house to take over my town.
Now with 57.3% more flames!
www.healthfinder.gov/news/newsstory.asp
The most basic and fundamental concept in democracy is that citizens are competent and capable of governing their own lives. To believe in democracy is, by definition, to give the public "far too much credit."
Automobiles kill more people per month than firearms. Yet we don't talk about vehicle control. We don't talk about a two day waiting period or background check for someone buying a car. Just about everyone in America owns a car yet cars killed, on average, 106 people per day 2006. Betcha many of those were kids too.
Definition of gun control: Hitting where you aim.
A fine cuban cigar to the op. I generaly never carry a gun outside the house,work store run. If i go to the woods thats a different story.
But always keep one handy while i am on the comp in the evenings,never know when an act of God might try to interfere. And of course one near the bed. Responsible gun ownership is American as apple pie and baseball.
Maybe its cause im a generic Canaidan, but I never understood the need for a gun. If somebodies got rob your house, let them, they can deal with the conciquences, you can deal with the insurance agency.
If sombody is gona mug you on the street and they got a weapon. Give em your purse.
If somebody is gona rape you, Well thats what mace or stun guns are for. That or try to avoid the situation.
If person A didnt need a gun, then person B doesnt need a gun to defend himself from A, and then C doesnt need one to defend himself from B.
Seems to me like a positive feedback loop that america is going to have a hard time getting them selves out of. Works better when you use a railroad instead of cowboys :P
after 6 or so years, I had to change it a little...
Im all for gun control.........using both hands to aim.
Hold on Snow Leopard, imma let you finish, but Windows had one of the best operating systems of all time.
If the Powerball lottery was like Lotro, nobody would win for 2 years, and then everyone in Nebraska would win on the same day.
And then Nebraska would get nerfed.-pinkwood lotro fourms
AMD 4800 2.4ghz-3GB RAM 533mhz-EVGA 9500GT 512mb-320gb HD
im a city boy. born and raised.
Ive never owned a gun. shot some, but never owned one.
when I visit my mom n dad in florida, well, she has a backyard sitting on a canal that looks out to a preserve. its very creepy and lonely. i feel vulnerable. which is probably why my dad bought his first gun when he moved there.
my tale is one of irony but reason enough.
chips, dips chains & whips.
I don't see any reason why everyone should be able to have a gun.
I think It's pretty ignorant to expect everyone to carry guns and get along just fine.
I mean, just look at your own life. Has there ever been times where you just lost control over yourself? I'm sure that happened at least once, perhaps when you were younger. I'm sure this happens to everyone at least once..now put a gun in that situation and you have a recipe for death.
3 words, "Concealed Gun License". If you want to carry a gun, you go down and get a license. The people down at the dmv or w/e you get one, will give you a license if you are sane enough to carry a gun. Also not sure if its a law, but make one where you cant fire any firearms in "x" amount of miles away from a home if your hunting or just shooting things. This imo, would make everyone happy.
Playing: EVE Online
Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online
Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2
KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
200 yards without the owner's permission is the rule in PA.
Now with 57.3% more flames!
Just found some fun facts about guns that I I had to post here. Enjoy.
* Private Firearm Ownership in the U.S. as of 1993/1994:
Households with guns 41% , total number: 47,600,000
Adults owning a gun 31%, total number 59,100,000
* In the United States during 1997, there were 15,289 murders. Of these, 10,369 were committed with firearms
* In the United States during 1997, there were approximately 7,927,000 violent crimes. Of these, 691,000 were committed with firearms.
* As of 1992, for every 14 violent crimes (murder, rape, etc…) committed in the United States, one person is sentenced to prison.
* As of 1992, average length of imprisonment for:
Murder: 10 years
Rape: 7.6 years
Aggravated Assault: 3.4 years
* In the early/mid 1990's, criminals on parole or early release from prison committed about 5,000 murders, 17,000 rapes, and 200,000 robberies a year.
* Americans use firearms to defend themselves from criminals at least 764,000 times a year. This figure is the lowest among a group of 9 nationwide surveys done by organizations including Gallup and the Los Angeles Times.
* In 1982, a survey of imprisoned criminals found that 34% of them had been "scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim."
* Washington D.C. enacted a virtual ban on handguns in 1976. Between 1976 and 1991, Washington D.C.'s homicide rate rose 200%, while the U.S. rate rose 12%
And if you aren't already scared shitless enough and still think that gun control is a wonderful idea...
* In about 5 years since enactment of the Brady Bill and Assault Weapons Ban in 1993, there have been 9 "school massacres."
* About 6,000 children were caught with guns at school in 1997 and 1998. Out of these, 13 were prosecuted by the Clinton administration Justice Department.
* In October of 1997, sixteen-year-old Luke Woodham stabbed his mother to death and then went to school with a rifle where he shot 9 students, killing 2 of them. Assistant Principal Joel Myrick raced to his car, retrieved a .45 caliber handgun, and used it to subdue Woodham until police arrived.
Please keep in mind,
* Federal law 18 USC Section 922 generally prohibits anyone under 18 from possessing a handgun. It also prohibits licensed firearm dealers and collectors from selling handguns to anyone under 21 years of age
Likewise...
* Laws in the United States generally prohibit the sale, possession, or use of cocaine. About 200,000 American children, age 12-17 used cocaine in 1997. About 2.5 million 12-17 year olds (11.4%) used an illicit drug in 1997.
* Federal law 18USC Section 922 generally prohibits civilians from having guns in school zones.
Guess all those gun control laws are really working huh?
Safety, lets check the facts...
* 1995 Fatal Accident Totals
Motor Vehicles: 43,900 and for ages <14: 3,059
Falls: 12,600 <14: 127
Poisonings: 10,600 <14: 80
Drownings: 4,500 <14: 1,024
Fires: 4,100 <14: 883
Choking: 2,800 <14: 213
Firearms: 1,400 (1.5% of fatal accidents) <14: 181 (2.7% of fatal accidents)
Hmmm.... seems like death from gun accidents are the least of my worries....
Gun control is about keeping the population incapable of fighting back against governmental abuses. As icing on the poison cake, it allows criminals to enjoy the same piece of mind that the government does.
pleasant dreams folks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJyn2rNGEIc&feature=related
Just another day in America
Half that crap was junk, most of the machineguns (the SAW, MG42, etc) were probably non-functioning displays or, if working, were not for sale but merely props to lure customers to the table, the tables of AR-15's (and their clones) are always present at gun shows and are 99% likely semi-auto, and lastly, the "machine-pistols" depicted in that particular video are registered as handguns and are semi-auto versions.
Lol.. did anybody else get a huge kick out of that gun myths video?
did you notice all gun controll activists are fat women, with silly face paintings. The people who support it are old voiced and senile men in senate.
If you dont have a gun, your going to die! YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER IF YOU DONT CARRY A GUN...
The message rang through loud and clear,. Step one, take a few extreeme examples, pass them off as regular occurances and SCARES everyone onto our side. I love how they take a person shooting a gun and foiling a robbery as an example.
First they take a robbery by two guys.
Tell you it happens 700,000 times a year.
Then hit you with a lady who got shot and killed the guy who shot her. So now your thinking.. 700,000 time a year... saved her life... wow...
They don't put these one after another for some random reason people.
Notice the lack of a figure of how many people were robbed, were unarmed, and got hurt.
If that was 700,000 wouldnt that be a statistic they would LOVE to tell you?
If that were 100,000, wouldnt that statistic be delightfully terrifiying?
approx 300 million people live in the united states.
Assuming if your robbed once, you will not be robbed again for another year, thats a 0.23% of people foil some sort of robbery with their gun.
Assuming you live to be 80. Thats a WOPPING 19% chance you will foil a robbery with a gun...
Or wait, thats assuming the crime rate is the same everywhere. Thats assuming that places that get robbed in very bad areas, only account for 1 robbery a year,not 4, 5, or more.
Its fear mongering, and its a damn profitable industry. If you dont think you need a gun, you wont buy one, and they wont make money... They make a LOT of money and they put forth a LOT of resources to try to find reasons why you should have one.
The threats arent as immediate and as numerous as many, many people perceive. The stats are twisted and presented in a way that tries to coax you into what they want you to think.
EDIT: Also, as a note to address the robbery of the motel. The crook showed a gun and demanded money.
you give him the money, he leaves, he gets caught, he goes to jail, were all good. How did shooting him help anybody?
after 6 or so years, I had to change it a little...
But you want to know how shooting him helped? Well, if he was shot and killed. It immediately assures everyones safety, he is no longer a valid threat. And it also saves the state the time and money involved in "rehabilitating" him for the next couple years.
It's time to quit relying on the government to be your big brother. They are not an almighty god, unerring and all powerful. It does not happen like some fantasy. You give the guy the money, he goes outside, immediately arrested, found unanimously guilty, and sent away to a prison which will rehabilitate him in a couple years, and he'll never hurt anyone again.
About the only words that describe a mindset is, bullshit. Because that's what thinking that's what happends is. Guns are a tool. They can be used for good, or bad. But you can almost always be guaranteed they will be used by humans, creatures that have a propencity for both good and evil, no matter if they're dressed in blue or not.
"Fear not death; for the sooner we die, the longer shall we be immortal."
I got this far before I became confused......
So, are these statistics saying that 10% of the households in the US do not have adults living in them, or that in 10% of the households the kids own guns, but the adults don't?
Way to keep mom and pop in line.....eat my vegtables, like hell!
I got this far before I became confused......
So, are these statistics saying that 10% of the households in the US do not have adults living in them, or that in 10% of the households the kids own guns, but the adults don't?
Way to keep mom and pop in line.....eat my vegtables, like hell!
I imagine that there's overlap in the statistics. In households with guns, they only count one person as owning the gun. There's also probably a some difficulty in actually getting the numbers because most states don't require gun registration, only firearm qualification and licensing.
EDIT: Also, as a note to address the robbery of the motel. The crook showed a gun and demanded money.
you give him the money, he leaves, he gets caught, he goes to jail, were all good. How did shooting him help anybody?
Or you can give him the money and he kills you anyway because it suddenly occurs to him that you can pick him out of a lineup. Seriously, how naive can you be?
I don't see why not. Do you want to mess with a person that can kill you? Do you think that person would mess with you if you have a gun?
Why is it that gun friendly cities have the least amount of crimes? Fear. Criminals fear death.
It would be a wild west all over again. Point is that sometimes people get upset with each other, gun or no gun. I'd like to be able to walk the street without knowing that everyone can easily kill me.