Guns, for em or against em?

Icon, are you *honestly* saying that you would rather see your own family dead than see their attackers die?

-Kiamat Dusk
Future gun owner

Hugh,

I am so happy you pointed that out. I live in a city with a fairly high crime rate. Twice my door has been kicked in and I met the person with revolver in hand only to watch them turn tail and run. I have had 5 attempted muggings in the past 3 years and only lived because I have the right to carry concealed. Muggers tend to move on when a chick draws a hammerless S&W. I have never had to shoot anyone but I would if my life or the life of my loved ones depended on it. It is my belief that if the criminals know that everyone has a gun they would be far less likely to attempt crimes. But I do believe that if you own a gun you should go about receiving the proper training. I also believe that if you pull out your gun you should be prepared to use it and understand the consequences of your actions. With proper training and permits there is no need to outlaw weapons. It is not the law abiding gun owner who is killing, it is the criminal. They will always find a way to kill even if they have to melt a toothbrush into a shank. I would hate to see the day when I do not have the right to defend myself against the criminal element. I will die before I allow the only folks left with guns to be cops and criminals as differentiating between the two can sometimes prove difficult anyhow.

Icon if you were put into the position where you had to choose whether you pull the trigger on a criminal or your family member dies are you really saying that you would let your family member die? I suppose you must think you are a better human than I, because I would sure as hell shoot.

All excellent points, Isis. I agree with everything you said. By the way, remind me to NEVER try and snatch your purse.
Tarsen, I understand that you've never experienced ( or known anyone who has experienced ) a situation where you might wish you owned a gun. Most people haven't and hopefully never will.
However, it can happen to anybody. It can happen anywhere at anytime, regardless of where you live. I'm not saying that we should all walk around wearing six-shooters strapped to our waists. I'm saying that the right to bear arms is something people really need to think about before deciding they're against it.

Guns Stink!

Well, I imagine the burnt gunpowder does, though I've never smelled it. Maybe it's a good smell like burning leaves. Or maybe you could disguise the gunpowder smell by firing your gun into a pile of burning leaves. Stupid leaves deserve it, falling down and making people have to rake them up. If those darned leaves know what's good for them they will try a little harder to stay attached next time autumn comes around.

When you shoot guns it gets gunpowder on your hands which means you have to wash them more and that can lead to dry skin which is bad. Thus guns are bad.

Guns are very noisy! If you are trying to fire two guns, one held in each hand, it is darned near impossible to get to sleep. I have enough trouble sleeping without that sort of problem, so from now on I will try to just hold my guns peacefully while I sleep.


Trying to carry a gun underneath a slinky dress makes an unsightly bulge and can actually cause the dress to get permanently deformed. This is simply intolerable. Plus if it's a pullover dress that means you have to get undressed in order to fire, which can be awkward, although it might disconcert your opponent into going elsewhere in seach of a more normal sort of victim.

Okay then, I guess that settles that then. So you've got nothing in regards to how we can change this?



Kiamat, I don't think anyone would like seeing that. And it's not like I wouldn't do anything to stop a desperate situation -- I would even take a bullet if it was the absolutely last option.

But I honestly never want to live with the death of a human being on my mind.

Beyond the rationalizations, if I killed the killer it makes me a killer too -- and if the cycles of violence in the human condition are gonna stop somewhere I might as well do my part and let it stop with me.

I think the anti gun people should be proud of it. I would like to encourage everyone who has a gun free house to proudly post a big red, white & blue sign in your yard that says :

"This house proudly has no firearms or defense of any kind! We are doing our part to keep guns off the street and out of neighborhoods!"


Do that, then come back here to talk about banning guns. Only then will I give the arguments any credibility.

-AP

Now THAT'S a good idea.

Now thats a smooth line.

Ah, Canada. Canada is awesome as it has tons of guns all over the place yet much less violence, which shows the inherent problem. I mean... look at the Swiss. Every house owns a military issue assault rifle. Now, the ammo cans you have with it are closed and sealed and if the seal is broke there is a very large fine -- so really you're only supposed to bust the ammo out in case of war. BUT If you go to the range and buy ammo for the day.... well.. You can take it home. it's not legal, but everyone does it there and no one really cares.

Also, how many murders would be stopped if we removed handguns? Well- depends on how many required a handgun. We'd probably see a little less gang violence(Drivebys) and more knivings

Well I was gonna stay out of this thread, but i'm not gonna post my opinions, just gonna bring up a thought I had.

People are talking about how if guns were banned, people would kill each other with knives. Well psycologically they would have different impacts... with a gun you just shoot and leave it at that. With a knife you have to get up close to them, close enough to see every detail of their face, and stick it in them, then watch to make sure they die. I dunno, but I think that would just require a more hardened mindset then "shoot and that's all."

The psychopaths would still have no trouble with it, but maybe people who are less messed up would.

It actually doesn't depend on how many require a handgun. Do you really think a murderer is going to say "I'd love to shoot that person in the face. Too bad I can't legally own a gun"?
Less gang violence? Why?
I don't think someone capable of a drive by shooting would think twice about owning an illegal handgun.....or a bazooka.
Laws only affect law abiding people.

Actually, I would expect to see an increase in arson related deaths. Ban guns and it will eventually dawn on folks that a 2 gallon can of gas & a book of matches is far more destructive than a handgun.

Imagine how many people would have been killed in Columbine had they doused the halls with gas and set the school ablaze? *shudder*

It ain't the guns causing the problems, folks. Its the psychos.

-AP

How about just a big "Please Rob Me!" sign?

I thought Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine did a great job of examining US gun culture. Contrary to popular belief he didn't place the blame for the amount of murder and gun violence in the US on guns themselves (though he did give the NRA a thorough thrashing). He postulated that, more than any other factor, the media is to blame for their constant sensationalistic fear mongering. I have to agree.

As I said there is no way to change this. I wish there were but banning guns won't stop people from killing eachother.

You have to be messed up to want to shoot someone in the first place...taking away the gun isn;t going to stop such a person from using another weapon.

Yeas he did place the blame on gun manufacturers but not quite as much as he did on gun and ammo sellers. Remember he went toi Kmart ( or was it walmart) to ask them why they sold the ammo that the boy was shot with.

The right to bear arms was written into the constitution - WHEN?

Whats todays date?

Are you a civilised Society or not?

Civilians do NOT need guns - thats why you have a Police Force and Armed Forces, and anything else is just playing Cowboy.Its about time US gun law caught up with the rest of civilisation.

Guns do NOT kill people - people kill people - guns just make it easy to do.Shooting someone with a gun is a highly impersonal way of commiting murder and as someone else said above,it takes a good deal more to stab someone that it does to shoot them.

Violence breeds more violence and the US needs gun control before there IS no control - period.

Last week two armed robbers walked into a convenience store and shot the man behind the register and tried to shoot his wife. The owner and his wife took out guns and killed the robbers. Tell them they didn't need guns.

It's STILL murder/manslaughter

Two years ago I shot a man dead in Liverpool who was about to hack a pub landlord and his customers to pieces - the landlord and his customers didnt have guns and didnt need to kill anyone - getting the point yet?

And your point? These people should have died instead of killing their attackers?

Define 'civilised'. How much of a nanny state does it have to become before it's 'civilised'?

What makes you think your society will still be civilised, tomorrow? You do realize that governments become corrupt, societies collapse, from time to time? I hope you don't seriously believe that 'it can't happen to us!'.

Do you have a police officer right next to you, 24 hours a day, to protect you from crime?

Something I'll never grasp, is why stun-guns are illegal in Canada. Someone could mug me, and I could knife the bastard to death, but god help me if I pull out a (ostensibly) non-lethal weapon and stun the hell out of him. Boggles my mind. Mace and pepper-spray, too. The authorities seem terrified that we might be able to protect ourselves.

You sound like he sort of person who is passionate enough to start a social movement. Would you be willing to demonstrate your dislike for guns?

It's easy. Follow my suggestion:

Put a big sign in your front yard or in your windows that says "This house is a gun free area! We proudly do not own guns and no guns are allowed anywhere on the premises".

Would you be willing to do that?

no I don't get your point. I assume you are a policeman and thats great that you were there at that time to help. Police officers in a America do a great job but there aren't enough of them to be in every place at every time.

Or they fell down an elevator shaft and landed on some bullets?