[hrothgar]

My position hasn't changed much over the last couple years
(or the last couple decades)

Quote

For what its worth, I don't have a problem with gun ownership. My father spent the Korean war working a a repair depot fixing sighting rifles. He still owns a few guns. I used to hunt with rifles and shotguns before I moved over to bow/spear hunting. I do have a major problem with fact that so many people in the US seem to have a fetish for guns. Furthermore, I think that its ridiculous that people are permitted to own what are (essentially) military grade weapons. I've always felt that something like the following was a reasonable compromise

1.Home defense:

People are permitted to own just about anything they want in the way of shot guns and bolt action rifles. (no fully automatic shotguns). Licenses and waiting periods are required

2. Hunting

People are permitted to own just about anything they want in the way of shotguns and bolt action rifles. Licenses and waiting periods are required

3. Target shooting:

The owners of a licensed shooting range can (pretty much) purchase whatever they damn well please. Anyone who wants to play around with a pistol, an automatic rifle, a machine gun, what have you is welcome to go and rent time at a shooting range. If anyone feels an “extreme” need to own their own pistol, they're welcome to buy one and store it at a shooting range.

I am pretty much trying to restrict ownership across two different dimensions

First: The ability of individuals to “conceal carry”. I think that conceal carry laws are a big mistake. I'd go a lot further and restrict people from being able to have easy access to pistols and other such weapons that can be easy concealed

Second: The ability to spew large number of rounds in a short period of time.

[kenberg]

Something like the above outline from Richard would, I think, have fairly broad support. I do think that someone who is going to have a gun in their home should be required to demonstrate that they have some knowledge of their legal responsibilities. Some time ago a woman who was in an ongoing dispute (not with me) was saying something like "I've got a gun and I'll just shoot first and ask questions later". It was all bravado in her case, she did not have a gun. But of course some people do and some of them have very unrealistic ideas of the circumstances under which they are allowed to use it. The result can be one person dead and another in jail.

A gun can be literally a life-saver, but the circumstances where it can be effectively used are very limited. Mostly, safe living consists of not doing things that are really pretty clearly stupid. Thinking that "Oh, I can do this, if there is trouble I have a gun" is a really bad approach. I don't expect disagreement from this thread's contributors, but it is a fact of life that some people think that way. An understanding of the limits of packing heat, even just the legal limits of what can be done, would really help.

[nige1]

 blackshoe, on 2010-December-17, 07:57, said:

Guns exist. So long as they exist, some people will have them (legally or not). So long as some people have them, it is folly to deny others that right.

 Fluffy, on 2010-December-17, 09:05, said:

yeah and everyone has the rights to have nuclear missiles in his home for the same reasoning lol.

Ezra Pound, ABC of Economics, 1933 said:

Democracy implies that the man must take the responsibility for choosing his rulers and representatives, and for the maintenance of his own 'rights' against the possible and probable encroachments of the government which he has sanctioned to act for him in public matters.

Bill of Rights, Article the fourth, December 15 1791 said:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

The USA is a democracy. If you don't want gunmen to shoot your family, you can vote for gun-control. If you feel strongly about the issue, you can even stand for election on that policy. Delay is deadly because of natural selection: those with guns are shooting those without them at an alarming rate.
Safer, in the short-term, to acquire a gun yourself and join in the fun.
As arms, guns are passé. Fortunately, as Fluffy says, the bill of rights protects the citizen's inalienable right to keep biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons.

[hrothgar]

 nige1, on 2010-December-20, 10:45, said:

The USA is a democracy.

The United States is a Republic, not a democracy

[luke warm]

 hrothgar, on 2010-December-20, 10:51, said:

The United States is a Republic, not a democracy

i plan on keeping it a "republic" (wink wink)... even plan on having a senate

[JLOGIC]

 Fluffy, on 2010-December-19, 11:35, said:

I am no expert on crime, but I think most people murdered by guns, are murdered by guns used by men. Is his because less women have guns?, or because less women go irrational?, maybe only allowing women to have guns would work better.

lol good one