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Gun Control

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What are your opinions about gun control?

Personally I probably lean more conservatively about this, gun bans will only keep them out of the hands of law abiding citizens, and criminals will be able to get them just as easy, if not easier. Though I do think, people with a violent criminal past shouldn't be allowed to purchase guns legally, and I think the sale of guns should be regulated, like alcohol, or tobacco.
 
Your Star said:
What are your opinions about gun control?

Personally I probably lean more conservatively about this, gun bans will only keep them out of the hands of law abiding citizens, and criminals will be able to get them just as easy, if not easier. Though I do think, people with a violent criminal past shouldn't be allowed to purchase guns legally, and I think the sale of guns should be regulated, like alcohol, or tobacco.
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I completely agree with you. I do feel certain weapons should be made illegal and that all gun owners should take a weapon safety class and be certified to own a weapon if this isn't already implemented.
 
In America, I believe it is unconstitutional to limit selling guns to law-abiding citizens, and pretty much agree with your thoughts on the matter. For my own country, my opinion differs though.
 
spud_meister said:
In America, I believe it is unconstitutional to limit selling guns to law-abiding citizens, and pretty much agree with your thoughts on the matter. For my own country, my opinion differs though.
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What's your opinion about Australian gun control?
 
Your Star said:
What's your opinion about Australian gun control?
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Well, we have fairly strict gun laws here, due to a massacre that happened back in '96, the laws basically say that you can't own a gun unless you need it for either farming related activities(pest control, culling etc.), hunting, target shooting or collecting. These measures I pretty much agree with, and they have ensured we have one of the lowest rates of gun homicides in the first world, however, out laws get a bit draconian when they also apply to air rifles, so I would like to see those bans lifted. So basically my stance on Australian gun laws is to keep them in place, but relax or abloish restrictions on usually non-lethal guns.
 
Interesting. My position on gun control has completely changed since coming to DP. Prior to my participation here, my solution to the gun control issue was to repeal the 2nd Amendment. Yup... that radical. Now, I see it more as a personal responsibility issue. Through a lot of discussions and reading, I've come to believe that some of the more significant gun tragedies that we hear about are far more about the person or persons poor judgment an inappropriate use of the gun rather than it being the fault of the gun. Statistics also show that, based on gun ownership, deaths from weapons are minimal. I DO support some gun regulations; licensing and mandatory training and safety. In fact, I would not have a problem if gun training and safety was taught in schools.
 
I believe that any free citizen should be allowed to own any man-portable conventional weaponry he wants and allowed to conceal any conventional weapon he can fit under his coat. I believe that gun safety should be taught in the public schools, and that every adult should be trained in safe weapons handling and marksmanship before being issued an assault rifle by the State.

I do not support any laws restricting the sale, ownership, or carrying of any firearm by any free citizen. Felons should only be disbarred the use of arms for the duration of their sentences, and aliens should only be disarmed when the State deems it necessary.
 
I think right now we are at about the right mix of gun limits and freedom in the US. Most guns are ok to own, but not all. Some guns require minor inconveniences to buy, but nothing major.
 
spud_meister said:
Well, we have fairly strict gun laws here, due to a massacre that happened back in '96, the laws basically say that you can't own a gun unless you need it for either farming related activities(pest control, culling etc.), hunting, target shooting or collecting. These measures I pretty much agree with, and they have ensured we have one of the lowest rates of gun homicides in the first world, however, out laws get a bit draconian when they also apply to air rifles, so I would like to see those bans lifted. So basically my stance on Australian gun laws is to keep them in place, but relax or abloish restrictions on usually non-lethal guns.
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But at what cost?


AUSTRALIA GUN BAN RESULTS

A dramatic increase in criminal activity has been experienced. Gun control advocates respond "Just wait... we'll be safer... you'll see...".

OBSERVABLE FACT, AFTER 12 MONTHS OF DATA:

Australia-wide, homicides are up 3.2%
Australia-wide, assaults are up 8.6%
Australia-wide, armed-robberies are up 44% (yes, FORTY-FOUR PERCENT)
In the state of Victoria, homicides-with-firearms are up 300%
Figures over the previous 25 years show a steady decrease in homicides-with-firearms (changed dramatically in the past 12 months)
Figures over the previous 25 years show a steady decrease in armed-robbery-with-firearms (changed dramatically in the past 12 months)
There has been a dramatic increase in breakins-and-assaults-of- the-elderly
At the time of the ban, the Prime Minister said "self-defense is not a reason for owning a firearm"
From 1910 to present, homicides in Australia had averaged about 1.8-per-100,000 or lower, a safe society by any standard.
The ban has destroyed Australia's standings in some international sport shooting competitions
The membership of the Australian Sports Shooting Association has risen to 112,000, a 200% increase, in response to the ban and as an attempt to organize against further controls, which are expected.
Australian politicians are on the spot and at a loss to explain how no improvement in "safety" has been observed after such monumental effort and expense was successfully expended in "ridding society of guns". Their response has been to "wait longer".
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Redress said:
I think right now we are at about the right mix of gun limits and freedom in the US. Most guns are ok to own, but not all. Some guns require minor inconveniences to buy, but nothing major.
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Can you be more specific?
 
Your Star said:
What are your opinions about gun control?
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My position on gun control has changed radically over the years.
I remember at the beginning of me joining this forum, I almost looked down on Americans for their legalisation of firearms. I not only once supported the total ban of handguns in UK but I was angry the legislation did not go far enough in "stamping it all out" and supported a Europe wide gun control. Yeah ... I know. But over time I observed quietly alot of US gun control debates, learned and slowly changed my views.

Now I am in the position of envying Americans for their enshrined rights whilst quietly observing the State take those rights from the British slowly. I'm very bitter about what has happened to English ancient liberty of right to bear arms that was once enshrined in our bill of rights.
I do not support any ban of weapons as it keeps the weapons out of the law abiding citizens hands and leaves them basically to the mercy of criminals. I would like lessons to be introduced in UK from primary school but it will never happen
 
ReverendHellh0und said:
Actually, this, statement:

"Most guns are ok to own, but not all."
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Oh, I see. I don't think people need to won fully automatic rifles and such. Basically, to reiterate, if it's legal now, I have no problem with it, if it is illegal now, I have no problem with it being illegal. To be clear, I do not study gun laws, and there may be exceptions(very very few if any) that I don't know about.
 
Redress said:
Oh, I see. I don't think people need to won fully automatic rifles and such. Basically, to reiterate, if it's legal now, I have no problem with it, if it is illegal now, I have no problem with it being illegal. To be clear, I do not study gun laws, and there may be exceptions(very very few if any) that I don't know about.
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What about state AWB bans? I mean for example here in NJ we are far more restrictive, and I believe unconstitutionally than say PA or even NY (state)
 
ReverendHellh0und said:
What about state AWB bans? I mean for example here in NJ we are far more restrictive, and I believe unconstitutionally than say PA or even NY (state)
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AWB? I am not big on gun nomenclature, sorry.
 
Your Star said:
What are your opinions about gun control?

Personally I probably lean more conservatively about this, gun bans will only keep them out of the hands of law abiding citizens, and criminals will be able to get them just as easy, if not easier. Though I do think, people with a violent criminal past shouldn't be allowed to purchase guns legally, and I think the sale of guns should be regulated, like alcohol, or tobacco.
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I'm all for regulations of firearms. Especially assault rifles. The reason why I favor the legalization of prostitution and drugs but for the criminalization of assault rifles is because assault rifles are designed to do only one thing: kill. That, in and of itself, makes it to me that assault rifles, and other firearms, need to be regulated.

Now I'm not for the banning of handguns, hunting rifles, and shotguns. But I do think those firearms made with full auto capabilities should be regulated.

When it comes to the federal level, such as national parks that span several states, I don't think gun regulations should apply state-by-state. Rather, I'd prefer separate legislation for our national parks, or for every national park to have a commission of legislators from each state it is within so that there will be one uniform set of gun law in each national park.
 
ReverendHellh0und said:
What about state AWB bans? I mean for example here in NJ we are far more restrictive, and I believe unconstitutionally than say PA or even NY (state)
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Do you mean they are restrictive with regards to all firearms or restrictive with regards to assault weapons? And what kind of restrictions does NJ have?
 
While I consider the gun laws in my home state, SC, to be less than ideal (and in some ways, arguably unConstitutional), I can live with them as they are.

I can buy pretty much anything from a .22 to a .50 Barrett, from a 9mm Glock to a M-4 military rifle (semi-auto version). If I wanted to go to the bother of getting a Class III license and putting up with the requirements of maintaining that license, I could own full-auto weapons. I think this is more restrictive than the 2A (and Founder statements about same) indicate, but I can live with it.

I can carry a gun, with an easy-to-get shall-issue concealed carry permit. I think this is more restrictive than the 2A (and Founder statements about same) indicate, but I can live with it. The only things I want to change are certain restrictions on where I can carry: I think if you have a permit, you should carry just about anywhere other than a courthouse, jail or chemical plant.

We have "castle law", strengthening the resident's ability to defend his home, outbuildings and curtilage. We also have no duty to retreat before using lethal force in self-defense, assuming it is otherwise justified. I think that's about right.

If I lived in Massachusetts, California or NYC I'd have HUGE problems with their laws, but there are specific reasons I do not and would not live in those places.
 
Goshin said:
We have "castle law", strengthening the resident's ability to defend his home, outbuildings and curtilage. We also have no duty to retreat before using lethal force in self-defense, assuming it is otherwise justified. I think that's about right.

If I lived in Massachusetts, California or NYC I'd have HUGE problems with their laws, but there are specific reasons I do not and would not live in those places.
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I totally support castle laws, in the following order: rural, village/town, suburban, urban.

I've only lived in pretty rural areas, so I can't really argue with the gun laws in major cities, such as NYC, Chicago, and LA. But when you have areas that are that dense with people, I can understand why they'd want to be more restrictive when it comes to gun control. If a guy shoots a gun for whatever reason in a rural area, the chances are he isn't going to hit somebody. If a guy shoots a gun in an urban area, there's very little chance it'll miss somebody. And then you've got the added problem of the plethora of apartment buildings and condos as opposed to individual homes.

However, when it comes to home defense, especially in areas with denser populations, I think people should purchase less-than-lethal weapons, and I think that companies should provide for them.
 
Goshin said:
While I consider the gun laws in my home state, SC, to be less than ideal (and in some ways, arguably unConstitutional), I can live with them as they are.

I can buy pretty much anything from a .22 to a .50 Barrett, from a 9mm Glock to a M-4 military rifle (semi-auto version). If I wanted to go to the bother of getting a Class III license and putting up with the requirements of maintaining that license, I could own full-auto weapons. I think this is more restrictive than the 2A (and Founder statements about same) indicate, but I can live with it.

I can carry a gun, with an easy-to-get shall-issue concealed carry permit. I think this is more restrictive than the 2A (and Founder statements about same) indicate, but I can live with it. The only things I want to change are certain restrictions on where I can carry: I think if you have a permit, you should carry just about anywhere other than a courthouse, jail or chemical plant.

We have "castle law", strengthening the resident's ability to defend his home, outbuildings and curtilage. We also have no duty to retreat before using lethal force in self-defense, assuming it is otherwise justified. I think that's about right.

If I lived in Massachusetts, California or NYC I'd have HUGE problems with their laws, but there are specific reasons I do not and would not live in those places.
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I live on the front line of this war. NJ..... ;)



I am all about training. I think putting a credit card down on the counter does not make one a "Responsible Gun owner" but more likely a statistic.... Training is as, if not more important that cash on the counter. Training, training training. Not just marksmanship, but home defense courses that are active in nature and give students real world scenarios to work to proficiency on.
 
samsmart said:
I totally support castle laws, in the following order: rural, village/town, suburban, urban.

I've only lived in pretty rural areas, so I can't really argue with the gun laws in major cities, such as NYC, Chicago, and LA. But when you have areas that are that dense with people, I can understand why they'd want to be more restrictive when it comes to gun control. If a guy shoots a gun for whatever reason in a rural area, the chances are he isn't going to hit somebody. If a guy shoots a gun in an urban area, there's very little chance it'll miss somebody. And then you've got the added problem of the plethora of apartment buildings and condos as opposed to individual homes.

However, when it comes to home defense, especially in areas with denser populations, I think people should purchase less-than-lethal weapons, and I think that companies should provide for them.
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There are large cities, like Atlanta, Miami, Dallas, Houston, and so on, located in states with very little gun control and strong protections for self-defense.

To my knowlege these large cities have not experienced any notable number of accidental deaths or injuries sustained because of the lawful defensive use of firearms. This despite the fact that guns are readily available there to all law abiding citizens, and GA FLA and TX all have easy to get "shall-issue" concealed carry permits.

I think this issue about dense urban populations is not actually a major issue at all. If it were, it would be news. Such information as I have seen does not indicate that accidental shootings are a problem in those cities.
 
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