Gun Control

[Wendell Edwards 73]

I think that the issues here are rather complex, and there are valid points on both sides of the arguement.

People wish to have security against criminal aggression, whether the aggression comes from an individual, organization or government run amok.

The differences of opinion come from the fact that some people wish to have the right to defend themselves, and other people want the government to provide them with defense.

My personal viewpoint is that, ultimately, the government cannot provide me with effective defense, unless they confine my movements to a fortified, guarded position, or provide me with an armed and armoured escort.

Since this is not practical nor desirable to me, I choose the right to self-defense, knowing that even in a large city, the response time for the authorities who woud presumably defend me against criminal agression is measured in minutes, during which time an aggressor would certainly have sufficient time to do me tremendous physical harm.

Moreover, I am a strict constructionist in my view of the Constitution, and as such, I can only interpret the meaning of the Second Amendment as being an absolute right of the people, the same as any other expressed right of the people as expressed in the rest of that document.

[Chris_NJ 9]

People from other countries also need to realize that in the US gun laws vary by state. In your more populous states the laws are usually tougher. I am happy to say I just moved to Florida and out of that anti-gun state of NJ. I will also recommend anyone against the right to bear arms to go work in a prison for a bit and meet the true scum of the earth. Then realize how much you appreciate having the right to own one. If someone wants to kill you they will do it with or with out a gun. I just like my chances better when I may have the upper hand with my gun.

[TommyO 5]

Owning a gun has no impact on protection, I am much safer living in Canada where citizens do not have the right to bear arms. The idea that a gun will act as a deterent is a falacy and there is nothing a criminal would like better than to find your gun when they break into your house.

[marnie723 0]

It's funny how divided people are on this subject. People living in the United States really believe a gun will protect them & that they want the "right to bear arms"

I guess that's why the United States has billions of guns and more death from guns than any country in the world. I just wonder how many of those deaths were from self-defense? (it's a fact the US has more deaths, look it up)

[Chris_NJ 9]

Owning a gun has no impact on protection, I am much safer living in Canada where citizens do not have the right to bear arms. The idea that a gun will act as a deterent is a falacy and there is nothing a criminal would like better than to find your gun when they break into your house.

Now thats a funny right there !

Thats why we have back ups ! :biggrin1:

[TommyO 5]

Hooey, If there is one place in the world where the citizenry is fed a pile of crap by special interest groups it's US. I don't need the Gun lobby to tell me how important it is for my safety to own a gun.

In response to your statement about being confronted in a situation where you could live or die,I could also say unless you've lived in a country where there is gun control you have no real idea what you are talking about.

I have been threatened twice by individuals carrying weapons, once a knife and the second time an individual threatened me with a steel ball welded to a chain. I feel no need to cary a knife or ball and chain to defend myself nor do I want a gun.

Somehow you feel that you have the right to set the critieria for ones ability to debate on this topic. Something I have seen numerouse times on this site. Funny you can comment on what is said in Canada about gun control having never lived here but only those who have been placed in immediate physical harm are able to understand what they are talking about when it comes to gun control.

As long as the gun lobby continues to feed you their bull and you continue to eat significant numbers of people will continue to be shot and killed in the US anually.

[Wheetsin 714]

I have been threatened twice by individuals carrying weapons, once a knife and the second time an individual threatened me with a steel ball welded to a chain. I feel no need to cary a knife or ball and chain to defend myself nor do I want a gun.

:clap2:

I once had a semi driver jack-knife his truck across the road to block me, climb out of his cab, and come at me with a crowbar. He was literally feet from my car when some construction workers tackled him to the ground. It took 8 men to hold him down, and he drew blood on at least 2 of them.

Wishing I had a gun never came to mind.

But I'm $^%&*#$ lucky he didn't have one. :biggrin1:

[marnie723 0]

Ihave been threatened twice by individuals carrying weapons, once a knife and the second time an individual threatened me with a steel ball welded to a chain. I feel no need to cary a knife or ball and chain to defend myself nor do I want a gun.

I agree with this, I would much rather take a chance outrunning a knife or any other weapon than a gun, I think my chances are better. When guns are involved probably no one will come out a winner.

You really do have to live in a country where guns are controlled to understand how it is. I don't worry someone else may have a gun so I need to protect myself with one also.

[secretstolen 4]

From my own experience, I support the right to bear arms.<br /> <br /> About 1.5 years after my dad died, my widowed mother started dating and I was assaulted one night by her boyfriend. He attacked me in front of my mom, who did nothing to stop it. He cornered me, slapped me, and screamed at me in a blind rage of anger that he would rape me and kill me, that he would hunt me down wherever I went so that he could hurt me over and over again, and that he would even kill my puppy just to be hateful. The guy was a freaking psycho. It was the 9mm that my father taught me how to target shoot with when I was 16 that saved me.<br /> <br /> I ran to where I knew it was safely stored and he chased me through my house. Once I had that pistol in my hand, had the safety off, and pointed it squarely in his direction, the tables were turned. He suddenly backed off, calmed down, and never laid another hand on me or raised his voice to me again. That was the first time (and only time) I've had to use a gun to defend myself, but believe me.. there was nothing more comforting than watching the douche bag who hit me and taunted me with threats of rape almost wet himself at the sight of a gun barrel pointed to his chest.<br /> <br /> I'm a little bit more of a liberal than I was raised to be, but when it comes to self-defense, I'm all for the right for law-abiding citizens to own firearms for their protection. If it hadn't been for that pistol, I don't know what would have happened that night.<br /> <br /> (But I respect everyone's opinions. I think it's a highly sensitive topic and everyone has their reasons for why they do/don't support gun control. Just throwing my humble opinion in.)

Edit: And just to add, I live on my own and I currently do not own a gun. I feel safe without one right now, but in an issue such as the one I did go through, it was certainly comforting to know that if that 6'3", 320 lb., man charged me again to choke or hit me, I had the ability to stop him in an instant with a bullet.

[DerickM 1]

I DEMAND that we place stricter controls on Cops! Ban the Cops before MORE Die!

Off-duty Wis. deputy sheriff kills 6 - Yahoo! News

[gurlygirl 0]

This is Gurlygirl's DH here.

I fully support my wife’s decision to get the Lap Band and because I do most of the cooking, I have been reading a lot in this forum in order to understand her needs and requirements to make this journey a success for her. In my travels around the forum I found this thread and feel I have to chime in.

*Please note: These are my opinions, not Gurlygirl's. If you don't like what I'm saying, address your replies to me. DO NOT take it out on her.*

OK...My turn.

I am Canadian and I own guns. Quite a few, in fact. Pistols, rifles and shotguns in all varieties and flavours. I've been doing it for over twenty years now. I'm more of a target shooter than a hunter, although I have hunted in the past. I make all my ammunition for most of my firearms, right from melting the lead to cast into bullets, to reloading the brass. I've learned a lot by doing this and I believe I've only scratched the surface of this field.

On to the subject of gun control. I live in a country that has some very restrictive firearms laws. In order to possess or purchase firearms legally, one must be licensed to do so by the Federal Gov't. This involves testing for competence and safety by gov't certified instructors. After you've passed your test, you fill out the application form, which delves into your relationship, medical, and criminal histories, as well as providing two people for character references. Notice above, I said legally. If you're a crook, scumbag or gangbanger the above need not apply. You don't obey the law anyway. You’ll just pick one up from one of your blackmarket buddies.

In Canada, a private citizen cannot get a permit to carry a handgun for protection. The permits are listed as available but good luck getting a gov't official to issue it. Permits to carry are issued to armoured car guards and people who have jobs in remote areas, where carrying a rifle is not practical. (Trappers, miners, geologists and in some rare cases, loggers.)

Permits to carry are not required for our military, police and our just recently armed border guards.

That being said, even though I am not a US resident, I have been able to obtain Concealed Carry Licenses for the states of Utah and New Hampshire. With reciprocal agreements with other states, I can legally carry concealed in 30 states. It's funny how a foreign gov't trusts me to carry a firearm for me and my family's protection but not my own gov't.

Firearms are a personal choice. If you don't like them, fine. I can respect that. All I ask is that you respect my choices in owning and using them. I find that in most cases, some people’s dislike of firearms comes from not understanding them. What they know of them they learned from Hollywood and the evening news. They have simply never had the chance to be exposed to them. I have taken numerous people shooting in my time, many of them having never even touched a gun in their lives, including my wonderful wife, Gurlygirl (Who has become quite a crack shot. She’s better than I am…). I have yet to have anyone tell me they didn't like it. They maybe didn’t run out and buy a gun, but they definitely went away with a different viewpoint on the whole subject. At my job, I am constantly asked about firearms and the law, from women asking about home defence to young guys wanting to start hunting. The questions never stop and I have no problem answering them after making sure they understand that I am not a lawyer or firearms “expert”. But they keep asking.

It’s funny how so many anti-gun people say having a gun in the house is an invitation to disaster, likely to be taken from you and used against you during a robbery or home invasion, or possibly found by a curious child. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time believing home invaders and robbers are masters of unarmed combat, able to disarm anyone who points a gun at them. If they were that good they would probably have different careers. As for curious children, keep guns out of reach or locked up when not in use and educate them. We have two children under nine years old and they both know not to go near Daddy’s gun bench. I have no problem with them looking at my guns as long as I’m there with them. Satisfy their natural curiosity and the guns aren’t such a big mystery to them anymore. My oldest is already shooting and loves every minute of it. BTW…all our firearms are securely locked up when not in use. It would take crooks the better part of a day to get into where my guns are and they would be making a hell of a lot of noise in the process.

To those who made references to stories of gun violence and mayhem….You very rarely see in your local paper or hear on your local news about the defensive use of firearms because in most defensive cases, a shot is never fired. Simply the showing of a firearm is enough to de-escalate the situation (as in secretstolen’s case). No shot, no story.

In closing, I’ll say this. My family’s safety is important. I will do what I feel is needed to ensure that. How I do it is my choice. I choose a firearm as a part of that safety plan. You may choose differently. As I said before, that is your choice to make.

If you have a first aid kit, are you planning on getting hurt???

If you have a spare tire, are you planning on having a flat???

If you have a fire extinguisher, are you planning on having a fire???

If you have a gun, are you planning on having a gunfight???

Some people want to be responsible for they and their family’s well being. Some people want the authorities to look after them. I do not have enough faith in our system to count on it to protect my family all the time.

When seconds count, the police are only minutes away……

Flame guard on…..Fire away!!!

[marnie723 0]

You sound American thru & thru MR. Gurlygurl, you should move to the US with that mentality.

[marnie723 0]

And take your guns with you!!!

[Chris_NJ 9]

Well said Curlygirls husband.

[TommyO 5]

I can't tell if you are saying guns should be made available to all who choose to own one or if you are advocating the use of guns as long as there is significant gun controls put in place.

One final question, if you choose to protect your family with AK 47's or an anti aircraft gun should I be fine with that. And if not how come you get decide for someone else the type, size and number of weapons they should be allowed to use to protect their perimeter