RE: Eagles of Death Metal leader sounds off on gun control
February 17, 2016 at 7:05 am
(This post was last modified: February 17, 2016 at 7:16 am by Excited Penguin.)
(February 17, 2016 at 4:46 am)Alex K Wrote: The problem is that one would like to think that the victims of gun violence and terrorism somehow have a sensible and important opinion on the matter, because it at first makes intuitive sense and it is a nice narrative that they now have earned a right to say something about it and be heard. But that's not how it works. Traumatic experiences don't necessarily make your thoughts more coherent and insightful.
That doesn't mean they're necessarily wrong either.
I happen to agree with the following. I think a few million potential gun owners who are trained and tested beforehand can be responsible enough so that a few hundred lives can be saved in a situation like this. For as long as there are criminals out there, bent on killing and hurting innocents, every single person on the planet has to learn to defend themselves in a variety of situations. Otherwise you're leaving your odds of survival entirely up to chance.
What exactly is meant by gun control, by the way? I think you should be not only able to get a gun but actually encouraged to do so. I also think as a gun owner you would have to have your mental health constantly checked and that you should be properly trained to use guns. And not only that, you would have to submit your worldviews for consideration and if it allows for unethical violence in any way(e.g. jihadism) you should be disqualified for that reason alone.
That's not to say I would like every single person to be a gun owner. But at least 1 out of 4 would be very good for society, provided they know how to use them and are not psychopaths.
