USA and Gun control

[rado84]

These are domestic events you can never prevent. And yes, a psycho could get a gun from the black market but it's still another difficulty for him if there's a control over the legal guns.

[Minimalist]

The ready availability of guns in this country virtually guarantees that any one who wants one can get one for whatever purpose.

And before you say "it can't be done" remember that Australia has already done it.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/19/world/us-a...n-control/

Uniform legislation agreed to by all states and territories -- the national government has no control over gun ownership or use -- specifically addressed mass shootings: Rapid-fire rifles and shotguns were banned, gun owner licensing was tightened and remaining firearms were registered to uniform national standards.

[TheMonster]

The consensus here seems to be in the direction of more control.

Regardless of your position, I completely disagree with the comment argument "Prohibition does not work"
By that logic (Ad Absurdum) we should allow Cocaine, Heroine, murders, illegal immigration and many other societal evils because we cannot stop people doing/practicing them simply by legislation. Legislation is a deterrent. Now whether we should or should not allow something should be based on its societal repercussions, not on the legislation's supposed effect. (For example: I think Marijuana prohibition is useless because pot smokers are generally not harming others. The entire supply chain in place to fuel the "illegal" behavior is more of a threat. The legal system unnecessarily jails youth and their job opportunities reduce for engaging is what seems to be a harmless behavior. This is however not true with most other drugs) The same applies to gun control/regulation.

Prohibition works if enforced properly and the illegal markets/activities are kept at bay.

The success of a policy must be evaluated based on outcomes: What would have happened without the policy vs what has happened with it in place.

[Excited Penguin]

Complete ban, ofc. People don't need their 'toys' to defend themselves against govts, in this 'brainy' age. Any other reason for possessing one, falls in line with the same reasoning, asfaict*.

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*As far as I can tell.

[rado84]

Complete ban, ofc. People don't need their 'toys' to defend themselves against govts, in this 'brainy' age. Any other reason for possessing one, falls in line with the same reasoning, asfaict*.

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*As far as I can tell.

And if someone breaks into your home, just like it happens in movies, you'll do what? Pray? Because god has been so helpful so far...

[Salacious B. Crumb]

I was hardcore pro-gun, but now I'd be for banning most guns (all handguns), but still am questioning my beliefs a tad, and open to listening to more of the arguments. I'd still be for bolt action rifles for hunting purposes or target shooting, but wouldn't mind seeing people gravitate more towards compound bows, if that meant less innocent gun deaths (or these so-called accidents, where children get hold of them). I still feel people should have the right to protect themselves in their homes with shotguns, but at the same time, a sword or something like that, might be a better choice. That's what I'd choose living in a city. I'd be afraid of shooting a shotgun in a neighborhood where the buckshot would go through the house, into the next house without much of a problem, same goes for handguns. Even with hollow points, or other home defense ammo, the penetration is still quite..well too much penetration. If I was in a rural area, I'd want to have a few guns, especially if walking out in the woods everyday. I don't get these assholes carrying around AR-15s when they go to McDonalds. I'm for people carrying around knives though, I'd make less restrictions regarding that. There's a lot less probability that an "accident" would occur with a folding knife or a knife in a sheath when compared to a gun. People should be allowed to protect their lives somehow out in public.

I have heard many stories of how guns have saved lives in public with people concealed carrying a handgun, and many that just couldn't do shit or ended in an "accident". I'm pretty open-minded when it comes to people's opinions on guns, but I don't understand the need for machine guns or .50 BMG Barrett sniper rifles. I like going out in the desert and throwing clays in the air and shooting them, and the guns don't shoot anyone while sitting in the house. I'd argue why take that away from me?..but at the same time I can understand people's opinions telling me to find another hobby, and I couldn't really argue with that, based on what we've seen happen with guns in this country. It's a tricky situation. You can't really pass a law forcing people to keep their guns in a safe, and even if kept in a safe they're not that useful in a quick, adrenaline inducing break-in, where you're likely to be shaking your ass off, and likely to have a high probability of missing, with a handgun at least. As of now, I'd say allow pump action shotguns, single/double shot shotguns, and bolt action rifles, but I may change my mind..who knows. I just want what's best for society, and I don't know exactly what that would be. If America banned guns, I think there would be more gun violence initially, because the criminals would be more confident to go after the innocent, and I think more innocent lives would be lost, but if the police presence was strengthened in this country, and they did their jobs correctly, the guns would slowly disappear from the streets with each criminal they arrest.

[Excited Penguin]

Complete ban, ofc. People don't need their 'toys' to defend themselves against govts, in this 'brainy' age. Any other reason for possessing one, falls in line with the same reasoning, asfaict*.

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*As far as I can tell.

And if someone breaks into your home, just like it happens in movies, you'll do what? Pray? Because god has been so helpful so far...

That's a big if. I'll try to contribute something other to society than the green taxed for the gun so as to prevent such a thing from happening altogether.
If it does happen though, gun wouldn't help me either, as I don't think I'd have it on me, and I also don't think the robber would be so stupid as to not think of the possibility of me having a gun, in a place like America, and so not prepare ahead somehow for undertaking that additional risk.
So, overall, if someone robbed me it wouldn't really matter if I had a gun or the robbery would never take place in the first place if I somehow helped to make life easier for those potential robbers as might rob me otherwise.

Don't watch too many movies, BG.
And also, where did you get the idea that I would pray? This seems slightly out of context. Under religious views, there is a pretty clear statement about my beliefs in God.

[zebo-the-fat]

I have never understood the need for ordinary people to possess guns, in the UK it is illegal (with exceptions for farmers and sport shooting, both tightly controlled) I don't have the figures to hand, but I think we have fewer shooting incidents in a year than the US does in a day. It is true that criminals can always get guns on the black market but even among criminals it is a very small percentage, the average burglar does not carry a gun. Americans bang on about their right to carry guns but seldom seem to consider the harm this causes, a few weeks ago a 3 year old child shot it's mother while playing with a gun taken from her bag, this simply could not happen here (yes I accept that the mother was stupid to have a loaded gun where the child could get it, but if she didn't have one at all the problem would not occur)
The biggest problem would be how to get rid of the millions of guns circulating in the US, and I have no idea how that could be done.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

Uh oh. Gun thread! Batten down the hatches ya'll, shit about to get real!

[robvalue]

Ideally I'd like to see guns scrapped, or at least restricted to those who need them for a specific reason.

But I'm aware things have gone way beyond that being possible in the USA, so I'd like it to be harder to get a gun (more background checks, competence checks).

It would be great if guns could be made less powerful/lethal, such as a handgun equivalent of bean bag rounds or something. Normally you're trying to incapacitate someone not actually injure/kill them, or at least you should be.

I don't see why any regular person should need an assault rifle or (semi) auto weapons.

This is just brain storming so don't shoot me over it

If I had a gun I would have killed 83 people today. I only killed 13. That's a lot of lives saved.