The way i see it, both sides are right, and both sides are wrong.
True, "when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." True, disarming peaceful and law-abiding individuals is no way to ensure public safety. But isn't it obvious that keeping track of who's buying guns HELPS to keep them out of the hands of those who can't do so, legally?
Hunting weapons are not the issue here. Why, in the name of all the gods at once, are hunters rallying behind the zealots who want to have their clips holding scores of cartridges and truly automatic weapons? Such things are not used in hunting -- their only application is anti-personnel. And until home break-ins are committed by mobs, crying "personal defense" is pure bullshit.
But another thing that the pro-gun faction totally FAILS to consider is, not everyone who wants to buy a gun for "personal safety" is a rational, intelligent individual who will be a responsible owner. I know a man who is ostensibly intelligent and responsible, but who cracked emotionally one day and threatened to kill himself in an attempt at wife-manipulation. He could as easily have threatened his family. NOT ONE of my gun-loving friends would ever suggest that this guy didn't deserve to own a weapon. Maybe a background check would have picked up his use of properly-prescribed psychoactive pharmaceuticals ... and maybe it wouldn't.
Conversely, arguing that individuals should NOT have the right of keeping arms to defend themselves, because in certain circumstances the weapons have been taken away and used against them, is sophistry beyond appropriate debate. You can't fix stoopid, but sometimes you can fix evil -- by forever ending ALL actions by those who DO evil.
What the public argument NEEDS is intelligent, unemotional, rational debate ... but that won't happen, not in this land of sensationalist media. Nor do i think that confiscation would do a damn bit of good even if i were a fan of disarmament. There are too many undocumented firearms in the US (and Mexico is too handy for smuggling in more), which would immediately be hidden away at the first hint of the possibility. The ONLY way to make this country more law-abiding is through education, and actually enforcing the laws we already have.
Gun obsession in US is just something no one will be able to do anything about, like forses of nature.
ReplyDeletei've tried to analyze the attraction to guns, in the cases of my most intelligent, evolved and reasonable friends who particularly like them; it's tricky and complicated! :-) my curiosity on the subject is likely to be ongoing....
Delete"when guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns." That is pretty much the case in the UK. Even most of our Police Force do not carry guns, although in every area the Policeman on the beat can call up high speed armed response officers 24/7.The UK Police vote not to carry guns, it is their choice, they must know best. It is rare for a Policeman/Woman to be shot in the UK. Criminals know they will be caught, the Police always catch a killer of a Policeman and when imprisoned they never ever get released.
ReplyDeleteAlmost all gun crime is drug wars related, drug gang members shoot other gang members, occasionally an innocent bystander gats caught in the crossfire, but again very rare. I watched President Obama’s speech the other night and he looked genuinely gutted and disappointed on the vote that stopped gun laws being tightened up. He stated around 40% of guns sold in America were sold with no checks made on the purchaser, this is complete madness in my opinion.
I also think the gun for self defence is a pretty weak argument. When a person becomes a victim of crime it is usally completely out of the blue, just like a traffic accident. How many people are cool enough, and fast enough, and have had the experience to shoot an attacker and take him out effectively ? Also the criminal has the element of surprise, has planned the attack, and of course has a totally different mind set to the average person.
If gun killings are to be reduced in America, change must come about, or next week, next month or maybe next year another School or College massacre will take place. More guns will not make anyone safer in America. It will take a long time to change the gun owning culture, but until you make a serious effort to bring about change, the killing of innocents will be a daily occurrence.
Regards Eddie
the people over here who want to commit such outrages will do it with bombs if they don't have guns. :-( in my opinion, the core problem over here is the pathological psychology that's currently rampant! how to solve THAT, after hearing what Sidereal and Wooo have to say about the state of psychiatric medicine, is a much bigger problem than the availability of guns.
Deleteit's very interesting to me to hear what you have to say on the subject, Eddie! hearing points of view of people in different places in the world can be extraordinarily illuminating. i appreciate your contributions, and those of others with life-experience in other countries! most of the people i know get NO "outside" perspective (especially those poor devils who listen to nothing but "Faux News").
Hi Tess
DeleteI believe great change can come, and much quicker than many realise. If I had said, not that long ago, a Blackman would be President of the USA, people would have said I was nuts. Or a Blackman President of South Africa, or the end of communism in the USSR, or the Berlin Wall coming down. From what I see many Americans want big changes, back President Obama and change will come.
Kind regards Eddie
:-) people COULD surprise me! ...but i never expected the ugly outpouring of "hidden racism" we're seeing now. had Obama been white he'd still be thoroughly disliked by the far right, but the extreme bullshit (birthers, Muslim nonsense, etc) would never have surfaced.
DeleteHi Tess
DeleteGood always overcomes evil. The greatest speech in history was Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” It’s taking time, but people are getting there. Just look at the monumental change in our life time.
Kind regards Eddie
at some points, it seems that it never will happen -- it's hard to be optimistic sometimes! one sees signs of societal evolution ... and then comes a flood of hateful, ignorant nonsense from people from whom one expects better! [sigh] if it weren't for a few family members and Sid, Wooo, Kim and Cow, i think i'd dump facebook!
DeleteHello Tess,
ReplyDeleteI am a "gun guy". I have had many guns go through my hands over the years. Over one hundred. I am one of those guys who does believe in gun ownership for people. I have a few now, to be handed down to my kids and for self defense. I have had one break in to our home about 25 years ago. My wife and I (and baby son at that time) went to bed and my wife went down to the kitchen and saw a person there. She ran upstairs, could barely breathe and told me. I picked up a shotgun and stood by the steps. I told my wife to call 911 and told the burglar I had a shotgun pointed down the stairs, and would shoot him if he came up to us. I also told him the police were on there way and the back door is open for him to leave. I am forever grateful he left out the back door. I have no desire to shoot anyone. But I cannot stand by and let harm come to people I love either.
This whole gun thing....I think is a can't win situation. The way I see it, is: Why do civilians need high powered magazines and assault weapons. Sure, they are fun to shoot at the range, but we don't need them. High powered magazines? And the so called back up guns? I know people who carry two guns on their body most times. I always think like the famous Jeff Cooper said "How many bad guys do they think they are going to kill?" I do not see what the problem is for gun owners to have to wait three days (or a month!) for background checks. Whats the big hurry? Gun shows are what the NRA is trying to protect. They are notorious for selling weapons quickly and sometimes without thorough background checks. I can see that some buyers sell a hard to find item and want it then and there, but there are other ways to purchase that gun without foregoing the background check. I think the whole issue is lost in politics now. It's the new Roe VS Wade. Just my thoughts on the subject....