Not to highjack the thread but I see a lot of people who seem to have a misconception about guns. All of this hype about road-rage, etc is BS. These stories get shot (pun intended) around the world because they are sensational and serve a purpose. Guns can be used for nefarious means, but there is nothing inherently bad about guns. Concealed carry laws are less about providing people with a means to protect themselves during a robbery, etc than to provide preemptive protection. If you are a criminal would you want to set up shop somewhere where any person you attempted to attack could shoot you dead, or would you rather go somewhere where the populace is disarmed and can be robbed with a kitchen knife? It has been proven that gun crime rates go DOWN after the implementation of concealed carry and go up after the repeal of those laws. Also, those places with anti-gun laws normally have huge penalties for gun crime but are very lax on other crime. So these criminals continue robbing and raping, but get less time because no gun was involved, thereby putting them back on the street sooner for more crime.
Note that most gun crime is commited by guns gained illegally. Even countries where guns are banned have gun crime.
And also, the government doesn't want people to have guns. A populace who is at the mercy of the government for their protection also has no capability to overthrow their government should it become tyrannical. I will put up with a few yahoos who decide to use their guns stupidly rather than rely on a government that can't figure out how to balance their checkbook, let alone stop crime.
As a side note, I have been touched by this so-called "epidemic of gun violence." Fifteen years ago my brother was killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was with his girlfriend looking for a puppy when the soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law of the man with the puppies busted in "to make his ex-wife pay". Four people shot, one dead, one with a colostomy bag for the rest of his life, and the kids witnessing the entire thing (He also took his kids from the house and marched them down the street. I was only 4 doors away and saw him leaving). But you know what saved the people who didn't die? The man with the puppies owned a handgun and went for it as soon as he heard the first shot. His shots scared off the murderer before he could kill everyone. I don't own a handgun right now because I have three children and don't trust that their friends parents have taught their kids correctly.
Guns are to be respected, not feared.
Note that most gun crime is commited by guns gained illegally. Even countries where guns are banned have gun crime.
And also, the government doesn't want people to have guns. A populace who is at the mercy of the government for their protection also has no capability to overthrow their government should it become tyrannical. I will put up with a few yahoos who decide to use their guns stupidly rather than rely on a government that can't figure out how to balance their checkbook, let alone stop crime.
As a side note, I have been touched by this so-called "epidemic of gun violence." Fifteen years ago my brother was killed because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was with his girlfriend looking for a puppy when the soon-to-be ex-brother-in-law of the man with the puppies busted in "to make his ex-wife pay". Four people shot, one dead, one with a colostomy bag for the rest of his life, and the kids witnessing the entire thing (He also took his kids from the house and marched them down the street. I was only 4 doors away and saw him leaving). But you know what saved the people who didn't die? The man with the puppies owned a handgun and went for it as soon as he heard the first shot. His shots scared off the murderer before he could kill everyone. I don't own a handgun right now because I have three children and don't trust that their friends parents have taught their kids correctly.
Guns are to be respected, not feared.
* This post has been modified
: 20 years ago
