Are you packing heat?

[skeptik]

If someone came into my house I would follow the drill layed out in the gun saftey classes I took, not engage them:

• Grab my gun
• Head for the bathroom, in my bedroom, and lock the door
• Call the police and let them know where I am in the house and that I'm armed
• Put my wife between the back wall and I, with my gun fixed on the bathroom door
• Of course, the intuder would first need to kick in my bedroom door and deal with my rottweiler.

This is a perfectly legitimate and acceptable case of having a gun in the house, but I honestly question the number of people who would wield it so responsibly instead of trying to take on the intruder.

 

[Doom]

Police do carry guns pretty much everywhere though except for some britons unless I'm mistaken.

Yeah, even police don't have guns here. Just a good old fashioned baton!

 

[grazim]

[/LIST]This is a perfectly legitimate and acceptable case of having a gun in the house, but I honestly question the number of people who would wield it so responsibly instead of trying to take on the intruder.

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcdgeff.html

 

[cthulufhtagn]

If someone came into my house I would follow the drill layed out in the gun saftey classes I took, not engage them:

• Grab my gun
• Head for the bathroom, in my bedroom, and lock the door
• Call the police and let them know where I am in the house and that I'm armed
• Put my wife between the back wall and I, with my gun fixed on the bathroom door
• Of course, the intuder would first need to kick in my bedroom door and deal with my rottweiler.

Zod

cheers to responsible gun ownership. people should need to prove their responsibility in order to handle a gun...you have to pass a test to get a driver's license, why should a gun be different?

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcdgeff.html

For confrontational burglarly, attacking with a gun had the second lowest loss rate of sixteen self-protection measures, bested only by another mode of armed self-protection, threatening the offender with a nongun weapon.

err...
well you present some good information. guns themselves don't cause crime, but their easy availability doesn't help. what i don't understand is, why responsible gun owners would be against gun-control measures like a waiting period, bans on certain types of weapons, etc.

 

[General Zod]

...and still, in America you have more guns and more crime. Weird, huh?

Only wierd if you choose not to look below the surface. Lott's book doesn't recommend more illegal guns, which is where the largest percentage of the problem stems from. According to stats from the Department of Justice's web site:

According to the 1997 Survey of State Prison Inmates, among those possessing a gun, the source of the gun was from:

• a flea market or gun show for fewer than 2%
• a retail store or pawnshop for about 12%
• family, friends, a street buy, or an illegal source for 80%

Only 12% purchased their gun legally. And I'm going to bet that a large part of these guns were originally purchased in states like Georgia, where you need only to walk into a gun store with a driver's license to purchase a gun. I've always favored mandatory waiting periods + state and federal background checks.

Compare to Canada if Sweden feels too alien.

No one is arguing that there's a problem in this country. Clearly there is. However, how did prohibition work out? How has the illegalization of drugs worked out? How has making prostitution illegal worked out? Banning something, doesn't get rid of the problem.

Zod

 

[skeptik]

I think banning firearms would be just as effective (read: stupid) as giving everyone guns so they're all armed 'for protection.' I agree, what we need is stricter policies regarding who can obtain firearms. Walking into a Walmart with a driver's license and buying a gun? That's pretty fucking frightening.

 

[Demilich]

I think banning firearms would be just as effective (read: stupid) as giving everyone guns so they're all armed 'for protection.' I agree, what we need is stricter policies regarding who can obtain firearms. Walking into a Walmart with a driver's license and buying a gun? That's pretty fucking frightening.

You know whatever regulations are implemented can and will be circumvented by those with the time, resources and know-how to do so.

 

[cthulufhtagn]

hey, you're right. fuck it, why bother having laws at all?

 

[Demilich]

I think what I'm getting at here is this:

LEGALIZE MARIJUANA OR I'LL SHOOT!

 

[General Zod]

I think banning firearms would be just as effective (read: stupid) as giving everyone guns so they're all armed 'for protection.' I agree, what we need is stricter policies regarding who can obtain firearms. Walking into a Walmart with a driver's license and buying a gun? That's pretty fucking frightening.

We actually have an absurd number of gun laws in the U.S. What we probably need is for rrequirements to be set federally. For instance, I live in NJ. From the time I went to the police station and filled out the form for a Federal Firearms ID, it was 100+ days before I go it. I then had to go back to the police station and request a permit for each firearm I want to purchase. My buddy lives in Atlanta. He walked into the store and said, "I'll take that one.".

Zod

 

[Hell Mike]

No one is arguing that there's a problem in this country. Clearly there is. However, how did prohibition work out? How has the illegalization of drugs worked out? How has making prostitution illegal worked out? Banning something, doesn't get rid of the problem.

Zod

As far as I know, we have less than you in all these categories so yeah, "government says" doesn't mean this or that, but raising people with some common fucking sense is the key... Dunno how america as a whole is supposed to do that though (I suspecs most americans do though... but that's not many enough)

Strict rules would be a nice first step, I don't see a reason for the good guys to be against them... Who does?

 

[JayKeeley]

So I don't imagine shooting someone is easy. I don't think it's just a matter of aiming and shooting, right?

Even mafia hitmen have gone on record to say their first hit was very difficult and completely nauseating.

I can't imagine killing anyone....but if my life was being threatened....phew, this is a tough one. I suppose America is altogether fucked because they legalized guns in the first place and obviously can't control illegal firearms, so the solution is to let everyone have guns and level the playing field! Hooray!

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

When in a state of psychosis you would be amazed what you can do.

 

[JayKeeley]

I remember when Britain enforced a gun amnesty in the early 90's and a bunch of people went to hand in their firearms in to the local police offices, and most of the guns were old remnants from WW2 and even WW1. All broken and rusty. I think one guy even handed in an old nazi grenade stick.

 

[JayKeeley]

When in a state of psychosis you would be amazed what you can do.

It's kinda like the opening credits to "The Incredible Hulk" when they witness that petite-yet-frantic woman lifting a car to its side to get her child out of the burning flames....and David Banner realizes he can reproduce that strength through gamma rays....and the rest is history!!

 

[Russell]

1. The overwhelming majority of gun crimes are committed with illegal guns. This would seem to indicate, that by making guns illegal, the only people who would be left with guns are the criminals.

According to the news in the UK they found a receipt for the gun used in the Virginia shooting in the student's room. While I'm sure you're statistics are correct, it seems - in this case - the weapon was legally purchased.

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

Yes, at least one was purchashed legally, the ATF still hasnt released the information for the second weapon (the 22 I believe).

 

[General Zod]

According to the news in the UK they found a receipt for the gun used in the Virginia shooting in the student's room. While I'm sure you're statistics are correct, it seems - in this case - the weapon was legally purchased.

I'd be curious to know where the gun was purchased. Not that it matters a whole lot, but it causes some of these states to address their insane policies, maybe some good comes out of it.

By the way, has anyone heard what sort of firearm he used? Given the number of death, I had been assuming it was something automatic, which in and itself, would be illegal. It's mind-boggling to think he killed all those people with a semi-automatic.

Zod

 

[General Zod]

...raising people with some common fucking sense is the key...

I agree. Unfortunately, there's no accounting for insanity (I'm assuming this kid wasn't all there mentally). As I said earlier, I think it's cultural issue, that glorifies violence and demonizes sex.

Strict rules would be a nice first step, I don't see a reason for the good guys to be against them... Who does?

The NRA for one. They're against any "infringement" on the 2nd Amendment. I was once a member, I am no more. Their heads are up their asses.

Zod

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

I'd be curious to know where the gun was purchased. Not that it matters a whole lot, but it causes some of these states to address their insane policies, maybe some good comes out of it.

By the way, has anyone heard what sort of firearm he used? Given the number of death, I had been assuming it was something automatic, which in and itself, would be illegal. It's mind-boggling to think he killed all those people with a semi-automatic.

Zod

9 mm Semi automatic and 22 semi.