The wisdom and foresight of Tomfurbs and Trish here on H.A.

[SarahG]

A few relatives of mine have been murdered in recent years (last 15), I won't go into the details because I am sure my family wouldn't want me to talk about the specifics here.

Would gun ownership have helped in their cases one way or another? It is really hard, imho, to say that gun ownership would have helped them, just as it is hard for me to say with any level of accuracy that gun control would have hindered their murderers (who in one of these incidents, were also relatives).

There are other nations with similar guns per capital stats, without the gun related violence that we have- even Moore acknowledged this. If the problem is specific to a society that is merely violence-happy, gun control really is only going to be a bandaid on the bigger issue, just as some countries have shown an increase in knife/blade related violence after engaging in stricter gun control regulations.

I'm not going to pretend to know the answer to violence & crime statistics, but I am not convinced that gun control will end violent crime anymore than the idea of prohibition ending alcoholism.

I do think a good start would be a half way decent public education (not schooling) system. Our schooling system is one that encourages its disillusioned students to drop out, in some American cities this drop out rate can exceed 75%- and that only breeds violent crime.

[trish]

I agree with SarahG in that the effect of gun control on gun violence in the U.S. would be uncertain. Of course predicting the effect would require one to specify the type of controls as well as the type of gun violence the controls are intended to influence.

The greater number of gun related injuries and deaths are due to accidents. What I advocate is laws that parallel those of the road. Gun owners should have licenses. To acquire the license the prospective owner should prove his or her competence to own a firearm via a written and a practical test. The owner should be required to renew the license on a regular basis. Just as cars have plates, firearms should also have tags.

The regulation of drivers probably doesn’t reduce the number of “autocides”. It does to a small degree reduce the number of auto-thefts. But the real point of licensing drivers and cars is to assure that drivers have a practical knowledge of the rules and practices that guarantee their own safety and the safety of others. This sort of regulation does work to reduce accidents.

[Supposing] that such controls [were] in place, I still don’t recommend that everyone go out and get a gun and a license. But they should have the right to do so. If you’re a hunter or a sportsman, then yes, of course you should pursue your hobby. But if you’re buying a gun to throw it loaded in a drawer for the occasion your house it broken into…I personally don’t recommend it. Too many accidents involve just that sort of scenario. If you’re going to toss loaded [gun] into your purse and carry it around, never quite knowing where the gun inside is pointing…I recommend against it.

Whether regulation would have an effect on the number of non-accidental gun deaths in this nation, we’ll probably never know, because it would have to be tested by regulating firearms. But we do already know regulation can reduce accidents.

[hippifried]

There’re too many people in this country whose manhood is tied to their ability to squeeze a trigger.

I wonder how much of that would disappear if the barrels acted like their dicks.

[Justawannabe]

Really enjoyed your last post Trish, a very even take on gun regulation as law, and how to do it. It's about responsible ownership as much as anything else, not just taking the guns away.

As to the home invasion scenario - rarely does someone have time to go get a gun if they are kicking in the doors. Kicking in a door goes really fast, and they tend to shoot you down if you run, as you might have a gun in their minds. Just saying, as protection, the gun usually is best if you know someone is coming, now if they appear unexpectedly.

Sean

[NYBURBS]

Really enjoyed your last post Trish, a very even take on gun regulation as law, and how to do it. It's about responsible ownership as much as anything else, not just taking the guns away.

As to the home invasion scenario - rarely does someone have time to go get a gun if they are kicking in the doors. Kicking in a door goes really fast, and they tend to shoot you down if you run, as you might have a gun in their minds. Just saying, as protection, the gun usually is best if you know someone is coming, now if they appear unexpectedly.

Sean

You ever tried kicking a door in dude? I've had to break a few down and I can tell you that most times it's not as easy as Hollywood would have you believe. That's why big burly firemen carry axes and crowbars bro. Granted it depends on a few things such as deadbolts, type of wood, and how sturdy the frame is but I just figured I'd point this out to you.

[trish]

Of course if the perps have guns they only need to shoot away the locks. Have you ever tried breaking down a door that way, NYBURBS? Entry through sliding glass doors and picture windows is even easier.

[But I digress. The point is regulation can reduce accidental gun related injuries and deaths]

[muhmuh]

I went through the online Houston newspapers looking for a shooting that matched his description. Th[e] fact that I haven’t found any doesn’t mean anything though; there was so much gun violence over just that weekend in Houston, I could’ve easily missed it. I did run across this list though. http://www.texansforgunsafety.org/houston.htm I’d like to see a more current one.

i think i have found a different shooting that involved him and his family
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,378142,00.html

[trish]

OUCH! That's one painful story muhmuh.
You should check out Potter Valley, CA on Google Street View. There's even a place in Potter Valley called Porno!

[muhmuh]

hm do they have to replace their town sign as often as the little village called "fucking" somewhere a few hundred km away from here? (they have recently welded riveted and concreted the sign to the ground)

[Tomfurbs]

Personally I think that firearms should be harder to aquire than narcotics.

But hey, I just want to keep this thread at the top of the page.


Silly gun-lovers with their silly gun-love.