US Supreme Court upholds individual right to gun ownership

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Will
How will you protect yourself from a criminal with a gun if guns are banned?

In civilized societies the police do that. If everyone has guns, people are more likely to fire first and ask questions later. That's a recipe for disaster.

BTW, our police don't carry guns, so the criminals most often don't feel the need to either, and if they do, they are often unloaded.

It's not that we don't have guns. We have loads of guns, and I personally have fired guns (including pistols) on many occasions. You will look long and hard to find a more respected group of New Zealanders than gun owners, because they take gun safety and responsibility extremely seriously. The gun owners of New Zealand do more to enforce gun laws than the police could ever hope to accomplish. This is what happens when you make gun ownership a privilege rather than a right. People who want to keep the privilege will do all they can to stop other people from messing it up. Everybody win, except the idiots and criminals.

[tinyp3nis]

This thread makes me think of this

http://www.boingboing.net/2007/09/10/phoenix-police-burn.html

[Will9]

Originally posted by Agathon

In civilized societies the police do that. If everyone has guns, people are more likely to fire first and ask questions later. That's a recipe for disaster.

Too often the police can't arrive in time and in some places in the states calling the police is the most dangerous thing you can do. BTW, if everyone had guns, people would be much less likely to pull a gun in the first place.

I would like to make one thing clear, I don't own a gun, but I am from Memphis and can easily see why someone like to keep one near where they sleep.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Will


Too often the police can't arrive in time and in some places in the states calling the police is the most dangerous thing you can do. BTW, if everyone had guns, people would be much less likely to pull a gun in the first place.

I would like to make one thing clear, I don't own a gun, but I am from Memphis and can easily see why someone like to keep one near where they sleep.

You know what, I've changed my mind. Every American, even children, should have the right to own any sort of weapon whatsoever. Hopefully you'll all shoot each other dead and rid the world of your stupidity for good.

Dumbest people on the planet... no contest.

[tinyp3nis]

There should be a contest like that.

[Berzerker]

Me and my friend almost got our heads blown off when we handed a loaded gun to this women I was dated who, by the way, eventually became my wife.

Hmm...who would have figured you for a Darwin Award?

Wrt the topic, there is only one right mentioned in the 2nd Amendment to the Bill of RIGHTS - and that is the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It aint the right of the militia to keep and bear arms, that was already established in the main body of the Constitution.

[TheStinger]

From my perspective the attachment to the right to bear arms comes formt the belief that without individuals having weapons the evil brits would have won, this is of course nonsense. The British were defeated by armies not be individuals firing muskets from their front doors.

If everyone had guns to start off with thats an advantage but it was not in any way decisive

[Berzerker]

that was one of the problems they had fighting the Brits, not enough people with guns.

[BeBMan]

Haven't you guys seen "The Patriot"

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Agathon
Dumbest people on the planet... no contest.

And yet we are the cultural capital of the world (Hollywood, Coca-Cola, etc)... so what does that make you?

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by Lorizael


Wow, you're more predictable than RoboCon.

Where's the handgun smiley? I demand my right to bear arms smilies on Poly!

[MOBIUS]

Originally posted by TheStinger
From my perspective the attachment to the right to bear arms comes formt the belief that without individuals having weapons the evil brits would have won, this is of course nonsense. The British were defeated by armies not be individuals firing muskets from their front doors.

If everyone had guns to start off with thats an advantage but it was not in any way decisive

Actually, even worse - the Brits were defeated by the French!

Still, let the dumb****s have their guns if they want them...

[Whoha]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Can anyone give me a legal reason why this wasn't a 9-0 decision?

selective incorporation and assuming that the 2nd applies only to the national government.

To me it seems obviously possible to make a case that there are limits to the right to bear arms. For instance, why can't private citizens own F-22s with Mavericks or buy Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The government won't sell either to private citizens .

[OzzyKP]

Originally posted by DinoDoc
Can anyone give me a legal reason why this wasn't a 9-0 decision?

Highly politicized.

The 5 in favor were all conservatives, the 4 against were all liberals. It couldn't be any more clear cut to me, but not all justices decide cases based solely on the Constitution (i.e. their job). They put their finger in the air and see which way the wind is blowing. Which is the job of the legislature, not the SCOTUS. But I digress..

I'm glad for the result but am also disappointed it was only a 5-4.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by MOBIUS
Actually, even worse - the Brits were defeated by the French!

Pure insanity. The French have never won a war.