Private Gun Ownership

[Space05us]

When I read about The American Revolution I think the idea of private gun ownership is great.

When I read stories about people coming to the rescue and stopping some crime from continuing because they were carrying a handgun I think the idea of private gun ownership is great.

When I am sitting amongst levelheaded people discussing the matter, I think it's great.

When I hear someone pop off a few rounds in my neighborhood for seemingly no reason I cannot comprehend why we allow such morons to own firearms (chances are they aren't allowed to own them anyway). The same goes for big celebrations when the same people decide fire crackers just ain't a substitute for real gunfire!

Every time I hear the gunfire I lean more and more towards the thinking that banning private gun ownership entirely is a good idea.

It's still a good theory in my mind, but in practice what I experience and read about is almost entirely negative.

[SlowwHand]

Gun control wouldn't stop criminals from having guns. That's bottom-line.

If someone comes to take mine, I would view it harshly. That's next to bottom-line.


EDIT: This is what I meant to say.

[Joseph]

Gun control wouldn't stop criminals from having guns. That's bottom-line.

If someone comes to take mine, I'll kill them. That's next to bottom-line.

I would re-edit the " nice words" I once heard when I was still working for the gov. that we would be supprise if we knew what the FBI looks at.

[RGBVideo]

It's still a good theory in my mind, but in practice what I experience and read about is almost entirely negative.

I think Orwell and Reagan had good points wrt. gun ownership. It's an easy way to score votes among general public (especially in an urban society) by slowly moving towards a total ban and a gun-less people, but at the same time it becomes increasingly easy for the state to control the general public.

[SlowwHand]

One thing to realize is that each state would be different. In California, you might could swing a deal. In Texas, no.

[DaShi]

Space, it's probably because you live in Texas.

As for Sloww, the government is already watching him for some of his remarks about President Obama being assassinated.

[BeBMan]

These days you need private tanks to be prepared.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I think everyone who owns guns should, per the 2nd Amendment, be compelled to be part of a well-regulated militia. If nothing else, the weekly calisthenics and drilling would keep fat people from owning guns, which would get them out of most homes.

[Dr Strangelove]

I know I've posted here before about the famous poll of "Defensive Gun Use" done in the 1990s. The author calculated that personal firearms prevented some 2 million crimes/year. What wasn't emphasized was that about 25% of those who claimed to have brandished a weapon to prevent a crime claimed that they discharged their weapons during the incident, and of those 40% claimed to have hit the perp. That would add up to some 300,000 gun wounds/year. In general 10 to 25% of those injured by firearms would be expected to die, yielding a fatality rate of 30,000 to 75,000 which obviously isn't true. The author's results were questioned by physicians, so the author countered by claiming that the reason the massive number of injuries to criminals were not reflected in medical statistics is that physicians were (illegally) treating the perps on the sly, not reporting their injuries.

Can anyone see the take home lessons here?

[Felch]

Maybe people aren't as accurate as they think. In military terms, soldiers need to fire **** tons of bullets before they hit anything.

[SlowwHand]

Space, it's probably because you live in Texas.

As for Sloww, the government is already watching him for some of his remarks about President Obama being assassinated.

I only spoke of historical probability.

[Space05us]

Space, it's probably because you live in Texas.

I do not live in Texas. I live in the crime infested, commie worshipping, hippie paradise, swimming in illegal immigrants land just west of Texas.

[SlowwHand]

New Mexico?

[Dr Strangelove]

Maybe people aren't as honest as they think. In political terms, second amendment advocates need to fire **** tons of lies before they hit anything.

Fixed

Incidently, when this study was published Joe Lieberman "came out" on Good Morning America, proclaiming that his eyes had been opened and that he had become a born again supporter of the Second Amendment.

[asleepathewheel]

Getting a handgun is on my list of things to do. perhaps this fall when I get some down time.