This country has so many more vital epidemics that are almost taboo to talk about while guns are always at the forefront and the most convenient cop-out. Why not focus on the poison and corrupt ethics of pharmacuticals; obesity; unemployment and dwindling economy and most importantly drug abuse epidemics. Gun control is not an epidemic.... it's the culmination of most of the things mentioned above that are the root of the countries crime and murder problems. Ceasing all guns would do absolutely jack shit unless you magically eradicated the countries poverty and drug abuse epidemic. How many murders (guns or not) are caused in direct relation to either drug abuse or poverty?
Why are pharmaceuticals not in the conversation regarding murders and murder rates? I don't know where y'all get your news but as far as I can tell, there is almost always a factor of illegal drugs or pharmaceuticals involved with murders. To make a reference to one countries murder rates to another without looking at the big picture such as poverty, drug abuse and economy is just retarded (at best).... because those are the factors that lead to crime, not having guns available.
The VT shootings and Columbine: convenient time to talk about banning guns right.. weren't the shooters on antidepressant medications? Have we not learned that that poison can create monsters?... yet, if you mention them in relation to the story, you will be sued out of submission by the pharmaceutical companies. How many mothers have we seen drown there kids in tubs and butchered their children with knives as a result of being on anti-depressents (A: all of them)? It's not OK to question the integrity of the drugs though because you will be sued.
You want to talk about numbers.... I'm pretty sure more people are killed by alcohol and drunk driving than by firearms. Should we lump in banning alcohol into the conversation? I'd sooner see alcohol go than firearms, wouldn't the country be safer then?
Guns are just at the thin surface of all and any epidemic worth debating. They are a simple-minded cop-out for the naive masses.
I'm willing to bet that those opposed to guns talking here have little to no experience with guns. I've never heard anyone opposed to guns, who actually spent any amount of time with them. I see it as a completely ignorant, paranoid opinion.... the no further than the bloated stereo types expressed here.... it's laughable. It's like anti-gun people are coming from another planet, or they lump their whole outlook together based off of lifetime of watching COPS TV to no end.
My whole neighborhood owns guns. We're all different people, different walks of life, but all have guns. The key is, we're all law abiding people with wholesome morals.... thus is our privilage. I love the fact knowing we're all armed. It's our own form of "neighborhood watch". After Hurricane Katrina, we were all cut off from communication and there was a lot of crime, robbing and looting. Not in my neighborhood and not in any others where residents were armed.
I see a general stereotype in here that those who own guns represent a lower intelligence and lower demographics. That's simply an ignorant stereotype again expressed by those who don't really know the reality of the situation. There is a small percentage of gun rights activists who are just obsessed and you will see them at NRA meetings and all... but to assume they represent the majority of all gun owners is just stupid.
I think that anti-gun people have a pacifist attitude in a modern day minimalists-hippie kinda way and frankly I think what scares them more than knowing the next person could own a gun is the consideration for the responsibility of owning a gun themselves.
I have a concealed carry permit. I felt like I needed it because I was doing photography sessions in bad urban areas (mainly Baton Rouge and New Orleans) where on top of taking out all my expensive gear, lighting, power supplies, cameras, etc.... I was out with models, and the whole ordeal attracts a lot of attention, often the wrong kind of attention. I felt like protecting myself, all of my gear and most importantly the models. I never hoped to shoot anyone (w/ a gun - bad pun) and only hoped it'd work as a deterrence if really needed. I've been around guns all my life so am comfortable with them. I've never shot anything with fir only snakes and stuff, bottles, cans and lots of targets.
Recently here where we live, there was a jail escape by like 4 inmates in for murder. There was a HUGE manhunt for them. All were caught except for one who escaped to an older couples camp in an isolated woods area. The couple pulled up to the camp and saw the window open and a light on. Not knowing what was going on, the old man approached the camp are to see what was going on. He was met by the inmate who was approaching him with a knife taken from the camp. Well, the old guy had a pistol with him and sent the convict running. This lead to his capture as well probably saved other lives aside from themselves. Also, my brothers friend who shot a robber... probably saved innocent peoples lives. The thief was a career criminal and as you can imagine, your crime escalates as your need to feed your addiction does. This guy would have eventually killed someone.... so Rene likely saved some innocent poeple(s) lives from this already dangerous piece of shit by putting him down.
can you pacifist hippies comprehend that? How quick would that couple have been butchered had they not had the right to own a gun? Where's the logic in taking protection out of responsible, law abiding citizens hands leaving them defenseless against those are going to threaten others lives regardless?
here's the story (watch the second video for an interview w/ the armed couple):
http://blog.nola.com/tpnorthshore/20...n_trailer.html
I have a question: of all of the anti-gun people here.... how many have actually shot guns? My theory is that it's more of a fear of the unknown and inexperienced than it is rational thinking.
Quick, someone look up the rate of concealed gun carriers crime and misuse of firearms....