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I am just curious about everyone's thoughts regarding the Second Amendment and the Right to Bear Arms. I am specifically curious to hear from those of you that live in countries that have been forced to give up your arms.
Are there more crimes now than before?
If you live in the US I am curious to find out who would willingly relinquish their personal firearms, whether used for protection or for hunting to feed families.
I know this may spur a debate, however, we had one recently in my American History class on this subject, but there wasn't anyone from a foreign country to speak up, only blogs that were posted on the internet about the rise in crime in places like England and Australia.
That is all part of it Karma. Here in the States many people use guns for recreation as well as sustinence. I have lived in remote Alaska where we needed one for sustinence. If it were taken away from me I would have been unable to feed my children.
Now that I live in the city I no longer need it for sustinence, but recreation now. I have to keep sharp in case I ever move back to the "wild" and need for food once more.
This is not just about crime. I was wondering about that too, but not solely.
The purpose of a gun is too kill. That was what it was thought up and invented for. Not air riffle shooting or what ever.
I think having the second ammendment has brought the promlem on its own.
If some one has a gun, people are going to get a gun to protect them selves from that other person with a gun, and the other person is going to get a bigger gun to protect them selves from the person who is protecting themselves from them.
Circle. Its just like nukes, once one person has one, everyone needs one for protection and deterency, and it just gets bigger and bigger.
Unfortunatly, once a law has been in place to make somthing legal, its bloody hard to make it illegal again.
It is much safer in countries where guns are illegal, as there is less want for one, less opportunity to get one, and less tolleration for them, and less in circulation.
It is true, that if someone wants a gun, they can get one. So making it legal is not going to deter those, and neither is making it illegal. But making it illegal will stop people getting them "just because".
I could never live in a country where there are nearly as many guns as dogs Protection? No. If no one had a gun, you wouldnt need the protection, and so, the whole situation has caused its self.
Well, in a sense I beg to differ. I live in a country where guns are legal. If they make them illegal then the criminals will still be able to get guns, they already do, and we will have a harder time protecting ourselves.
Also, what about food? You say guns are only to kill. I have several guns and I have never killed anything except food. While living in Alaska I had to kill Moose so that my family could eat during the winter when we were unable to grow food.
It is hard to criticize a situation unless you have lived in that situation. I could never live in a country where I did not have the right to bear arms. This is not only for protection, but for self-preservation in the aspect of sustinence.
In the beginning firearms were developed so that people could hunt for their own food, not kill other people. That came later when crime was "invented." I have never shot at or harmed another human being and never will unless someone breaks into my home and threatens my children.
Just suppose someone breaks into your home in the middle of the night and threatens the lives of your children with an illegal firearm. Don't tell me there aren't any illegal firearms, there are everywhere in this world. How would you protect your children or would you let the burglar take their lives?
I haven't read thru all the notes in this thread, but I do have a few things to add here. Oddly enough I got a call yesterday, one of the rare times I picked up a call from a number I didn't recognize. That was because the CallerID identified the caller as NRA. Sure enough it was that august organization doing a poll asking me if NY should do more to protect the 2nd amendment. My reply was that the NRA's paranoid objection to ANY reasonable gun control laws was a major problem in this country.
I will state that I have never owned a gun nor do I contemplate doing so. Though I have fired them on occassion.
I believe that people have the right to own weapons to be used for sport, hunting etc. But I firmly believe that there should be strong controls governing the purchase of such weapons. I don't recall seeing it mentioned, but the 2nd Amendment does not and never was intended to give an absolute right to owning arms. The second amendment was qualified under the the need for a well ordered militia.
As for owning guns for protection of personal property. If you ask most law enforcement professionals, I think you will be told that there is greater likelihood for the home owner to get injured or killed then the person breaking in. RD68's comment about shooting to scare is inane. If you shoot at someone and they have a gun, they are more likely to shoot back. My house was burglarized many years aog and no, that did not induce me to get a weapon.
I think research will find studies showing that countries with strict gun control have less violent crime. The Dodge City mentality went out with the Old West.
J_9,
I guess you are totally blind to the posts from us Canadians in this thread. Handguns are illegal here, crime rate is lower here. I too love my kids but I would rather raise in a place with less hate and violence. I'm not afraid of people breaking into my house 'cause it so very rarely happens. That's the same reason why you probably don't have tornado insurance.
Thats great you kill moose, but the point is guns are for killing. Ok, you kill animals, well, that could also mean humans. (im not saying you do ) Killing. They are for killing.
Yes, to go back from the stage you are at is impossible.
Every one has a gun there, because its ok to do so, and a higher persent of criminals to. That means its more likely that the guy robbing your house will point a gun at you.
In this country because it is illegal, hardly anyone has one, and hardly any "criminals" do either. So, a guy breaking into your house with a shot gun, just never ever happens. (dont quote me, hopefully you see the point though).
So, the point is, if you make it legal, as it is there, it becomes a part of peoples lives, and is used in more situations, which means it is needed to defend more situations.
In countries where it is illegal, that is the oposite.
Using it for food, thats great. Using it to shot someone because they didnt give you a wallet. Thats the problem you have. And thats because they are legal, AND incorporated into peoples lives, to a FAR greater extent to countries like england.
Quote:
Restrictive firearm legislation has failed to reduce gun violence in Australia, Canada, or Great Britain. The policy of confiscating guns has been an expensive failure, according to a new paper The Failed Experiment: Gun Control and Public Safety in Canada, Australia, England and Wales, released today by The Fraser Institute.
Quote:
Canada
The contrast between the criminal violence rates in the United States and in Canada is dramatic. Over the past decade, the rate of violent crime in Canada has increased while in the United States the violent crime rate has plummeted. The homicide rate is dropping faster in the US than in Canada.
I too agree that the laws should be tougher regarding the purchase of a firearm, however, criminals are going to buy them off of the streets or steal them, criminals are not going to purchase guns legally. There are so many laws governing the purchase of firearms right now, and they continue to change almost daily.
P.S. I don't know how to quote older posts, so I just copied and pasted the above post.
Karma, I am not blind to those of you from Canada, look at my last post that quotes Captain Forest!!
Don't need tornado insurance I don't live in a trailer. LOL
P.S. Folks this is not about bashing me!!! I am not the one who made the laws, I am one of the ones who upholds it. I am not saying who is right or who is wrong, I am merely asking for opinion.
That's a dead link. I have trouble believing that the crime rate has plummeted in the US. The higher crime rate in Canada is heavily weighted towards Vancouver and Toronto so just stay out of there and you're ok. I could probably drag up 20 links that support my view but I guess it just wouldn't matter to you. I'll just enjoy my happy safe life here.
Protection? No. If no one had a gun, you wouldnt need the protection, and so, the whole situation has caused its self.
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