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.

Just curious

Janine

valinors_sorrow

I have thought a great deal about violence and I have a hypothetical solution (that works but won't be used LOL) for consideration. Let's say you're dealing with a group of people where a fight broke out. What I would do is severely punish the person who threw the first punch. It is important to recognise everyone's need for self defense so I would let everyone else off the hook. Now I know that some of them were not using self defense but rather used the fight breaking out as an excuse to initiate some action of their own. But trying to sort those out from the true self defenders is a "rumplestiltskinian" task so I wouldn't even attempt it.

Now with the first person being severely punished, the incident of fights breaking out would be curtailed. The level of punishment for the first offender could be raised until it all stopped. The trouble with this is:

If we all were to vote on this solution, we would vote it down dispite its ability to solve the problem. And the reason why is because many of us can still relate to the one who throws the first punch. Some of us have reconciled our own dark side enough that we could vote for it, but not everyone. This is why Ghandi said: "We must be the change we seek in the world".

Can you imagine a world wide cease fire?

ScottGem

No, that's not what I'm saying, just as you aren't really saying you will shoot anyone who steps foot on your property (or are you really saying that?).

What you are seeing is your own paranoia about gun control. Like many who hide behind the alleged protection of the 2nd amendment, you seem to be opposed to any reasonable gun control legislation. You think that each law about gun control is an attempt to deny you of your perceived rights.

You claim to see hidden messages where I tell you there are none. Did it ever occur to you that NeedKarma is the one seeing the truth and you are the one being fooled by your own prejudices? Because that IS what's happening.

I will state my position again. I believe that Americans have a right to own firearms for sport, for hunting, for personal protection. I also believe that Americans should be required to show that they will be reasonable and responsible in the exercise of that ownership. I do not believe that firearms should be unilaterally banned.

That is my position. If you want to read anything else into it, then you are making a mistake.

NeedKarma

Scott - Stop With The Hidden Messages!!!!1111!!! You're Trying To Brainwash Me1!!!1!!!!!!

ScottGem

Hosing down Needkarma to rinse off the brain wash

earl237

People who live in the USA are lucky they have the right to defend themselves. In Canada, it is nearly impossible to own a handgun unless in a gun club and carrying one is not allowed. Even long guns must be registered and must be stored unloaded and locked in a cabinet separate from ammunition. Even unarmed people who defend themselves in their own homes from a burglar can face assault or murder charges. Even stun guns and pepper spray is not legal for civilians. I love Canada but the rules about self defence are clearly ridiculous.

NeedKarma

Because we very rarely have to self-defend ourselves. I rather like it that way.

J_9

I am now closing that thread seeing that it is a year old.

Curlyben

Meanie