Gun Control?

[Mr-Me-II]

Here's one I don't think has been done before....Gun Control!
You you support the right to bear arms?
Do you believe strict gun control will help stop violent crimes?

Personally I think everyone has the right to own or carry a firearm under the right conditions. It has been shown many (many many many) times that limiting or restricting firearm ownership does nothing but increase crime. Quote from an article I read this morning (linked at the end of this post) :

Vermont has the least restrictive gun-control law. It recognizes the right of any Vermonter who has not otherwise been prohibited from owning a firearm to carry concealed weapons without a permit or license. Yet Vermont has one of the lowest crime rates in America, ranking 49 out of 50 in all crimes and 47th in murders.

I live in Illinois, one of the only 2 states where unfortunately it is against the law to carry a firearm in any condition, and a permit cannot be purchased. I also live in a County within the state where I cannot purchase any "assault rifle" so called by the media, AR-15 style rifles (which are semi automatic) or any rifle with a detachable box magazine that can hold more than like 5 rounds...which limits me to WWII era rifles. I think it is VERY unfair, for example, that the Chicago Mayor has bodyguards who are armed with modern weapons, 24/7, while the average man or woman on the street would face felony charges if he or she had one for defense.

Think about it. Making it illegal to own a gun...would that really stop the criminals from getting a gun? Or does it just stop the law-biding citizen from defending themselves against the criminal. Drugs are illegal, does that stop anyone? If making things illegal actually stopped crime, wouldn't our prisons be EMPTY?

One of the gun control laws I do 100% agree with is waiting periods. I think it would be irresponsible to let someone buy a gun on the spot. I think waiting periods between 3 days and a week are defiantly a good idea, in case for example someone gets fired and wants revenge, he will have some time to THINK about it before shooting up the place. I also think fully automatic weapons are probably a bad idea and should be limited to police and military use only. There is no reason to own something that can pump out 800 bullets in a minute, you will never be mugged by an entire army.

I read a very interesting article on this topic this morning
Can Gun Control Reduce Crime? Part 1


Thoughts?

EDIT: 2400th post

[ActionJester]

Very Good Post.

I agree totally with you on most of the topics. The waiting period is the most effective way to check someone's history before selling them a firearm. However, a clean history does not always enforce that the person will have a good history after weapon purchase. Although there is no way to really enforce that, the fact of the matter is that the person who purchases the gun can use it for activities ranged from recreational shooting to committing mass murder.

I also agree on the FAM idea. There is no reason any person would need a FAM for any circumstance. I would however like to mention that I believe that our Armed Forces members should have the option to purchase any FAM at their discretion for use in the field.

[L4rk3m0n]

As has been proven in the UK/EU and lots of other countries, people can get hold of guns if they really try hard enough.

You just need to know the right people im guessing, you will find a gun on the blackmarket easily.

Its like anything such a narcotics, people will always find a way to get what they want, so strict gun control wont do anything imo. People will still go out and commit violent crimes with weapons tbh.

[Mr-Me-II]

Wheres the discussion...don't just pop in vote and leave, voice your opinion!

[Alpha]

*sigh* my bad...

I do believe strict control will help reduce gun crime but of course it will never stop it entirely. As previously mentioned, I imagine guns are quite readily available on the black market.. however, at a price!

It is illegal to own or possess firearms in the UK, I think there maybe one or two exceptions where licenses can be obtained. Whilst gun crime may be lower in the UK because of the restriction, knife crime is on the increase, a massive increase.

I answered no, because strict control will never STOP gun related crime.
Also lets not forget that whether defending yourself or not, a gun crime is a gun crime and anyone commiting such an offence will generally be punished accordingly.

[deathscythe04]

gun control wont help because criminals will do what criminals do and want..... meanin they will obtain what they want when they want where they want and what ever cost it takes

[kennh]

Don't need gun control
....
Just stop making guns
OR
Give everyone in the world a copy of CS so they can shoot each others brains without getting arrested

[Mr-Me-II]

Originally Posted by kennh

Just stop making guns

Good luck telling that to all the armies of the world

[cpnichol]

I really don't understand this obsession you seem to have with guns in the US.

As for the question the only answer is no, gun control won't stop gun crime totally, especially in a country that is awash with guns already like the US. Guns are pretty much illegal in the UK and we still get gun crime, mostly from illegally held guns but our 2 worst gun massacres (Hungerford and Dunblaine) were done with legally owned weapons. They are the main reasons we have such stict gun control.

The increase in knife crime in the UK raises and interesting point, would the sort of person who will walk up to someone and stick a knife in them also be the type of criminal that would want to own and use a gun? I think they would, stabbing someone is a lot messier and riskier way to try to kill someone than pointing a gun at them. That suggests to me that guns aren't as easily available in the UK as we are being told and that our gun control laws are keeping guns out of the hands of at least some criminals.

Gun control needs to have a point, no point restricting access to guns if it doesn't solve any of the gun related problems. So if you have strict gun control but do nothing about the illegal guns and have an active black market in guns, you will acheive very little.

There are some very serious problems caused by guns and gun control can reduce these if properly used and implemented.

[Raven]

I agree with Phil....

No "weapon" control will ever really stamp out crime using it.

We have a really strict gun control policy over here and yet, gun crime is still fairly common.

Knife crime is massively on the increase here and I get the feeling that, if we weren't as strict with our gun laws, numerous of these crimes would end up as gun crimes.

[XTR3M3]

The thing that always slays me is people that think guns are the problem. People were murdering other people eons before guns were invented. I doubt someone was running around in King Arthur's time saying they were anti-bow and arrow. Raven's post says it all....knife crime is on the rise....so have the UK ban knives or put strict control on that. Then it would be stick beating would be on the rise....and then...and then...

No gun, knife or bow and arrow ever jumped up off a shelf, went looking for someone and "pulled their trigger" all by themselves. Sex and automobiles kill more people in the US then guns do. Do we ban those? Let's just bubble wrap everyone and take all sharp objects away. pfft!

I am for stricter gun ownership laws that make it more difficult for people that shouldn't have guns to get them. I also support REALLY harsh penalties for those that illegally have guns. People that follow all the gun laws have never been the problem. Our country was founded with these rights and the founders believed it so important that the only ammendment to the constitution they felt was more important was free speech.

Most people that are for blanket gun control fall into one or both of 2 categories: Afraid and/or ignorant. Too many of them make up their mind based on movies or the sensationalist media whose motto is "If it bleeds, it leads"....or are afraid the "boogyman" is going to come shoot them.

I personally have 4 pistols and 4 rifles. I use them responsibly. My friends use theirs responibly. We will report people that are using a gun dangerously.

To close, an old saying comes to mind; "It is better to have them and not need them, than it is to need them and not have them."

[Fat-Tony78]

If people are going to stop killing with guns? Then what other sick way are their twisted minds going to come up with? Maybe going back to torture days? Or worse than that? Personally i think one shot to the head to finish is much less painful than other things that could happen. And i agree with what Xtr3m3 says; nobody will be able to baby proof the world though.

[edge]

I agree.. an alternative weapon would be found quickly enough..

What do you think triggers the need for someone to take the life of another ?