Let the Gun Rights Argument Begin

[Kaine]

I love guns, plain and simple.
I'm a member of the NRA and of the Army, and I love to hear political debate on the topic of guns, especially assault weapons and pistols.

I'm all for concealed carry of handguns, and the ownership of assault rifles. (I have both)

So, I want to hear everyone's opinions...and keep the name calling down so the thread doesnt get locked, but if it does, we can continue it in wasteland. Let the fun begin...

[Tank]

I give this thread until OTB sees it.

As for my opinion, I said Yes. /however, I do believe that hunting-rifles should remain legal. Things such as automatics, semiautomatics, guns and bajonets should all be made illegal. You have no need for them. So why have them?

[OnTheBounce]

I give this thread until OTB sees it.

What? Am I some goose-stepping brownshirt all of a sudden?!

As long as people keep it civil and use rational debate instead of name-calling I've no problem with it.

Let the debate begin!

OTB

[Kaine]

My quick reply:
I have an assault rifle, and, being a concientious shooter, I use it for target shooting. As for the automatics, semi's, and so on, the purpose of having them is that they are FUN to shoot and they can serve historical purposes. Also, growing up in a survivalist family, if the government does happen to collapse, i want to be prepared

[Will]

I own a hunting rifle for the occasional hunting trip, and that's it.

I think firearms are dangerous, and trigger locks should be mandantory. Assualt Rifles should not be sold at all. If they are sold, they must be sold to QUALIFIED shooters.

[Kaine]

Trigger locks are fine for trying to protect children, and i guess they work, but i believe the better method is to teach kids practical gun safety and keep them around guns...I've been around them all my life, and i have never done anything stupid with them.

As for the assault rifles, pretty much the only way to get one today is to convert them from regular rifles. Considering people have to go through background checks and such for them, the system isn't too bad. Most people today, if planning to kill people, with either get the gun closest to them or steal a handgun.

[Slider]

Its a constitutional right so, I'll say that handguns should not be banned. From what I remember it was originally put in as a check against the government. And as long as people use proper saftey, I have no problem with people having a handgun or any gun for that matter.

[Tigersclaw]

Now this is an interesting issue... In Sweden (where I live) there is a strong sentiment against the right to bear arms. (Or arm bears for that matter )

I'm not sure myself whether or not gunlaws should prohibit people to own and carry guns. There seem to be strong reasons for both cases. I used to be against "the right to bear...", but the fact is that the bad guys get weapons anyway. And I heard about a number of muggings where the victims been slashed with knives even when the nicely gave over their belongings...

Hell I don't know...

[Rat Keeng]

Now this is an interesting issue... In Sweden (where I live) there is a strong sentiment against the right to bear arms. (Or arm bears for that matter

As is in Denmark. I've never owned a gun, shot a gun even held a gun. I live next to a forest, so i have an air-rifle i use to kill mice and rats with, but that's it. Not that i think it matters if you have laws against guns, if someone wants to get a hold of a gun, it's not very hard, legal or illegal.

[Tigersclaw]

Not that i think it matters if you have laws against guns, if someone wants to get a hold of a gun, it's not very hard, legal or illegal.

Illegal = not too much problem I guess.. Legal = at least in Sweden can be a bit tricky.

My experience of weapons come from a year as a conscript. I worked with good old classics like K-pist 45B and AK-5. Also tried a 9mm pistol (don't remember model and make)

[This is Gonna Hurt]

Vote for carrying handguns...here's one situation

You know what park rangers carry in case the tranq dart they shoot at a BIG bear misses or doesn't hit right and they have to put the thing down? A .50AE desert eagle, the most powerful HANDGUN made. There are reasons these things are around.

-I see no reason to give organized crime an even larger market to play to with illegal weapons sales.

-Handguns are not the biggest problem in this country. Car accidents are. I'd rather see legislation to deal with that first.

And I just don't think 'I don't need it' is really a good enough reason to ban something. I don't NEED anything but a bed, 4 walls, a ceiling, a roof, a bathroom, facilities for cooking/clothes washing, 2 pair of clothes, shoes, etc. I HAVE quite a lot more than that.

[Phoenix]

Not that i think it matters if you have laws against guns, if someone wants to get a hold of a gun, it's not very hard, legal or illegal.

Illegal = not too much problem I guess.. Legal = at least in Sweden can be a bit tricky.

My experience of weapons come from a year as a conscript. I worked with good old classics like K-pist 45B and AK-5. Also tried a 9mm pistol (don't remember model and make)

ÅH! en svensk när och var gjorde du militärtjänst?

[Tigersclaw]

ÅH! en svensk när och var gjorde du militärtjänst?

Tjena

I1 Kungsängen / Norr om Stockholm (jag tillhörde till en början K1, som ligger i stan men också i Kungsängen) Ryckte in 1994 och muckade 1995, nästan exakt ett år senare...

[Ghetto Goose]

if they take away the guns, people will just find something else to kill people with. probably on a more destructive scale too. explosives, poison etc.

[Phoenix]

ÅH! en svensk när och var gjorde du militärtjänst?

Tjena

I1 Kungsängen / Norr om Stockholm (jag tillhörde till en början K1, som ligger i stan men också i Kungsängen) Ryckte in 1994 och muckade 1995, nästan exakt ett år senare...

ok, jag låg i strängnäs, mekb10/P10. sköt mycket med KSP 58 och Akan 20mm från PBV 302:orna

[Blarg]

I pretty much oppose banning any gun. I am a reasonably mature, responsible, taxpaying adult. I am gainfully employed, have no criminal record, etc., etc., etc., blah blah blah. Making it more of a hassle for me and people like me to buy a gun a Wal-Mart is not going to magically stop gun crime.

[Tigersclaw]

Heh... Found something related to all this in a comic that I read semi-regularly:

Smashing every argument?

Erhhh... Ok, lets try someone else instead

Basic weapons operation: Don't stand on the holey-side

[Hammer]

You know what park rangers carry in case the tranq dart they shoot at a BIG bear misses or doesn't hit right and they have to put the thing down? A .50AE desert eagle, the most powerful HANDGUN made. There are reasons these things are around.

The .50AE is NOT THE MOST POWERFUL PISTOL EVER MADE!!! you've obviously been playing too much counter-strike, pistols chambered in various casull rounds are much, much, MUCH more powerful.

Assualt Rifles should not be sold at all. If they are sold, they must be sold to QUALIFIED shooters.

Why? most crimes are not committed with expensive "assault" weapons, but rather every day firearms. People paying $1,000 for an AR-15 are not likely to go out and shoot people with it, as a matter of fact most of the shootings done were with shotguns and weapons that don't qualify under the silly "assault weapon" law.

I can own an "assault weapon" as long as I remove one of the things that qualifies it as one, for example. I can take my M14, saw off the bayonet lug and it would be perfectly legal. Does that make sense? no it does not make sense!

Senseless law like this do nothing but chip away at the freedoms we were given in the constitution, how about we enforce the ones we already have instead of making more pointless laws?

I think firearms are dangerous

No shit firearms are dangerous, but they are only dangerous if the OWNER of the firearm is IRESPONSIBLE, do you see any value in banning a certain type of firearm because one shit-bird goes out and commits a crime? I don't!

You leave a firearm on a table, it wont magically sprout legs, get up, and shoot the nearest person it sees. It needs a person to do that. Banning firearms is not the answer, since criminals will ALWAYS find a way to get them, while the responsbile, innocent gun owners of America will pay the price.

So if you people don't like firearms, FINE, I don't expect you to like them, but I do expect you to RESPECT my RIGHT to own by not insisting I am a madman, maniac, or any other harsh sterotype.

I do believe that hunting-rifles should remain legal. Things such as automatics, semiautomatics, guns and bajonets should all be made illegal. You have no need for them. So why have them?

What's wrong with bayonets? oh how silly of me, they obviously cut down on the ghetto bayonet charges during gang wars we see all the time! :roll:

As for the "you don't need them" deal, I take part in M1 Garand, M14, and Ar-15 competition shooting, so yes I do need them for that. The rifles I just mentioned are among the most accurate rifles in the world, they make sense to use in competition.

And why can't I have a semi-automatic Ak47 if I want one? it's part of history, why can't I have any of these things if I am not going to go out and shoot people?

Also, who the hell are you to tell me what I can and can't have, what I need and don't need?

[FireWolf]

frikkin madman Hammer. kidding

Right, Gun laws in UK, we dont like guns apparrently so we dont allow people to own one. yet you can talk to someone in a pub and in half an hour have hold of a fully working handgun. why is this? simple case of supply and demand. Fact is the main cause of gun crimes in the UK is drug related. as drugs become more and more common, dealers wish to protect themselves from other dealers, addicts, police, whoever. they buy a gun. more guns are imported.

however, this is not a debate about why, or who has the guns. it is whether or not guns should be legal or illegal. Responsible gun owners, fine. people check out. fine. but often things can stop reason. example: guy has a gun, finds his wife with his best mate. anger, bang."boink my wife no more".

Guns will be with us for the foreseeable future until something more fun/deadly comes around. Now my use of firearms is limited. i enjoy using them though, not shooting humans, but targets/animals/ginger people. I have access to Handguns and rifles. i am 17, I'm not socially retarded. I have morals. I couldn't come to terms with shooting another human being unless my life or my family's was endangerd by that person. why not? because i know killing is wrong.

im going off topic again. anyway, putting more and more legislation on gun ownership wherever will just make more paperwork for governments and take away from other issues like, traffic, health, police etc. Granted, make sure people are sane and know about gun safety/use by all means. but why, when someone has been allowed to use a gun, ban them from owning an assault rifle? it doesn't make sense... it's still a gun, it has the same potential for killing someone as any other gun. power doesnt really enter into it when you shoot someone point-blank in the head.

With an increasingly evil world due to drugs and other social diseases the right for a responsible member of society to protect his/her family from the rejects of this world becomes more apparrent.

probably most of what i said was bull, but lets face it. guns will be around forever and people will misuse them legally or ilegally.

[OnTheBounce]

Something I think people are overlooking in this debate is the box sitting right in front of them. Yes, I mean your PC. This is the Information Age and the PC is the standard tool in this milieu. If you want to do real damage today, don't grab a gun and go off on a shooting rampage: learn to hack and slip inside those poorly protected servers just bulging with personal information, to include credit card numbers.

Does anyone care to expound on this issue?

OTB