The right to bear arms

[McGiver]

gunpowder was probably the most influential invention in all of human history.

[Litigious]

No guns = no gun-related deaths or injuries.

What is it about this concept that makes it so hard?

That it is true only if there are no guns at all, which will never happen, because the human nature isn't like that.

But if you could get all the guns away, the law abiding citizens', the criminals' and the cops', I could maybe, just maybe accept it, though I think it's hypocracy and fake democracy to make decisions over the heads of those concerned. If "ordinary" people wouldn't have guns, of course cops wouldn't need them either. Why would they need guns when they have their chopsticks and bare hands?

[Callaway]

No guns = no gun-related deaths or injuries.

What is it about this concept that makes it so hard?

That is a common bumper sticker argument around here for people who want to outlaw guns, Odeon.  The rebuttal, seen on many bumper stickers, is:

"When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

[Litigious]

That is a common bumper sticker argument around here for people who want to outlaw guns, Odeon.  The rebuttal, seen on many bumper stickers, is:

"When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

Like in Europe. The mafia, mostly foreigners from Russia or the Balkans, or Swedish motorcycle gangs, are the ones who are armed publically in Sweden beside the cops. The legal gun owners are cowering to keep their licenses so they can keep shooting on targets of paper in their shooting club...

Odeon should be very aware of this, since we both live near the second largets city in Sweden and he lives even closer to it than I do. It's smaller than Washington, D.C., but there is about one car bomb a week and constantly criminals threatening and blackmailing restaurant owners etc. and using hand grenades and machine guns if they don't get their money...

[Litigious]

Oh, I forgot, the worst muslim nut cases of course have arms, too. None of them have ever been seen in a shooting club. 

[QuirkyCarla]

I'm going to try to make this short, because I have a lot of schoolwork I need to get done.The right to bear arms is a very controversial issue, just like abortion, the death penalty, etc. I would appreciate if people who support the ownership of firearms not to call me dumb or imply that I'm dumb (or a "coward") simply because I disagree. As odeon said, it's best to simply agree to disagree, since no one is going to change anyone's minds. It just bothered me that litigous kept bringing it up, and McJagger mentioned it too, so that is why I decided to resurrect it and say my bit.

As I said before, I respect the opinions of those who are pro-guns; all I ask is that my OPINION be respected as well. This is a matter of opinions, not right or wrong...I don't think there is a right or wrong with controversial issues such as this one. Personally, I'm biased since as a future teacher, I care strongly about the safety of children. Did you know that in the state of New Jersey it is difficult to get a gun legally? You usually have to be a police officer orsomeone who is or used to be in the military to own a pistol. I know some people who go hunting and own shot guns, but it's pretty rare in this state, unlike the majority of the country. Also I have some online friends in New Zealand, where firearms are very illegal, and they don't see a need for them. I used to be pretty conflicted on the gun issue, and recently decided that I'm more against them.

But anyway, I've admitted I'm not trying to change anyone's mind. I'm merely defending my position, and I respect your positions as well. Just please do not insult me just because I disagree.

[Callaway]

I'm going to try to make this short, because I have a lot of schoolwork I need to get done.The right to bear arms is a very controversial issue, just like abortion, the death penalty, etc. I would appreciate if people who support the ownership of firearms not to call me dumb or imply that I'm dumb (or a "coward") simply because I disagree. As odeon said, it's best to simply agree to disagree, since no one is going to change anyone's minds. It just bothered me that litigous kept bringing it up, and McJagger mentioned it too, so that is why I decided to resurrect it and say my bit.

As I said before, I respect the opinions of those who are pro-guns; all I ask is that my OPINION be respected as well. This is a matter of opinions, not right or wrong...I don't think there is a right or wrong with controversial issues such as this one. Personally, I'm biased since as a future teacher, I care strongly about the safety of children. Did you know that in the state of New Jersey it is difficult to get a gun legally? You usually have to be a police officer orsomeone who is or used to be in the military to own a pistol. I know some people who go hunting and own shot guns, but it's pretty rare in this state, unlike the majority of the country. Also I have some online friends in New Zealand, where firearms are very illegal, and they don't see a need for them. I used to be pretty conflicted on the gun issue, and recently decided that I'm more against them.

But anyway, I've admitted I'm not trying to change anyone's mind. I'm merely defending my position, and I respect your positions as well. Just please do not insult me just because I disagree.

Those are all very good points, QuirkyCarla.  Nobody should insult anyone for having a different opinion about any issue.

Some issues I think are very emotional ones for some people, so maybe they go overboard defending their opinions about these issues.

I know I am emotional about some issues, like rape for example, and I could easily go overboard defending my opinion if someone said that they thought rape was a good idea and we should have more of it.

[Litigious]

I didn't mean to insult Carla. But like most aspies I have been bullied and I just can't stand the bad guys being in favour because the state decides that law abiding people have no right to defend themselves with the same means as the criminals have to attack them.

[Litigious]

And Sweden mostly is a nice country, despite taxes, gun laws etc. I think Carla would like it. It's the few exceptions that aren't so nice.

[Litigious]

By the way, I hadn't read the newspaper before now (it's afternoon here). An 18 year old man in Germany wounded 11 people with two shotguns on his old school and then killed himself. He additionally had explosives on him. Germany has even stricter laws on guns and explosives than Sweden...if someone is determined enough and not totally incompetent, gun laws won't help as long as there is one single gun left in the world.

[Litigious]

And like William Freund ("friend" in German, ironically enough), he had made threats about this on a web site before he did it.

[McGiver]

Carla, i do not recall calling you names for having a different point of view.  i remember +1 you for having an opinion.

[Litigious]

I didn't call her specifically a coward, either, but I called pacifists in general "cowards". I didn't mean to be rude to her personally, though.

[odeon]

Oh, I forgot, the worst muslim nut cases of course have arms, too.

They have legs, too.

[odeon]

No guns = no gun-related deaths or injuries.

What is it about this concept that makes it so hard?

That is a common bumper sticker argument around here for people who want to outlaw guns, Odeon.  The rebuttal, seen on many bumper stickers, is:

"When guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

And the police. And the army.