Hello, I'm an American Gun owner.

[MechaMoose]

A firearm which was stolen from a legit owner that did not secure it properly. Having gun control does not mean banning them, it means owning them responsibly.

sadly most advocates of gun control want a all out ban. Me personally I'm all up for more classes being required people need to learn to respect the gun before using it.

[Raidenx]

A firearm which was stolen from a legit owner that did not secure it properly. Having gun control does not mean banning them, it means owning them responsibly.

Many people, especially on this site, think it does mean banning them. Gun control proponents need to be specific.

[Deleted]

Personally i have no issue with people owning guns (I'm in the UK and i think they should make gun ownership more like the USA, i also think the police should be armed but with the right laws and punishment in place for those that abuse).

I think the problem with the media is they always focus on the bad because doing a newsreport on how someone did something good with guns would send the wrong message or not be interesting.

Like with the police, nobody reports when they do good, but everyone is ready to line up to stab them in the back when they make 1 mistake.

[Boomcats]

Personally i have no issue with people owning guns (I'm in the UK and i think they should make gun ownership more like the USA, i also think the police should be armed but with the right laws and punishment in place for those that abuse).

I think the problem with the media is they always focus on the bad because doing a newsreport on how someone did something good with guns would send the wrong message or not be interesting.

Like with the police, nobody reports when they do good, but everyone is ready to line up to stab them in the back when they make 1 mistake.

Quoted for truth.

Also people who want to ban guns and point to gun violence as the reason often neglect the "other violent crimes" that are much higher in countries.

[Deleted]

Everytime this post is ignored it'll only get longer.

Simple question, if the criminals robbing your home doesn't have access to guns, as is the case in most of western europe, why would you need that gun for protection?

ITT: We need guns to protect ourselves from the guns that the bad guys stole from us.


As a dane I will never understand that concept. We don't own guns, as a general rule, the bad guys have very limited access to guns as well, and the guns they do have they rarely use, or use only against other "bad guys" as pretty much any illigal gun in Denmark belongs to some gang.

I also don't understand the reasoning that you need guns to protect yourself against your own nation/military. As far as I know, correct me if I'm wrong, you're are still a democracy. Meaning you elect whoever gets in there, and they have limited power with which to start killing off its own citizens. Frankly I just don't see that happening, ever.
If you can't trust a democratically elected government to protect you, then why do we even bother with that system?


Mihalik made a great post that was for the most part ignored, I think it deserves to be posted again, would really love it if the untouched points in his post could be addressed, specifically, why do you have to own that gun, if no body else have a gun as well?


Originally Posted by Mihalik
OP good for you.

Now I'm a European coming from a place where you literally never see firearms unless it's a military parade or the police are wearing it. Today I live in another European country where the situation is pretty much the same. Altought there is one difference. This country has a strong hunting culture. (Hey the King's 10 year old grandkid shot himself in the foot while hunting under parental supervision!) Regardless. You literally never EVER see firearms. Criminals don't have acces to it. Usually when police raids go down there are no shoot outs. Ever. Even the local terrorist organization is largely unarmed. They resort mostly to the use of home made bombs or hunting rifles. You don't ever see them running around with assault rifle's, submachine guns etc. So whenever anything goes down the police completly outgun the shit out of anyone, usually completly avoiding the use a violence, thanks to the intimidation factor, you are not likely to go up against a police fireteam in kevlar with assault rifles if all you have is a really long knife a replica katana and a piece of crap buckshot.

The point is this.

What is a firearm?

It is a tool designed to kill or wound. It is not useful for anything else. You can't build houses with it, can't work your land with it, can't cook food with it etc. etc.

It is designed to kill and main. Animals or other people. If we would have to go out and hunt for our lunch every day like our ancestors have, I would get the reason for needing to own one. But we don't. We get our food from farms and ranches and we hunt them in our local supermarket.

In our day and age could you have a gun? Sure why not? I can think of a good couple of reasons.

You are a sports shooter.
You are a collector.
You hunt for a sport (I think this is stupid, but who am I to judge.)

None of the above justify you owning functional and loaded automatic, semi automatic or such pistols, rifles, submachine guns etc. etc.
None of the above justify you being able to transport a loaded firearm.

The fact is guns are bad. There are no "good" uses for a gun. Even when the police is forced to use a gun, it is a horrible situation. It happens because there is no other option, because they often need to take lives to save others. It's a no win situation. Everytime a person is shot, innocent or criminal a life is taken, without due process (if you are a fan of the death sentence). And death is always final. You can't repent, change your mind or anything. And also mistakes happen.

You can't argue that living in a unarmed society is more unsafe then living in a armed one. Most European countries have very strict gun control laws and much higher public safety then most of the United States.

I studied for 2 years in the States. And I have to tell you I have been in many more violent situations or borderline violent situations then during my 2 years of studies in London. (And believe me London is not a shining star of public safety by European standards.)

Now there is one final fact.

I don't think the US will ever be a gun free society. For cultural and practical reasons.

When you have so many guns in a society like in the US, once you try to implement gun control only the honest folk would give up their guns. So on the short term public safety would drop. It would be a decades long period untill law enforcement would be able to bring illegal guns under control.

[Deleted]

There are a great deal of gun owners in this country who recognize that it is THEIR responsibility to protect their home, family, and self.

What makes you think it's a good idea to leave that responsibility to individuals who haven't had proper training in the use of firearms?

Time at a firing range doesn't compare with the stress of a real emergency.

[kays]

if everyone started killing with baseball bats, would we start banning baseball bats? instruments in an orchestra dont sit there and make music, no, the people playing them make the music its just people want to blame things on inadamant objects instead of realiszing the real problem the thing behind the gun pulling the trigger making the decision to shoot the gun. Like really the gun wants to murder someone, no it isnt alive so how is it the guns fault? give me on legitmate arugement saying how the gun is at fault.

[Gamdwelf]

You do not need handguns for any reason.
You only need a rifle/shotgun for hunting.
You do not need them for home protection.
Get a security system. Can't afford one? Get a sticker/sign that says you do. Works just as good.

robberies are on the rise of people who have security systems, because it still takes the cops a while to get there and people assume that if you have enough money for a security system you have stuff worth stealing.

[kays]

dont need a hanfgun for any reason, lol youre as ignorant as a stone. sport shooting, target shooting, self defense, display. I just named 4 reasons, so the rest of your arguement is invalid for that and because i read it and it made my brain hurt.

[Deleted]

if everyone started killing with baseball bats, would we start banning baseball bats? instruments in an orchestra dont sit there and make music, no, the people playing them make the music its just people want to blame things on inadamant objects instead of realiszing the real problem the thing behind the gun pulling the trigger making the decision to shoot the gun. Like really the gun wants to murder someone, no it isnt alive so how is it the guns fault? give me on legitmate arugement saying how the gun is at fault.

Guns are the problem, and so are the people who use them, atleast, a lot of people who use them.

Also, don't compare a gun to a baseball bat. A gun is made to injure or kill someone, a baseball bat isn't.

[kays]

Guns are the problem, and so are the people who use them, atleast, a lot of people who use them.

Also, don't compare a gun to a baseball bat. A gun is made to injure or kill someone, a baseball bat isn't.

some knives are made to kill people too. in the UK less gun murders more knife murders. If someone wants to kill someone enough to shoot and kill them they will find something else to kill them with. the problem is people wanting to kill other people in the first place.

[Gamdwelf]

Guns are the problem, and so are the people who use them, atleast, a lot of people who use them.

Also, don't compare a gun to a baseball bat. A gun is made to injure or kill someone, a baseball bat isn't.

baseball bats are made with the intention of hitting things, and for no other purpose. They should be banned accordingly, only professionaly trained baseball players should be able to own one.

[kays]

baseball bats are made with the intention of hitting things, and for no other purpose. They should be banned accordingly, only professionaly trained baseball players should be able to own one.

^^ true

[Auloria]

Everytime this post is ignored it'll only get longer.

Simple question, if the criminals robbing your home doesn't have access to guns, as is the case in most of western europe, why would you need that gun for protection?

For example, guns can be an equalizer for a woman who finds herself in such a situation. Physically, she has no chance.

[Deleted]

some knives are made to kill people too. in the UK less gun murders more knife murders. If someone wants to kill someone enough to shoot and kill them they will find something else to kill them with. the problem is people wanting to kill other people in the first place.

I know, then I'll add something else. Guns can kill people from a distance, knives can't, also, a lot of knives aren't used to kill, atleast, that's not their main purpose.

baseball bats are made with the intention of hitting things, and for no other purpose. They should be banned accordingly, only professionaly trained baseball players should be able to own one.

Oh yes!

I'm going to buy a baseball bat right now to hit flies, bees, hit the floor and maybe even the air!!!!!!

[Gamdwelf]

I know, then I'll add something else. Guns can kill people from a distance, knives can't, also, a lot of knives aren't used to kill, atleast, that's not their main purpose.

Oh yes!

I'm going to buy a baseball bat right now to hit flies, bees, hit the floor and maybe even the air!!!!!!

Knives can diffidently kill people from a distance.

[belfpala]

Knives can diffidently kill people from a distance.

That takes some actual skill....

Guns are just point and click. Any idiot can do that.

[Raidenx]

Everytime this post is ignored it'll only get longer.

Simple question, if the criminals robbing your home doesn't have access to guns, as is the case in most of western europe, why would you need that gun for protection?

You can keep pasting your hoplophobic platitudes all you want (ignoring the fact that you can't get rid of guns on the black market when there are so many already here). The simple fact is that people enjoy the freedom to buy whatever they want to defend themselves, hunt, or go to the range with. Sorry if you cannot trust your fellow citizens to wield weapons if they so choose. More freedom is always better than less.

The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand, arms, like law, discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as well as property. The balance of power is the scale of peace. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside. Horrid mischief would ensue were one-half the world deprived of the use of them; for while avarice and ambition have a place in the heart of man, the weak will become a prey to the strong. - Thomas Paine

[Deleted]

Knives can diffidently kill people from a distance.

Of course they do.

Now, tell me how many people can actually someone with a knife that way.

That takes some actual skill....

Guns are just point and click. Any idiot can do that.

Also what he said.

[Deleted]

Of course they do.

Now, tell me how many people can actually someone with a knife that way.

Also what he said.

Katarina anyone?