Mega-Thread: Gun Control Thread

[Elegiac]

I understand that. Let's get away from the word need then. Why is it that people want guns?

Some people collect them. Some people enjoy shooting them for leisure or for sport. Some people hunt with them, and others carry guns for self-defense (myself included).

[Torunscar]

Some people collect them. Some people enjoy shooting them for leisure or for sport. Some people hunt with them, and others carry guns for self-defense (myself included).

Let's pretend for a second that the U.S government disarmed every single civilian in a massive gun buy-back/amnesty whereby even criminals could hand in all illegal firearms and guns perhaps used in crimes, no questions asked; and did so.

Would you still feel the need to carry a gun for self defence?

What I'm getting at is; is your desire to carry a firearm for self defence because your potential attacker most likely is as well? Do you just want a level playing field?

[Elegiac]

Let's pretend for a second that the U.S government disarmed every single civilian in a massive gun buy-back/amnesty whereby even criminals could hand in all illegal firearms and guns perhaps used in crimes, no questions asked; and did so.

Would you still feel the need to carry a gun for self defence?

What I'm getting at is; is your desire to carry a firearm for self defence because your potential attacker most likely is as well? Do you just want a level playing field?

Yes. The times I have almost been mugged have generally been with knives.

And that is also part of the problem; if you ban guns, the only people who have guns are criminals.

Also, I collect service rifles. Don't touch my collection. >: |

[lockedout]

Let's pretend for a second that the U.S government disarmed every single civilian in a massive gun buy-back/amnesty whereby even criminals could hand in all illegal firearms and guns perhaps used in crimes, no questions asked; and did so.

Would you still feel the need to carry a gun for self defence?

What I'm getting at is; is your desire to carry a firearm for self defence because your potential attacker most likely is as well? Do you just want a level playing field?

So the government disarms everyone but one person?

[Torunscar]

And that is also part of the problem; if you ban guns, the only people who have guns are criminals.

This is true, but if you were to be held at gun point by a criminal and asked to hand over your wallet, is doing so not the safest and most sensible course of action? Maybe losing a few hundred dollars of cash but you get home safe albeit a little shaken. If however you were to draw your gun on the criminal would that not just result in a shoot-out and almost inevitably someone dieing?

[Grizzly Willy]

Let's pretend for a second that the U.S government disarmed every single civilian in a massive gun buy-back/amnesty whereby even criminals could hand in all illegal firearms and guns perhaps used in crimes, no questions asked; and did so.

Would you still feel the need to carry a gun for self defence?

What I'm getting at is; is your desire to carry a firearm for self defence because your potential attacker most likely is as well? Do you just want a level playing field?

I don't own a weapon, but I can understand why one would feel safer with one. If it's me versus a guy with a knife, I would probably lose. If I was proficient with a fire arm and it was an even playing field, I would be better suited to hold my own, assuming that I was able to act in time. In cases of home defense, owning a gun would be even more viable a means of self defense, as you would (conceivably) have more time to react.

[Elegiac]

This is true, but if you were to be held at gun point by a criminal and asked to hand over your wallet, is doing so not the safest and most sensible course of action? Maybe losing a few hundred dollars of cash but you get home safe albeit a little shaken. If however you were to draw your gun on the criminal would that not just result in a shoot-out and almost inevitably someone dieing?

Well, for starters I don't carry cash. Secondly, it would depend on the circumstances.

[Torunscar]

Well, for starters I don't carry cash. Secondly, it would depend on the circumstances.

I'm actually not one way or the other on gun control in the U.S, but my point is that in my experience criminals will rarely shoot and/or kill someone if they have them beat in a rock-paper-scissors weapon match, i.e. holding up a service station with a defenceless attendant. Put a gun in the hands of that attendant and someone gets shot dead.

[lockedout]

someone gets shot dead.

If this were the case less service stations would be getting robbed. Might have a few dead scumbags.

[ugotownd]

I'm curious ugotownd; what do you need an "assault weapon" for?

I need an assault weapon because I want one and I have the money to buy them. It's not your need to tell me or any other gun owner why the fuck we can't have one. Do I come out and say why do you need WoW.

I happen to own 3 AR's along with several other weapons that douche bags like Feinwhore and King Obama want to take. It's def the law abiding owners that they should go after no doubt. Joke by the way.

I can see all the little gangsters rushing to turn in there guns. Actually they would since they will give them 200 for a pistol then they can go buy another for 50 bucks and pocket the change. You really should at least research street life if you have no idea how it really is. I've lived in several big cities I know how easy access to illegal guns and anything else underground is. The media just sugar coats bullshit for you to believe that's it everyday people doing all the killings.

[Templar 331]

If this were the case less service stations would be getting robbed. Might have a few dead scumbags.

I'd have to agree with this. Several gas stations in my town were robbed and the clerks shot. Now if the clerks had a gun, they still might get shot, but would have the chance to shoot back. And I have no problem with an armed robber getting shot.

[Eroginous]

Every country has people that are mentally not well and have crazy dreams about going on a murderous rampage.

Not every country let these people have guns.

I don't think you should imply that all people who are mentally ill want to go on a murderous rampage. The majority of gun violence doesn't involve people who want to go on a rampage. Many of those people have their back against the wall and are lashing out for lack of a better option, many of which are people who are suffering from undiagnosed/misdiagnosed mental illness.

We can go and do all these different things to ban guns, which inadvertently affect people who are responsible law abiding citizens, or we can address the causes of these people's problems and nip the whole thing in the bud.

[Deleted]

I'd have to agree with this. Several gas stations in my town were robbed and the clerks shot. Now if the clerks had a gun, they still might get shot, but would have the chance to shoot back. And I have no problem with an armed robber getting shot.

You only escalate the situation by bringing more guns into play. The clerks are getting shot because the robbers consider the clerks a threat, because some clerks brought a gun into play and shot a previous robber. It's better to decrease cash holdings, promote creditcard/debitcard usage or use an automated cash system so the robbers will be less inclined to rob the store. No money = No robbery...

[ugotownd]

You only escalate the situation by bringing more guns into play. The clerks are getting shot because the robbers consider the clerks a threat, because some clerks brought a gun into play and shot a previous robber. It's better to decrease cash holdings, promote creditcard/debitcard usage or use an automated cash system so the robbers will be less inclined to rob the store. No money = No robbery...

Wow wakeup out of your little world. Clerks aren't getting shot because there a threat. There shot because most of the time one they refuse to give them the money. Two the thieves don't care and kill them so there not identified. Now if you were the thief your telling me you wouldn't have second thoughts about robbing a place knowing they might have a gun that can kill me compared to ahh i know they have no weapon let me go in here and get some money for some weed and forties.

Most gas station push you away from credit cards since they lose money on them. Stations around here charge 10-15 cents more per gallon if your pay by CC. Next who is going to pay for these fancy systems your trying to promote. Hard as it is to believe gas stations make very little money on gas sales only a few cents per gallon.

[Razaz]

The government doesnt want to take away your guns because they think it will solve the shooting problems. They want to take away your guns because they know eventually we will get sick of their shit and revolt. They cant have total control over us if we can still arm and defend ourselves.......

[Grizzly Willy]

The government doesnt want to take away your guns because they think it will solve the shooting problems. They want to take away your guns because they know eventually we will get sick of their shit and revolt. They cant have total control over us if we can still arm and defend ourselves.......

We can't defend ourselves now. Modern military tech far outclasses civilian weaponry.

[Payday]

The government doesnt want to take away your guns because they think it will solve the shooting problems. They want to take away your guns because they know eventually we will get sick of their shit and revolt. They cant have total control over us if we can still arm and defend ourselves.......

Dead horse is dead.

[Cthulhu 2020]

Most criminals with guns are reluctant to use them. A homicide gets far more authorities involved than a simple robbery.

[ugotownd]

Most criminals with guns are reluctant to use them. A homicide gets far more authorities involved than a simple robbery.

True hell Chicago police wont even come if you call 911 for a robbery. I'll use the huff since its approved by the antiguns of the thread as a ligitimate source.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2611451.html

Lol Yilar you come on here making all these crazy ban guns it will save the world and you have a pic of Obama shooting a shotgun. Really. You do know that pic was taken to just shut people up. He isn't even skeet shooting.

Great speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdhXSj-DL1A

[Eroginous]

You only escalate the situation by bringing more guns into play. The clerks are getting shot because the robbers consider the clerks a threat, because some clerks brought a gun into play and shot a previous robber. It's better to decrease cash holdings, promote creditcard/debitcard usage or use an automated cash system so the robbers will be less inclined to rob the store. No money = No robbery...

I'm sorry, but someone coming into a gas station waving a gun around, demanding money and whatever else, is already an escalated situation. From that point whether or not a clerk lives and dies is a split second decision within the perp's mind. It's not like the clerk is going to live if he wasn't armed, and die if was. No, that robber already has an idea of how everything is going to go down once he's made up his mind to rob a place. As soon as that clerk is staring down the barrel of a gun, his fate is balanced on the head of a pin.

Don't you think that the clerk deserves to die with a little dignity? Defend himself and potentially prevent some random asshole from killing him over a few bucks? Or is he supposed to be an easy target? Is that what the Liberal agenda is? Turn everyone into an easy target, so we can use those statistics to push for more strict regulations on guns?

The reality of life is that shit happens. People decide to engage other people in violence, and you likely can't trust everyone, especially the people you don't know who might be targeting you in a violent crime. Your personal safety is YOUR responsibility. So if you value your life, your stuff, and your loved ones, you'll take your safety more seriously and stop preaching about the removal of guns from our society (which is ridiculous and impossible, at best).