Since the other thread I started seems to be slowing down I thought I might as well start up another.
I personally am a card carrying member of the NRA. In my perfect world every human on the planet would own a weapon to defend themselves with and be trained to in non leathal gun combat. The question I pose to you the educated minds of caedes.net is either what problems to do you forsee with my perfect world or what do you think in general about gun control.

Hmmm. in a truly perfect world we would not HAVE guns; we wouldn't need them. But in the real world... as far as I am concerned it is fairly straight forward. America is a place where lots of people have guns. It also has a lot more gun violence and crime. I saw on a program once that in the UK, where police do not carry guns, there has been one policeman killed by gunfire in the last ten years; that may not be precisely correct but it was something like that, very low. I don't know what the statistic is in the US, but I imagine it is just a fraction higher. Personally I am dumbfounded by the level of gun violence in the US, and the ease with which people seem to be able to obtain them.

Agree with u sam, gun's aint helping anything..

I heard there was a state in America, that it was a DUTY to carry a gun..
is that correct?

Very good explanation,Sam and agree with u.

...here in the land of the free (USA) your life sometimes depends on your willingness to defend your self. Try living next door to a crack house. If you have a gun they will leave you alone...

U really think a gun is nessecary for that?

I think I would be dead right now if I did not have a firearm and more importantly, the willingness to defend myself by any means necessary. The police don't come when you call them. The district attorney has his head in the sand.

The war on drugs is a joke.

hmm, move to another place! and eliminated those gun's...

but u're right indeed... if it's really is like u're saying, then there are a LOT of problems in that state... or in the whole country? USA... let bush fix his own land first, before he goes for war in other country's..

America, like South Africa, has massive gun crime because it has lots of guns. I personally do not buy into the simplistic argument that you need more guns to ensure safety. This is evidently not true, since the countries that have guns are the ones with the problems.

Maybe there is a cultural issue here to consider. I wonder if America is so gung ho because of the frontier mentality. It is still a relatively young nation and one that was formed (like so many) by conflict and violence.

What is good for one country will not necessarily work elsewhere (and, by implication, vice versa). I am lucky enough to live in a country where gun crime is very low, but even so people occasionally call for more guns when there is an incident. Unfortunately this seems to tie in with human beings' propensity towards violence.

I hate to disagree but much of gun violence is caused by the victim having no means to defend themselves or the insufficient training to use a weapon properly. Perhaps my mentality can be in part blamed upon living in a area with few guns but high weapon related death.

But if someone is moronic enough to use a gun on another person, would they be dissuaded by that person also being armed? Or would they just up the ante by getting a bigger and better gun?

Perhaps the whole gun control issue is something of a red herring. I would say that an interesting area of debate would not be gun ownership (or lack of it) but the mentality that goes with it. A culture where people think it is acceptable to shoot one another needs to be tackled at the root cause (and there is a whole debate on it's own). Would more guns in such a culture reduce gun crime or escalate it further?

::Dreyn wrote: "Try living next door to a crack house. If you have a gun they will leave you alone... "

But, does that make it stop?... like: u got a gun, so, I get one 2 ? And u're neighbour @ the other side thinks: " hmm, my neighbour has a gun.. I have to watch out for him, let's buy a gun.. " The neighbour next to him thinks the same...and so on.. It don't make any sense! Okey, I know u feel much more safe with a gun, but it don't fix the problem.. If everyone thinks so, everyone is get a gun and everybody has to watch his back...

if society were perfect either way of having guns(with everyone or noone) would be perfectly fine. However, this is not the case and neither way really works. This is one of the few debates i have no opinion yet on. 'Tis very complicated.

In urban areas i think the use of guns is completely unneeded...even by the police. In a society with advanced science, tranquilizers could be used instead and take away the accidental police shooting aspect. The problem is the problem that occurs when any thing is tryed to be gotten completely rid of...illegal exportation and this will probably happen. Plus how would you know someone has a gun before they actually used it.

in rural areas it's completely different...guns /actually/ are used as a way of defense against animals..and also for sport (hunting). I come from this type rural area, I myself know of very little gun violence...mainly due to the fact that most people know of their power and are aware of how to use them properly.

I'd like to make the whole thing based upon whether you live near of around urban and rural areas to be the dividing line, but things won't work that way. Hence the reason I'm undecided...

I think one of the problems in the US is that guns are a part of the culture, much like cars are over here. I know that even if someone invented a method of simultaneous transport, and we didn't need our cars at all anymore, there would still be a very large number of people who wouldn't give them up, despite the number of people killed in car accidents. I think maybe the situation in the US is similar; but then I don't live there so I could be wrong. I can tell you one thing though, I would certainly not feel "safer" if more people around me had guns, or if I myself had one. As far as I'm concerned, you can keep them...

I live in Northern Ireland a place with guns bombs and other things - its over now thankfully - most americans i've talked to would not come over for a holiday because it was so dangerous - but i read in the paper that more people are killed in New York every month than were killed in 30 years of troubles here - scary thought - but the best debate on guns and there "lack" of control is in the documentory "Bowling For Columbine"

It says it all

Samatar: "I think one of the problems in the US is that guns are a part of the culture"

Look what u're saying... isn't that insane !?! What's happening with that country's ?!

I'm very glad, that we, here in the netherlands, have more drugs problems as weapon problems... pff

yes it is implanted in our culture...the 2nd Amendment in the beloved American Bill of Rights as a matter of fact.

If you all believe that guns are bad, go live in switzerland. The entire population is like a malitia.
As for me and my house we keep a loaded .22 in the closet. We also taught the children non lethal means of firearm combat.

I'm curious: what is non-lethal firearm combat (and how does one practice it...)? Do you hit them over the head with a gun, or something? Surely if you discharge a weapon, there's a good chance you are going to kill someone. Even if you shoot limbs (surely more chance of missing) I wouldn't have thought you could be sure it was non-lethal.

I'm sure I heard a statistic that the majority of people are killed by guns from their own houses once? Can't remember exactly. As for "guns being bad", guns are designed to kill or maim. So yes I do think they are bad. I love it when people use the defense, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people". Well you could say the same thing about thermonuclear weapons too... but I still don't think they should be handing out free samples at Kmart...

The right to bare arms was based on a period when guns where needed to protect yourself from tyranny, savages, animals and generally anything that was a treat. I do believe that the right to own a weapon is ok. The main problem is that thier are certain people that shouldn’t own a weapon soch as Convicts and how easy it is to get one illegally Yah know what I mean?

for once prism ill agree completely with what you've said. :P

For once Ha"Ha'

rustectrum....you are so funny!!!!

Talking of guns, I'm sure I read on the Darwin Awards website or somewhere that this guy killed himself playing russian roulette. This in itself was not particularly amazing, but the amusing thing is that he was using an automatic pistol...

I find this sad, and depressing...

I find the entire human race sad and depressing.

I alway say if you want to play russian roulette I only have two rules. We use anautomatic, and you can go first.

I guess that roulette wheel didn't spin too freely....I don't think her knew what russian roulette was or he didn't know what an automatic was ...or both

Save your money if you think you actually need a handgun for self defense. I assume it's extremely rare a burglar will break into your house while you are inside if he knows you're there. The one and only time our house was broken into was when we were in Florida. The cops had our treadmill holding the door up, now mind you this was a heavy door, but the burglar was 6' 6" and weighed in at 220 pounds. He stole the only handgun we had and since we've not gotten another.

Now had we been there and this situation come into play...I don't know if I want to have the memory of my dad actually using his handgun and perhaps killing this guy. One side of me wants to see them all dead, but life is too fragile to risk carrying a gun with you everywhere you go...that's my $.02.

I am not a member of the NRA (National Rifle Assocation) nor a gun collector or any of that. I spent time growing up on a farm, on quite a few nights we had racoons get into our chicken coop. It would have been easy to just blow the varmit away, but we always managed to get the racoon out and set a box trap for it when it returned so we could relocate it many miles away. Guns are a dangerous tool, to be used with utmost respect and only if totally necessary, to defend your family and property. Guns are made for killing, simple as that, if you are going to point it at another living thing, you had better be in fear of your life or putting food on the table.
I enjoy target practicing with rifles with no scopes at 100+ yards.
I have also enjoyed playing paintball for the last 16 years. I still use a pump-action gun against the semi-autos and still rack up more hits. Hehehe

If you were to suddenly make all the guns disappear we would probably be have a conversation on knife control or maybe rock control.My point is if guns werent around they would just use something else.Personally I have never heard of one case were a gun killed someone that's because guns dont kill people, people kill people.

I think that most people should be allowed to maintain a weapon. But those who are mentally ill or felons should obviously not. If someone threatens me, I want to have a weapon to defend myself. Having a gun doesn't make me an irresponsible owner though. I would not keep guns around children. Of course guns are for killing, not warning. I am not going to be like the parent who says one more time....and I'll spank you. Some may argue that if you dont know how to use it, you are just providng something for someone else to use against you, that's true. That's why you keep your skills up.

i think we should just all get tazers that have one low setting and be happy... but thats me. plus thatd be really expensive but... hehe i can dream cant i

Personally if I was being threatened by someone I would rather they had a knife or a rock than a gun. I imagine anyone who works in a bank would say the same thing. And as I said above, if you are going to use the argument "Guns don't kill people" then why can't everyone be armed with flamethrowers, tanks and neuclear warheads? Surely this is just as safe, as long as those people have the right training?

Ah, guns, guns guns,...
You know, with all the talk about gun control, does anyone seriously think gun controls would keep guns out of the hands of criminals, who are already legally unable to own guns? - (background checks and all) Guns exist and are common throughout the world, so criminals will find one if they want to - "where there's a will, there's a way". Restrictions on guns primarily limit those who would use them legitimately; not to say there shouldn't be SOME restrictions, like those on automatic weapons with huge ammo clips. Also, the ban on "assualt weapons" are a scam, since automatic weapons are already banned; a gun can be changed from "assualt" to "legal" just by removing, say, a carrying strap and bayonette mount.
I don't know what the big deal with self - defense is; guess that's more of a city thing. My family has over a dozen rifles and shotguns, which are used for hunting and killing varmints, plus for fun at times.
Also, I have heard statistics that guns are used for self - defense some 4 times more often than they are used in crimes (not from NRA's website, either :).

P.S. - "Bowling for Columbine" is the most illogical movie I've EVER seen. His whole point is, if I remember correctly, "America blows". Personally, I think America would be a lot better if that guy took his own advice and moved to the amazing Canada, the land where no one is afraid of anything (he hee!). It's just not right that he thinks Canada is somehow better than the U.S. because he talked to a few Canadians who don't lock their doors. He needs to get out of Detroit more, seriously. Our door hasn't been locked in the daytime for as long as I can remember.

(whew) There are my opinions, if anyone actually reads all that. (:

I live in Anaheim Calif. About 2 miles from the happiest place in the world HA”HA” yah no the big D. But I also live right by the roughest areas in the city I here gun shots all the time. Guns are ok if they are restricted and kept safe. Now I’ll get to the point. There was a drive by shooting right up the street from me a few days ago. Unfortunately the person shot was an innocent little girl who had nothing to do with any gang. This is an example of why we need to have stronger gun rules. It should not be considered as much of a right as privilege.
I have a friend who once had an idea, He wanted the government to give him a grant to teach gang members to shot strait’ so that they could kill each other rather then killing every one but the person they where after. At first I thought he was crazy but now I think he had a good idea. The little girl was under 10.

There are a lot of restictions on drugs but drugs are everywhere. Making rules against guns will not eliminate them. People do what they want. It's a cultural attitude change that is necessary.

In Switzerland every able bodied man has an ASSUALT RIFLE and AMMUNITION in his possesion. They have one of the lowest murder - homicide rates in the world. It is not the availability of guns that causes the violence. It is the cultural attitude.

Doug

agreed, thats for shur

Dreyn....People do what they want...and I think every sane person should have the right to a weapon. Anyone can get a weapon if they really want one.....there are gun stores and then there are the streets where you can find them....you are right about the drugs as well....you can get them wherever you want to if you really want them...Im not talking about your neighborhood drug store either.....you just have to know what streets in what city....Columbine made people think twice about the kids who were bulied.....now kids have to watch out because a kid may not say anything but one day show up to school with a gun and say I'm tired of being picked on as they shoot at you and yet they never fought with you or raised their voice even.....