The fact of the argument is not whether the people that own the guns are going to be able to use them, or even use them properly. The fact of it is, owning a gun, in itself, is a way to keep the government from exploiting certain liberties given to the public. Consider if there were no guns in the hands of civilians. What is there to stop the government, or other criminals, from ransacking your belongings or limiting your free speech that you care so much about? After all they have a gun. Bet you'd shutup then.
By keeping everyone armed, you force the government to seek other means of passing and enforcing legislation.
I do agree that everyone should be trained in the use of a gun, but I do not agree that the government should have any mandate in that. What would there be to stop them from indefinately denying people the use of a gun when they are perfectly capable of using one. There are already intensive background checks that must be done before you can license a gun, and people that have a criminal history or mental illness already do not pass the background checks. So what next... they gain it illegally thats right, and what laws are you going to enact that will fix that. The answer is none. There will never be any laws passed that will remove guns from the hands of outlaws. The only answer is by keeping the law abiding citizens armed, we can prevent outlaws from using those guns against helpless victims.
Also, just because you don't agree with the gun, I am sure you agre with the ideals of the framers... Freedoms in any form is still freedom, and that is what we are trying to uphold. Once they take away this freedom, they will start on the next.
-Clint Nelissen
Slashdot Mirror
The fact of the argument is not whether the people that own the guns are going to be able to use them, or even use them properly. The fact of it is, owning a gun, in itself, is a way to keep the government from exploiting certain liberties given to the public. Consider if there were no guns in the hands of civilians. What is there to stop the government, or other criminals, from ransacking your belongings or limiting your free speech that you care so much about? After all they have a gun. Bet you'd shutup then. By keeping everyone armed, you force the government to seek other means of passing and enforcing legislation. I do agree that everyone should be trained in the use of a gun, but I do not agree that the government should have any mandate in that. What would there be to stop them from indefinately denying people the use of a gun when they are perfectly capable of using one. There are already intensive background checks that must be done before you can license a gun, and people that have a criminal history or mental illness already do not pass the background checks. So what next... they gain it illegally thats right, and what laws are you going to enact that will fix that. The answer is none. There will never be any laws passed that will remove guns from the hands of outlaws. The only answer is by keeping the law abiding citizens armed, we can prevent outlaws from using those guns against helpless victims. Also, just because you don't agree with the gun, I am sure you agre with the ideals of the framers... Freedoms in any form is still freedom, and that is what we are trying to uphold. Once they take away this freedom, they will start on the next. -Clint Nelissen