Quote:
Originally Posted by jammies
Almost never, but I'm doubtful that the answer is to have an armed citizenry. The point is that the police, the courts, and the law should deal with crime, and despite the pro-gun rhetoric, there is no provable correlation between gun ownership and violent crime rates OR prevention.
Personally I'm not necessarily against personal gun ownership, but I don't understand the mindset of people that think widespread gun ownership is some kind of answer to the problem of violent crime. This argument seems to depend on anecdotal evidence or "well what if some dude invaded your house with a gun" stories, neither of which is proof of anything, because they are considered in isolation and not coupled to other possible effects of gun ownership.
I would suggest that cultural and economic factors have far more to do with violent crime than gun ownership laws, and that certain cultures might be better served by tighter gun laws, and other cultures better served by looser laws. In no case, however, do I think that the idea that having a gun is "necessary" to protect oneself from violent criminals is a good one - if you live in a place where this seems reasonable, I suggest that maybe there is a large dysfunction in society that needs addressing more than you need guns.
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I agree completely with most of what you are saying. I certainly don't think that having everybody armed is the answer. Due to socioeconomic factors, violent crime is here, and likely here to stay. It isn't because of guns, but guns are a part of the problem. Does anyone here seriously think even an all out ban would get guns off the street?
What I would like to see is people that are educated, trained, and proficient in firearms be able to exercise their right to protect their family and property from violent crime should they be willing to accept that responsibility, and the risks that come with it.
These folks go through federal background checks, adhere to federal, state, and local regulations, and have to go through another check to get a concealed weapons permit if they so choose.
Is this the majority of legal gun owners? I don't know. PIMKing brought up good points about some folks not locking them up, keeping them loaded, etc.
Bottom line for me, again:
Enforce current gun laws
Improve federal background check system if neccessary (I think it is)
Emphasize handgun familiarization class before purchase
Strict regulation of concealed carry permits/require classes for CCW
Nothing is going to change with violent crimes until the cultural and economic issues are addressed. As you correctly stated Jammies, this is the real problem. Until then, I'm not going to rely on a reactive police force, or a lax justice system to protect me, sorry.