I post frequently on another board, completley unrelated to hockey. Gaming forum actualy but it also has an off topic type forum.
The subject of guns and gun control comes up rather frequently. Many people in this forum live in the US, some of them living in states where concealed firearms are legal. The "pro gun" people give examples like the states that they live in (the ones with the legal concealed firearms) experience far fewer gun crimes than those with tight gun control. They also go on to say that gun control only effects the lawful and I am in total agreement with them. However, an enviroment that allows concealed guns just strikes as a situation that would spark a private arms race.
The thread that got me thinking of the issue was entitled "10 Good reasons to ban guns" and is as follows:
Quote:
1.) Guns are used in self-defense over 2 million times a year. However, this makes the attempted crime a "non-event," which necessarily complicates the Police investigation. Without civilian ownership of guns, these Police investigations would not have been compromised. Civilians should leave crime prevention to the Police, who are properly equipped to investigate following the crime's completion.
2.) Some .004 percentage (4/1000 of 1%) of guns are used in crime each year. This is way too high. All guns should be banned
3.) Guns are unnecessary. In 98% of civilian gun defenses, no shot is fired. If you are not going to fire a shot, you clearly don't need a gun. This proves that the guns are unnecessary. Banning guns will prevent these unnecessary defenses.
4.) Guns cause criminal migration. In tough gun-law Washington, D.C., violent crime rates are very high. This high crime rate is caused by the migration of criminals from gun havens like Virginia. This migration is caused by the criminal's cowardly avoidance of armed householders and concealed-carry civilians. This criminal migration is detrimental to helpless unarmed citizens in no-gun areas and must be stopped. Guns should be banned everywhere.
5.) Most gun crimes are committed by inner city gangs and drug dealers. These relatively small and geographically restricted groups consistently commit the majority of gun crimes, which usually peak as turf wars erupt over Drug War changes. The best way to prevent this is by denying guns to all law abiding people everywhere.
6.) No woman needs to protect herself from rape, assault or murder. The Police will protect them by investigating the crime after the fact. Remember, Police paperwork is all the protection anyone really needs.
7.) Gun owners are disrespectful of authority. Good citizens should completely rely on the authorities. A failure to do so is an invariable sign of improper and overly independent attitudes. Failure to completely and absolutely trust and depend on the authorities is excessive democracy and sends a bad message to children.
8.) Gun owners engaging in self-defense are taking the law into their own hands. This is wrong. Only the Police and Criminals have the right to take the law into their own hands. It should be kept out of the hands of citizens.
9.) Children and young people should remain ignorant about guns. Real guns and real gun knowledge dissipate the fantasies created by violent video games and TV. Ignorance, once lost, can never be restored and needs to be protected.
10.)Guns reduce people's reliance on the Police and Government. This fosters a mistaken belief in "rights". No person has the right to question authority. No person should be less than 100% dependent on authority. This is fundamental to social order. Banning guns will help to establish the Order the authorities want. This is good.
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Now there is obiously sarcasm in this list but it gets me to thining. Why do people feel compelled to carry a gun to feel safe? Furthermore, why do guns have that air about them? I mean, you could just as easily kill someone with a steak knife as you could with a gun. Yet if you were to put a steak knife down on a kitchen table beside a 9mm of, peoples eyes would be far more drawn to the gun then the steak knife. Why is that? Is it because you can kill someone from a distance as opposed to being right in their face? Not sure as if you were to put a bow or blow gun down on the table in place of the knife, people would still view the gun as the much larger threat. Why is that? What is it about guns that get people so worked up?
So in conclusion, if you could, would you? Why or why not?