The right to bear arms

S

Spectre

I had a friend of mine in the US send me this hyperlink today, where they're petitioning the Florida Legislature to be allowed to openly carry firearms in public.

What I didnt know is 42 states already allow this, with 26 of them not requiring citizens to get a licence to do so.

Kinda makes you glad you live in Oz more every day.


http://www.petitiononline.com/FL0C/petition.html
 
I dont think it is just a gun problem, but the mix of guns and an angry population. Many European countries have liberal gun laws but they dont go around shooting everyone. They have been brought up, over the centuries to respect firearms almost as part of their way of life; they respect the power of guns. The US is like a teenager - it really hasnt grown up yet!
 
Guns are not the problem (the main one anyway). The problem in the US is the entrenched poverty of many in just about every city. When children grow up in abject poverty, with violence, no education, no hope of ever getting a career or even a decent job, it is inevitable they will turn to crime. What else do they have? And it seems that the divide is just getting wider. Take away their guns and the methods will just change (knives, bats, make-shift weapons etc.)

And the reaction to that is that normal, law abiding citizens start to fear for their safety. How can they protect themselves? With Concealed Carry - its much easier than any other option. In Kennesaw, Georgia, it is mandatory by law for every household to own a gun. Guess what, the crime rate dropped to near zero. No one is going to try and rob a guy if they know he's packin'. Since then there has been three murders - two of which were with knives.

I'd wager most reasonable, educated, happy people who pick up a gun would not go out murdering, robbing etc. just because they have access to a gun. The problem is much bigger than that.
 
Spectre said:
What I didnt know is 42 states already allow this, with 26 of them not requiring citizens to get a licence to do so.

Kinda makes you glad you live in Oz more every day.
Click to expand...
Australia tends to follow the US in different trends. I hope this doesn't become one of those trends.

Regards
Marty
 
ARF said:
Guns are not the problem (the main one anyway).


No one is going to try and rob a guy if they know he's packin'.

I'd wager most reasonable, educated, happy people who pick up a gun would not go out murdering, robbing etc. just because they have access to a gun.
Click to expand...
The problem with guns is that they often seem to find their way to people that want to use them for no good.

Can't see the reason for one in normal suburbia.

And no, I don't have a solution for those that want to protect themselves with a gun.

Regards
Marty
 
Meet an american at a training course that kept a 9mm pistol beside his bed when he lived in California.

One night he heard something down stairs and went to investigate gun drawn. Was about to fire at a figure in the kitchen but hesitated. Flicked the light and it was his wife.

Disposed of the pistol the next morning.
 
I think Michael Moore nailed it. Americans are raised and nurtured on FEAR. So you need a gun to protect yourself and it's first call when you feel nervous.

Personally I'm ambivalent about gun ownership. Criminals have no problem getting guns and I wonder if gun ownership would reduce or increase crime. Tho I must admit that if you're not used to it, seeing guns around is a bit of a nerve rattling state of affairs.

All a moot point since we've been disarmed years ago because of that maniac in Tasmania (or some would say the maniac in Canberra lol) so it's club, knife and machete mostly now by the bad guys.
 
i can defend myself against a bat, knife, rock.

you can learn to defend yourself against such if you can't already.

last time i checked, bullets were a little too small and travelling a little too fast for my hands/arms to be effective at shielding myself from them.

food for thought.
 
Family Guy got it right:

*founding fathers of America discussing the constitution*

Washington: Im not sure about this "Right to bear arms".
Jefferson: What about it?
Washington: Isn't it a little ambiguous?
Jefferson: NO. It's pretty clear. Every American should have the right to have bear arms in their home....
Washington: Yeah, its probably fine the way it is.
 
To paraphrase PJ O'Rourke, the now United States was founded by commercially oriented religious fundamentalists with guns. Understand that plus the economic and cultural context of the civil war and most things that occur there makes sense.
 
i used to believe we should have the right to own guns, Untill after the collimbine shooting disaster, when one of the mums blamed the school because they did not allow their school aged children to take there own pistols for protection??? crazy !
 
I once had a small arsenal, legal and all.

Have been around firearms since I was a little kid.

There are appropriate times and places.............but generally In Australia there is little need to defend yourself with a handgun most times.

Some of the gun laws were a little silly.................after the Port Arthur Fruit Loop I had to give up my 22 semi auto..............but my seven round 12 gauge pump action with SGs was ok.

Im ok with where we are at in Australia while we have stable gov and effective policing, you can still legally obtain and use many firearms.

ta
rolf
 
we should be allow to carry guns (not concealed)
the fact that some people shouldn't have access to them doesn't mean that normal people shouldn't as well.

it's like forbidding everyone to drive cars just because there are few hoons among us
 
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