Do you own a gun?

[sparsely]

i don't own a gun because umm...there's almost no practical use for them in this century. 90-something percent of us don't need to hunt in order to obtain food, so other than some crap sport of shooting at paper targets or clay discs, there's no need for an ordinary citizen to own one.

not that i think they should be done away with completely either.
in some US states, citizens are allowed to carry a concealed weapon, providing they pass thorough background checks and proficiency training, and also pay a fee (i think it's anually here)
If every individual who wished to own a gun had to meet these same stringent requirements, we'd probably be a lot better off.

[vidcc]

2. I do not have a problem "screwing up" when it comes to gun locks. You come home from the range, you put the fucking lock on. I don't even keep a clip in and no bullet in chamber. You are fishing merely to satisfy you're ill conceived points.

I think here you are looking at yourself whereas the posters are looking at the news.
YOU may be a sensible person and take all the sensible steps needed to be a responsible gun owner and parent. But that's not what the world sees on the news. They see the results of the irresponsible gun owners, sadly all too often, and the trouble is that innocent bystanders are paying a heavy price.
It would be nice to not only have strictly enforced laws, but perhaps a stupidity test as well

[RPerry]

I think here you are looking at yourself whereas the posters are looking at the news.
YOU may be a sensible person and take all the sensible steps needed to be a responsible gun owner and parent. But that's not what the world sees on the news. They see the results of the irresponsible gun owners, sadly all too often, and the trouble is that innocent bystanders are paying a heavy price.

This may be the real issue here. People only know what they see on the news. The news is pretty much curved on the particular area you live in. You only see what they want you to see

[manker]

This may be the real issue here. People only know what they see on the news. The news is pretty much curved on the particular area you live in. You only see what they want you to see

Statistics don't lie, Rob.

I'm not basing my views on anything other than common sense, if more people have guns, more people will get shot.

[GepperRankins]

yeah i hate it when the news twist stuff too...

United States 14.24
Brazil 12.95
Mexico 12.69
Estonia 12.26

[Snee]

Many of the you folks are fishing on shit you know nothing about.

1. A home with merely a sign in the yard saying it has an alarm is less likely to get burglarized. Period. If one of you UK folks move here and decide against putting an alarm in you are more likely get your shit taken than one with an alarm. This is not arguable.

Yes, well done, hooray for you. But again, the sign isn't a gun. Whether you have a sign or an alarm or neither, isn't the issue.

2. I do not have a problem "screwing up" when it comes to gun locks. You come home from the range, you put the fucking lock on. I don't even keep a clip in and no bullet in chamber. You are fishing merely to satisfy you're ill conceived points.

Well done on that too, however, this has no bearing on how you'll handle the gun when you are about to use it against a burglar.

Gun lock or not, burglars may still pick a time when you are drunk, or something else. Which means that you may still shoot yourself in the foot when the times comes.

3. Most of these knuckleheads are shit at shooting. I know since I have hung around them for years (actually was one when I was younger). I have no problem with many of you not wanting to be "held in the clutches" of such mentality. At the same time since you know shit about it, your statements hold as much water as a sieve.

So you've hung around with a few burglars Again, hooray for you. however, this doesn't mean that you can say with absolute certainty that a majority of all burglars in the US are bound to act in a certain manner.

If one of your old pals decides to break into your home, I guess you are safe though.

I've been wondering about these statements about them being bad shots, I mean, ok if your house is huge and there's a bit of distance between you, but it will probably be a matter of who shoots first in an average size home. It ain't hard hitting someone six feet away, or something similar.

4. There are only 2 points that I agree on with "me UK mites". If a person is willing to target someone regardless of an alarm or owner having a gun then he is packing anyway. If he thinks the owner has a gun then he more likely to shoot if he knows it going in. However, a burglar is just that and is easily scared away and. FFS even a murderer doesn't want to go through alot of shit to kill you. Unarmed folks get killed ALL THE TIME (sometimes in their sleep) so even you guy's liberal passive point holds little water (see my previous home invasion reference).
The other point I agree on is that gun shows should have background checks.

Have you got any statistics at all to prove that your hypothetical burglars are more likely than not to be going to go into your house with the intention of killing you?

If someone really wanted to kill you, your gun would probably not be an issue anyway. They'd get you when you were sleeping or something.

Someone breaks in my house, the police are called. They cut the line, the police are notified.

Where's the "clutch of oppression".

Many of you are pretty passive when it comes to protecting your family. You place your faith in "the burglar most likely won't hurt me" and it sounds rather bitchy. (also stop watching so much TV. we are not all the security guard that is on the floor during a bank robbery and tries to be a hero.)

This may be due to your crime rate over in the UK. However, we have a much higher rate and it is not due to folks merely protecting their homes. Many of you have honed in on a very miniscule point that has no validity.

While I don't live in the UK, my situation is very similar. We just don't have many guns in this country, period. Nor is our crime-rate as high, why this is so I don't know. What I can say is that you probably aren't the only one to feel safer with a gun, it's bound to lend a lot of people some extra confidence, no matter which side of the law they are currently on.

In most cases, and this is according to unbiased statistics, burglaries in my part of the world take place when the victim isn't at home. If I did have a gun in my home it might well be part of what was stolen while I wasn't at home. A burglar is also more likely than not to flee the site if I do get home while he or she is still there. Normal, sane people aren't out to kill other people, and they don't desire confrontation if they can avoid it. Violence only means an extended period in prison if you get caught.

We get alarms just as you do, and we sometimes put up signs, but again, this has nothing to do with owning a gun.


I fail to see how common sense can be proclaimed to be ill-concieved, what you are stating sounds more like belief and faith than facts, I've yet to see anyone showing me any concrete proof of the benefits of everyone having guns readily available.

I'm far less likely to get killed here than over there, this is a fact, based on numbers.

[vidcc]

This may be the real issue here. People only know what they see on the news. The news is pretty much curved on the particular area you live in. You only see what they want you to see

Well I hardly think anyone would be interested in "non news" such as "today nobody was shot"....although it would be nice if it could actually happen.
I don't think that the news is selective other than the VAST majority of gun crime and "accidents" only gets reported on local news outlets and doesn't get any airtime on national and international media unless it's the big story such as columbine.
If every incident was reported then I believe the anti gun ownership side would be more vocal.

@all

I will not allow my children to play in friends houses that have guns. I will not allow guns on my property. I will not allow my children to become a statistic relating to a "tragic accident"

The USA will never give up its guns, it's an attitude thing. For this we have to accept death and injury in increasing amounts. Every day the amount of guns increases and every day the amount of gun related incidents increases.

And the wheel goes round and round.

[RPerry]

Wh said it was non - news ? They have a facination with sex crimes here, and you can bet when one happens, its reported. on the flip-side, I saw no less than 12 Sheriffs cruisers and a helicopter just to the south of the plant I work in Friday night, not one word on the news.

btw guys, after the guns, do we get rid of the knives too ?

[GepperRankins]

knives designed to kill people, sure

[Snee]

Wh said it was non - news ? They have a facination with sex crimes here, and you can bet when one happens, its reported. on the flip-side, I saw no less than 12 Sheriffs cruisers and a helicopter just to the south of the plant I work in Friday night, not one word on the news.

btw guys, after the guns, do we get rid of the knives too ?

Knives and guns aren't the same thing, knives are tools, guns are weapons.

Both can kill, but a gun requires less effort and proximity to do so.

Unless you have laws for it already, it probably wouldn't hurt to ban long blades (2"+) in public places tho'.