Poll: Arm the Victims or Take Away the Gun?

[firelightning1]

We all know whats going on in the news lately and everyone here in the US is arguing over banning guns. The arguments that I keep hearing are ban guns so no one can get them or give everyone guns.

What I really want to know is what do you my fellow escapist think?

I personally think that we should allow teachers to have a weapon in the classroom (doesn't necessarily need to be a gun) and have it in their desk or purse. Also if the teacher does want to keep a gun in their classroom they should be required to go through some sort of gun safety course and gun handling course.

If people are worried that the teachers aren't trust worthy then who is?

 

[ohnoitsabear]

I think it's wrong to simplify the incredibly complex issue of gun control down to a simple binary choice. I think both options are completely stupid, and completely ignore a lot of the real issues at hand.

 

[DoPo]

I think it's wrong to simplify the incredibly complex issue of gun control down to a simple binary choice. I think both options are completely stupid, and completely ignore a lot of the real issues at hand.

Thank you for reading my mind and writing what I wanted to say here. I am extremely sleepy, so you wrote it better than I ever could. More concise, too.

So yeah - this is a wrong question to be asking. But have fun, I think it's going to get...warm, soon.

 

[smithy_2045]

If I had to pick one or the other, it has to be banning guns. Arming everyone with guns is just a stupid, stupid idea.

 

[FalloutJack]

We all know whats going on in the news lately and everyone here in the US is arguing over banning guns. The arguments that I keep hearing are ban guns so no one can get them or give everyone guns.

What I really want to know is what do you my fellow escapist think?

I personally think that we should allow teachers to have a weapon in the classroom (doesn't necessarily need to be a gun) and have it in their desk or purse. Also if the teacher does want to keep a gun in their classroom they should be required to go through some sort of gun safety course and gun handling course.

If people are worried that the teachers aren't trust worthy then who is?

Arm a teacher? Oh, just wait and SEE what happens there when the teacher gets fed up with a student (or worse, the student with the teacher). I don't see that working per se.

Still, getting rid of the guns just won't happen. Every time you try and take something big and desired away from a people, they do three things: Ignore it, fight it, or take it underground. Once you acknowledge that it just won't WORK to try and remove guns, you can focus on other options.

 

[Rastien]

I say go a step further, arm the kids.

Give em all little 6 shooters and teach them how to use them.

Sure we might have a few fatalities in the first year but then they would learn they are dangerous and to only be used when someone else pulls a gun on you.

If you arm everyone problem solved at least we can have an old fashioned western shoot out now and then.

On a serious note i am truly saddened by what happened and i don't believe more guns is the answer, tighter restrictions and laws are needed, some a form of gun control.

Also the argument 'lol criminals' well take this recent kid as an example he got his gun from his mother not a criminal most of these school shootings tend to be done by social outcasts so i would be highly surprised if they would even approach a 'criminal' to buy a gun let alone know where to find one.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Neither will change anything.

The only way to deal with the problem is to deal with society as a whole. Since society is what is the problem. That and allowing crazies to run free.

 

[FalloutJack]

Once you acknowledge that it just won't WORK to try and remove guns, you can focus on other options.

This gets said a lot, but no one ever identifies exactly what these "other options" actually are.

From where I'm standing, the only other option is to 'do nothing'. [small]Which I suppose is the most likely option anyway...[/small]

More careful screening process is what I would say. MOST gun-owners are just hunters and hobby-shooters, say. There's a million of them for every ONE nutjob or some other ginormous figure that I can't be bothered to look up. No fair punishing the people who aren't the problem. Arm the people, but try and find out which one's...not all there.

 

[dumbseizure]

Yes, because the good response to a nutjob with a gun, is giving a panicked victim a gun as well. That sure as hell won't rack up the death toll any higher.

Out of these 2 options? Ban the guns. Why the hell people are allowed to have guns an America, who AREN'T hunters or people who live on farms, is absolutely beyond me.

 

[romanator0]

I say get rid of the people, then all that's left is just a gun and as the NRA says "guns don't kill people".

 

[Casual Shinji]

Arming everyone is stupid, and banning all guns is impossible even in countries with gun control.

Just keep assault rifles and machine guns out of the general public's hands. A standard six shot revolver is more than enough to protect your home or feel safe on the street. And for God's sake, keep guns out of school!

 

[FalloutJack]

SNIP

No no no, you cite a 'might be'. Since removing the guns is completely impossible, you have no choice but to be more careful. We can't have you crossing off something like that because the crazy person might manage to steal a gun and use it. I might stumble upon an AK-47 tomorrow, but I highly doubt it. I may even know where to find guns and bullets that are not mine, but it does not necessarily mean I will get to them. We work on what's safER first. It's not all about fixing it overnight, because you can't. It's about making people aware and looking more carefully and getting others to be more responsible personally. That is ALWAYS a step in the right direction, as people should just be more responsible about alot of things, personally.

Why the hell people are allowed to have guns an America, who AREN'T hunters or people who live on farms, is absolutely beyond me.

I just want to edit in something here because I think I know: Respect for history. This country was defended by common people with guns during the Revolutionary War aside from the actual soldiers. And while there have been plenty of irresponsible times since then, no one has repealed this notion, most likely because of that.

 

[Strazdas]

That's a bit of a limited option. Maybe there should be more selections than that....

no, because in the end it all boils down to have guns or not have guns. we already have 20 threads like these, why make another?

 

[dumbseizure]

SNIP

No no no, you cite a 'might be'. Since removing the guns is completely impossible, you have no choice but to be more careful. We can't have you crossing off something like that because the crazy person might manage to steal a gun and use it. I might stumble upon an AK-47 tomorrow, but I highly doubt it. I may even know where to find guns and bullets that are not mine, but it does not necessarily mean I will get to them. We work on what's safER first. It's not all about fixing it overnight, because you can't. It's about making people aware and looking more carefully and getting others to be more responsible personally. That is ALWAYS a step in the right direction, as people should just be more responsible about alot of things, personally.

Why the hell people are allowed to have guns an America, who AREN'T hunters or people who live on farms, is absolutely beyond me.

I just want to edit in something here because I think I know: Respect for history. This country was defended by common people with guns during the Revolutionary War aside from the actual soldiers. And while there have been plenty of irresponsible times since then, no one has repealed this notion, most likely because of that.

Yes, okay.

Now my question, how many revolutionary wars have American civilians participated in since then? You are honestly saying that, because some many many years ago, civilians fought in a war with soldiers, that at this point in time, with no wars being fought on American soil, they are still allowed to carry said guns?

That sounds absolutely ridiculous.

 

[FalloutJack]

SNIP

I didn't say it was perfect. I said it was a time-honored tradition. There are many traditions in the world you will not approve of. This is one in which it is not feasible to undo.

 

[dumbseizure]

SNIP

I didn't say it was perfect. I said it was a time-honored tradition. There are many traditions in the world you will not approve of. This is one in which it is not feasible to undo.

Sorry if that sounded in anyway aggressive or condescending, I didn't mean any attack like that, I am just trying to wrap my head around these reasons.

 

[FalloutJack]

SNIP

I didn't say it was perfect. I said it was a time-honored tradition. There are many traditions in the world you will not approve of. This is one in which it is not feasible to undo.

Sorry if that sounded in anyway aggressive or condescending, I didn't mean any attack like that, I am just trying to wrap my head around these reasons.

I didn't take it as such. Just making a point.