Poll: Lets pretend the government passes a law stating that you can't have a gun anymore...

[144_v1legacy]

Oh? I look forward to seeing your evidence that dangerous, crime ridden areas in the US would be equally dangerous if guns were regulated.

Where I live: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Illinois

Other examples of this lack of regulation you speak of:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_California
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_New_York
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_Connecticut

Perhaps you don't understand what the word "evidence" means? A list of wikipedia pages is not evidence.

Yeah it is. Especially in forum arguments.

But you're right in all other counts.

Fortunately for you, the Wikipedia pages mentioned give evidence to your side as well.

 

[PeterMerkin69]

"...not like they're tracked accurately enough that I couldn't just hide one until the heat was off."

Maybe a reason why the need for better gun control?

As Breivik noted... he had a "clean criminal record, hunting license, and two guns already for seven years", and that obtaining the guns legally should therefore not be a problem.

Who needs what now? Gun advocates surely don't, and that's precisely why so many of them cry slippery slope whenever someone mentions registration. And to be entirely fair, compromising themselves into a position that makes it easier for their political adversaries to confiscate their property probably isn't the best way for them to get (or keep) what they want.

Gun owners are as diverse a group as any other, and not all of them really care all that much about stopping criminal bogeymen. Some obviously do, but for others, self defence is merely an easily propagandised talking point.

 

[TornadoADV]

If the government enacts complete gun control, what do you do?

Then we make spears. Long spears. Twice as long as a man.
(Cookie if you get the references)

I love me some Braveheart! We'll need swords too.

 

[Dagda Mor]

Hide my guns. If found, I'd have to try to kill the person trying to take them. I know I'm going to sound like a ridiculous paranoid American idiot for saying this, but I think most of us on the Escapist agree that America is becoming a police state. I don't want that police state to have all of the guns.

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

If I had a gun I would give it up. If they came knocking anyway, I wouldn't volunteer my gun up.

And then I'll join the reasonable part of the much larger group that opposes such action and petition the government, through all that legislative stuff, to allow guns again.

If for some reason that legislative stuff doesn't work, then there will probably be some rioting because something sinister just took over the American government that made them ignore their own rules.

Probably aliens.

 

[SinBloodrose]

I would have to say that alot of law-abiding gun owners woud be very upset if they were told they couln't have their guns. I don't own any myself but my fiance and his family do own quite a few. I could only imagine what kind of trouble (putting it lightly)the goverment would be in if they chosse to ban guns of any kind.

 

[alandavidson]

Considering that it's now a felony offense to enforce any kind of gun ban in the states of Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming (probably with more to follow), it would spark a civil war.

meh arent those measures (technically) illegal/unconstitutional and they only use them to tie up the courts? While the courts are tied up the federal government can not enforce the law until a decision is made, or something like it?

No, they are fully enforceable within state boundaries. That's why it will be such a mess if gun bans are passed and enforced.

If it comes down to it, we could see a second secession, and that's something I hope never happens. For that reason alone I hope that no gun bans are passed.

 

[TornadoADV]

I love me some Braveheart! We'll need swords too.

Well it wasn't that hard. But a promise is a promise. I even tossed in a glass of milk.
And yes swords. Can't go wrong with swords. Need them.

Why thank you good sir! May I recommend Claymores for our sword needs? They are also quite far reaching.

 

[Malty Milk Whistle]

If it's any consolation, I think I'd be raped and/or attacked anywhere just for being a foreigner and an easy percieved-as-rich American white girl target.

What the shit kitten? Did we not, just last month, have a long thread where multiple people patiently explained that your idea of Australia is WRONG, that your idea of the relevance of your race is WRONG, that your knowledge of the socioeconomic discrepancies between Australia and the US is WRONG, that your perception of how Australia treats foreigners is WRONG, that your idea of gender politics in Australia is WRONG, that your understanding of tourism in Australia is WRONG and that your understanding of US/Australian relations is WRONG?!

You...You still get around in Kanga-Mobiles though don't you?
And, And you all wear those cork hat thingies and throw shrimps on BBQs, right?
Please don't ruin this for me...


OT: I don't think I could feel safe in a country where guns are sold at the local supermarket, it's the philosophy of the whole thing...
Also no one needs a semi/full automatic unless they're planning some deep shit.

 

[MiriaJiyuu]

-snip-

Okay seriously just wasted a good 5 minutes watching your pic...

That said, if I theoretically owned a gun and the law demanded I hand it over, I'd hand it over, I rather enjoy my freedom as is and don't need fines or jail-time getting in the way of it.

 

[AVATAR_RAGE]

Guns are already illegal in my country so nothing changes for me. Unless you have a crazy amount of licences to show you won't pop someones brains out.

 

[Dascylus]

"...not like they're tracked accurately enough that I couldn't just hide one until the heat was off."

Maybe a reason why the need for better gun control?

As Breivik noted... he had a "clean criminal record, hunting license, and two guns already for seven years", and that obtaining the guns legally should therefore not be a problem.

Who needs what now? Gun advocates surely don't, and that's precisely why so many of them cry slippery slope whenever someone mentions registration. And to be entirely fair, compromising themselves into a position that makes it easier for their political adversaries to confiscate their property probably isn't the best way for them to get (or keep) what they want.

Gun owners are as diverse a group as any other, and not all of them really care all that much about stopping criminal bogeymen. Some obviously do, but for others, self defence is merely an easily propagandised talking point.

I have never disputed that there exist people with a legitimate reason to own a gun. In my opinion though fear of your own government is not a legitimate reason in a country with such a high international profile and established democracy. Lets face it, if the U.S. government wanted to take over they would use political and social means and not by marching the national guard down main street.
My question though is, what part of the existing laws prevent a mentally disturbed person from obtaining a gun legally? Then with so many private citizens who have no real need for owning a gun how easy is it for a relative or close friend from obtaining a weapon as Lanza did?

It seems like the consesnus from both sides is that change needs to happen from preventing a tragedy like this and many from happening again but as soon as action is begun the pro-gunners get all panicky and start crying foul.
Can we not all agree that an M4 variant or any weapon similar has no practical use for a civilian that cannot be served by another weapon with a smaller clip or rate of fire?

 

[TornadoADV]

Just something everybody needs to know in this discussion, fully automatic small arms have been illegal to purchase since 1986 if the weapon was made after 1986. Even if you want to purchase an old M16A1 from the Vietnam Era, you have to go through a big mess with the ATF and FBI and pay plenty of "luxury" taxes on top of whatever the rifle itself costs you.

All weapons that are not muzzle loaded/black powder/single action/bolt action are semi-automatic, that means one pull of the trigger, one round is fired from the magazine.

 

[Baldr]

My guns are not weapons, they are tools. I've trained in Target shooting worked with the US Olympic shooting team. Yes some shooting sports are Olympic Events. Guns are pretty harmless by themselves. All the danger is contained in the ammunition of modern guns(both explosive powder and projectile.)

By far the largest number of gun owners are military and ex-military in the US. They'll overthrow that Government in a heart-beat.

 

[AgedGrunt]

The fact is you're having a go at non-Americans just for talking hypothetically about a change to the US constitution, while in the mean time there are Americans actually trying to force (however unlikely they are to succeed) a change on other countries.

And you grouped me with those people wrongfully, as I do not support it. I wouldn't go lumping you with a group just because you live in the same place. I'm having a go because people appear to question that others have a right to their own, private Constitution.

I'm talking about regulation.

The point is people deserve the choice, the option, if they abide.

I don't agree.

In the real world, we use fact to decide policy. Criminal statistics are facts. If you don't want those statistics considered, you need to do more than some handwaving to convince us they're invalid.

A list of wikipedia pages is not evidence.

If you talk about an absence of regulation and then dismiss a summary of strict gun control regulation in United States as a lack of "evidence", then further contend that people have no right to a gun under any circumstance, and then go on to demand facts, facts and more facts, insisting that one side needs to be proved through statistics-- then there's nothing left to discuss with you. You are putting guns on trial and it's guilty until proven innocent. Sorry but you are neither a prosecutor nor have warrant in any sense of the word.

For my nation, gun ownership (arms) was settled long ago, never to be revoked, especially not by foreigners.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

My guns are not weapons, they are tools.

Can't...can't they be both? I mean, if I had a canister of nerve gas I used to kill spiders in the crawl space, wouldn't it still be a canister of fucking nerve gas? Not everything is binary.

Really though...24 pages! Holy balls! What's gone on in this thread? I feel like I've missed out.