Poll: Your Thoughts on Guns

[blue_lame93@hotmail.com]

i hate guns, theres no just reason for owning one much less using it, i mean, dont get me wrong, ive got nothing against target shooting and stuff but i just hate places like america where everyone over the age of 6 has one in their pocket like its perfectly normal

guns are like armies and lawyers, if no-one had them, no-one would need them

I have a question for you, have you ever used a weapon of any form to save yourself or another person? i'm guessing no. majority of people who have weapons, have them as a last resort or scare tactic, wether you live in a shitty part of america or just happen to know that there will be scumbags where your going your gonna feel a hell of alot less likely to be injured with said weapon

true, but then when youre walking down an empty street with said weapon for "protection" and you see someone coming in the opposite direction, whats to stop a less virtuous person seeing the opportunity to use their "protection" to help him/herself to the other persons wallet? i say leave your instruments of death at home and leave the "protecting" to the police

I accept your premis i reject your conclusion. Yes the power to be able to force someone to do... whatever becomes too much for some people and they turn into dickheads AKA criminals but i know i aint gonna do that sorta crap so i continue to carry my weapons under the idea of i'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it. Plus i dunno where your from but cops down here are afew steps beyond useless.

 

[blue_lame93@hotmail.com]

I only fired a gun (Colt Diemaco carbine or rifle, I can't remember) on one occasion, and it was very fun to do so, so I'd pick that. I'd like to own a pistol and rifle purely for target practice and I'd love to try long range shooting.

I have a question for you, have you ever used a weapon of any form to save yourself or another person? i'm guessing no. majority of people who have weapons, have them as a last resort or scare tactic, wether you live in a shitty part of america or just happen to know that there will be scumbags where your going your gonna feel a hell of alot less likely to be injured with said weapon

I always question it's use for self-defence. Said scumbags aren't known for their high intelligence, and instead of being deterred I reckon that they'd arm themselves sooner than not being a scumbag. Plus, wielding a weapon makes you a dangerous target, one an armed mugger is more prone to take out than an unarmed man who surrenders it's wallet. Afterall, the mugger or burglar has the surprise effect on you. You can arm yourself all you want, but if he's got a gun or knife aimed at you it's suicide to grab for your own weapon.

Like those people who put signs in their garden saying they've got guns. To me those signs say "Kill me in my sleep so I can't shoot at you, then empty my house of all it's valuables."

I say if you really want to defend yourself, get proper locks, get safety glass, things that are really for defence. Guns are for retaliation, which is another matter entirely.

I have 4 seperate lock systems on my front and back door(that is 4 each), a motion sensor system and multiple weapons both guns and knives, bludgeons etc in and around my room. All of this means nothing if i am confronted whilst not at home, having knife and or gun with me when i leave here is for the point in time when the aforemetioned dumshit thug pulls a knife/gun on me, i give him my wallet, wait for him to look away, even if its just for a second i at least have my knife/gun unsheathed

 

[Cowabungaa]

having knife and or gun with me when i leave here is for the point in time when the aforemetioned dumshit thug pulls a knife/gun on me, i give him my wallet, wait for him to look away, even if its just for a second i at least have my knife/gun unsheathed

And then what, risk lethal injury? Take each other's life for a wallet? What you're proposing is simply stupid, it's suicidal. IF you want to fight back, go learn Krav Magna, much more effective than trying to pull out a weapon yourself.

 

[ZippyDSMlee]

They are tools and less dangerous than vehicles, we need more rules and laws to ban idiots from driving than we do to make it harder to get guns as idiots with guns tend to lose them real quick..

If you can afford insurance for it you should be able to carry a gun anywhere.

 

[Superbeast]

I do believe that the country of Switzerland has a very low violent crime rate compared to other European countries, and their government issues assault rifles to households...

Don't want to get into an argument *again* on this topic (and I apologise if this point has been addressed) but:

1) Those people are heavily screened, with very stringent background and mental health checks. Far more "control" than in many states in America.

2) They have also been trained by the Swiss army and essentially *are* the army (and hence need to have the firearms of their trade available for training in case they get called up).

2) Switzerland has a lot better social welfare than America, resulting in less criminality in general (for a whole variety of reasons, mostly linked to reduced poverty).

I don't have a problem with firearms when dealt with in such a manner (I want to get a rifle for hunting here in the UK), and although I do not agree with America's stance regarding firearms I am not naive enough to advocate banning guns *now* (I am in the camp of believing gun control is an extremely good thing, but it's "too late" for America as guns are a cultural identity now and would be unenforceable with the large borders).

 

[Lerxst]

I know officers who carry firearms at all times, and normal people who also carry firearms. I also know a lot who don't.

The difference I've seen between these two groups are that one will intentionally (perhaps subconsciously) place themselves in confrontational situations - the other avoids them. The reason for this is like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Were the gun owners naturally confrontational people to begin with, or did having a gun provide safety net for them to be confrontational?

 

[Mr Cwtchy]

I think that they are all deadly weapons, and like all deadly weapons, I don't want to be anywhere near them.

 

[Tsaba]

Guns are about as dangerous as a homicidal maniac is behind the wheel of a car/truck/semi/monster truck is rolling down the middle of the mall just fifteen minutes after he got laid off. That being said, Guns are just tools like a car is a tool, in the right hands it can be a way to have fun and relax at the range, hunting, or you can be one of those worthless types and go grand theft auto on someone.

 

[Wadders]

How many gun fights do you people plan on getting in... and wherever you live, remind me not to! I've yet to find a need for a gun that can't be met by another means.

Guns are for the psychologically underdeveloped members of our society; if you can't talk and reason out your problems with someone like a civilized person, shoot 'em dead. We've been doing it for a few thousand years, we've just progressed from pointed sticks to hot metal.

Ironic that we've made advances in art, culture, agriculture, music and how to kill people fast.

If you could see any gun owners from up there on your high horse, you would know that guns are used for hunting, pest control, target shooting, clay pigeon shooting, law enforcement and other recreational and practical pursuits. Most people own them for these reasons. Not to shoot "civilised" people. Learn about things before you criticise them. I'm not saying you should change your attitude to guns, they are indeed dangerous and your opinion on them is for you to decide.

Just dont make absurd judgments.

That is all.

Basically, this:

How many gun fights do you people plan on getting in... and wherever you live, remind me not to! I've yet to find a need for a gun that can't be met by another means.

Guns are for the psychologically underdeveloped members of our society; if you can't talk and reason out your problems with someone like a civilized person, shoot 'em dead. We've been doing it for a few thousand years, we've just progressed from pointed sticks to hot metal.

Ironic that we've made advances in art, culture, agriculture, music and how to kill people fast.

Please read my reply to your last post. Guns are not just used to kill people. Being a gun owner does not automatically mean someone is a crazed maniac who opens fire at the slightest insult. There are, in fact, plenty of entirely peaceful (perhaps even pacifistic) gun owners.

 

[minus_273c]

Owning a firearm for self defense is a silly thing. Most countries dont justify owning a firearm for self defense a valid reason i might add.

I do believe that the country of Switzerland has a very low violent crime rate compared to other European countries, and their government issues assault rifles to households...

Please, if you have a "valid reason" please state it, instead of just saying that you do. It annoys me when people don't do research on subjects, but act as if they know whats really going on.

@OP:
Guns are powerful tools that have many purposes, it is the wielder that decides how to use it. That being said, the only thing that government restrictions on guns do is keep guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens. Criminals don't care about breaking gun laws.

On the other hand, the USA has what many consider extremely relaxed gun laws, and has one of the highest gunshot death rates (population adjusted) in the world. The UK has extremely tight ownership rules and has one of the lowest death by gunshot rates (population adjusted).

 

[Sephychu]

It's the dickheads of society that ruin guns for all the others. People who'd be happy to confine themselves to a range to use them now aren't allowed to have them because of people like that crazy cumbrian fellow.

Still, give people the ability to kill others, half of them will take that opportunity.

 

[Obrien Xp]

Well, In the UK, Most people dont have guns, As we all like to stab each other.

But if i lived in the US, i would have (And conceal) a firearm, Y'now, To stop me from getting shot.

Canada aswell has high rates of stabby-stabby. 92 a year I once heard (including non-fatal).

I find guns represent a lifestyle. Most have them as tools and see them like a carpenter sees a saw, they look at new saws to see what's out there and explore the world of their tool so that the item they use most suits them.

 

[Jedoro]

Fun

Squeezing off rounds at the range is relaxing, and it's better when there's a target to destroy.

 

[joshuaayt]

We'd all be better off without them... But without some sort of "Every gun and also every material required to make guns and probably the very idea of them also just to be sure" seeking missile to get rid of every one, heavy restriction is just a bad idea. Like DRM, it only hurts those who follow the rules.

 

[spartan231490]

guns are just another tool like any other, the only thing you must fear is the intent or ignorance of the individual using it. To me, they represent my freedom and power over my own life.

 

[spartan231490]

the fact is, you can kill someone with your bare hands, or with a feather if you really want to. Blaming guns is foolish, it really is like blaming pencils for misspelled words, or blaming high buildings for suicide.

 

[spartan231490]

We'd all be better off without them... But without some sort of "Every gun and also every material required to make guns and probably the very idea of them also just to be sure" seeking missile to get rid of every one, heavy restriction is just a bad idea. Like DRM, it only hurts those who follow the rules.

If no one had guns, just as many people would be murderded, the killers would just use knives or bows. Outlaw those and they would use axes, outlaw those and they would use broken pieces of stick. Human beings killed eachother long before guns came around, it is the intent that is dangerous, not the tool.

 

[Blimey]

People always freak out about guns. I don't see why. No one freaks out about knives, baseball bats, or any blunt instrument. All these things are routinely used to kill people, just as guns are. You could get rid of every gun in the world, and people would just find different ways to kill each other effectively. Humanity is wired for destruction, that will never change.

After all, we love our war. And war never changes.

 

[joshuaayt]

We'd all be better off without them... But without some sort of "Every gun and also every material required to make guns and probably the very idea of them also just to be sure" seeking missile to get rid of every one, heavy restriction is just a bad idea. Like DRM, it only hurts those who follow the rules.

If no one had guns, just as many people would be murderded, the killers would just use knives or bows. Outlaw those and they would use axes, outlaw those and they would use broken pieces of stick. Human beings killed eachother long before guns came around, it is the intent that is dangerous, not the tool.

True enough, I guess. "It is the nature of intelligent life to destroy itself", or whatever the quote was. Which means the true weapon is...intelligence? Well, I don't wanna lose that.

 

[Burningsok]

Well I see them as all of the above. It's how you use them.