Poll: Your Thoughts on Guns

[spartan231490]

one of my favorite quotes, long outdated now, is "11,999,783 firearms owners killed no one yesterday" seriously, many many more people are killed in car accidents than by guns, smoking kills way more, and i think alcohol poisoning kills almost as many, and yet guns get all teh attack from politicians, why? because we cant start a revolution with cigarettes. oh, and it's harder to tax guns too, but i think the first one is a bigger factor. funny side note, our current handgun restrictions in america, are based on a law passed by nazi germany.

 

[Eggsnham]

They can be recreational when used correctly, they look badass, and they're amazing pieces of technology.

 

[Mr Cwtchy]

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.

Not really. Try killing a person with a gun, then try with your bare hands.* Which is easier?

The reason people freak out about guns more than, say, knives is the ease in which to kill someone with it. Point and shoot is all that's needed. To kill someone with a knife you have to move up close, giving the victim a chance to defend themselves, or to run away.

*I do not endorse killing people of any description.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

Guns don't kill people.
Bullets do.

(sorry, had to do it)

Yeah, I'd most definitely wouldn't like one pointed at me.
But a few weeks ago we played paintball with a few friends, and it was awesome.
And I definitely didn't want to get shot because it hurt a lot. But it was still awesome.

 

[TheHermit]

In today's world, I can see guns are safety because they are already so well spread you will never get rid of them even if you try to outlaw them. So citizens need to be able to defend themselves against other citizens with them. I still hate them though, for making war and fighting so boring and for giving those with no power the power to easily take a life.

 

[alandavidson]

For me a weapon of any kind can be used as a tool for saving oneself and for ending another life. I tell people who I teach to shoot that if they are to carry a gun, they must be prepared to use it to its full potential - a lethal weapon. I let them know this so that they will never draw the gun in anger or panic, but that it will remain as a last resort in only an extreme situation where there is a legitimate concern of an innocent life being taken. That said, I believe that guns can and should be used to protect individuals, but only with proper education on both their use, and the consequences for using them.

 

[Valksy]

In the right time/place I love guns. Love them. One of the things on me "to do" list is to travel to somewhere with forgiving gun laws and have a go.

The UK has strict gun laws and - with a recent murder spree (12 dead, killed by weapons that I believe to be legally held) - I anticipate them being tighter still.

But then I also love knives, swords, axes, polearms, muskets, cannons etc etc etc.

 

[JohnSmith]

It would be interesting to consider the number of people all told in the various countries that arm their police forces that are alive and uninjured due to the perceived threat from the firearm used by the officer. To clarify I'm talking about all the times the police didn't need to shoot, all those times when pulling their guns was enough to get someone to drop the knife or whatever. Just a thought.

 

[Sarkule]

Pew Pew LAZOR

 

[Sikachu]

Firearms are tools, tools that are used to complete a specific task. Like any other tool, if overused they do more harm than good.

I've been around guns all my life. I own them, I use them in my job, and I use them for recreation sometimes. Guns are dangerous and need to be handled with great care, that being said though guns do not kill people. People kill people with whatever tool they choose.

Also, this. I've never understood how people can say guns kill people when it's a person pulling the trigger. No matter how you look at it, something has to be there to pull the trigger, it doesn't just go off on it's own, unless it's dropped with a round in the chamber.

Of course guns don't kill people by themselves, but it takes a hell of a lot more to lose your temper and beat/choke someone to death than to shoot them once. So when people say 'guns kill' what they mean is 'it is more likely that a situation will escalate to a homicide when a gun is present than when one isn't'. It shouldn't be that hard to 'get'.

 

[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.

Not really. Try killing a person with a gun, then try with your bare hands.* Which is easier?

The reason people freak out about guns more than, say, knives is the ease in which to kill someone with it. Point and shoot is all that's needed. To kill someone with a knife you have to move up close, giving the victim a chance to defend themselves, or to run away.

*I do not endorse killing people of any description.

U dont have to get very close with a bow. and most people don't have a rabid fear of thier killers, meaning it wouldnt be hard to get close. also, a stab to the torso causes bleed-out in a rediculously short period of time, i think a 6 in knife stab will cause bleed-out in less than half a minute if i remember correctly, but it's been a while sinse i heard that factoid.

 

[spartan231490]

I think that Hollywood has ruined most, if not all, weaponry safety for all concerned (except for the people who actually know how to use weapons).

At least in the movies and TV series these days, characters spend time cleaning their guns and reload after firing them - but its still not enough. A guy spraying an M16 wildly on rock-n-roll will unload the weapon in less then five seconds in real life. Spent brass burns like a mother if it hits you, and can burn through clothing. No, you cant put a silencer on a revolver OR a shotgun, and if you do put one on a handgun or machinegun, people can still hear you over fifty yards away - the same as if you'd fired the gun without a silencer.

I'd love to see a movie where a guy gets a gun and has no idea how to use it. When he fires a handgun, the slide bites his hand. When he sprays an AK47 at the bad guys, he runs out of bullets quick (and cant hit anything coz AK's have massive recoil) and has to learn to double-tap and choose his targets carefully. If he holds the gun wrong, the brass goes down his shirt and burns him. To make it even better - if he fires the gun indoors too much, he starts to go deaf.

spent brass wont burn through clothing. Iv shot 12 guage, 22, 30-30, 30-06, and yes the brass burns, but iv had it sit on my shirt sleeve until it cools and my cloths have never melted or been set on fire. I've never worked with silencers, but i see no real reason you couldnt put one on a shotgun, it would be just like a choke, the question is why, it's close quarters anyway. and ak's recoil may be high for assault rifles, but it's relatively mild compared to early sub-machine guns or single shot, large bore rifles.

 

[antidonkey]

Guns, just like any other weapon, are really only a danger when handled improperly or when in the wrong hands. I find them fascinating from a style and function standpoint. I also marvel at how effective they are.

I just recently passed CHL (concealed handgun License) training here in Texas so I should be able to carry soon. I honestly don't see myself doing it that often but it's nice to have the option. People were worried about violent crime rates going up when they passed concealed carry laws but the rates went down because now the criminals don't know who might be armed.

 

[Eggsnham]

They can be recreational when used correctly, they look badass, and they're amazing pieces of technology.

Plus, they're useful for killing raccoons that steal your horse's food.

Yeah, that too!

 

[McNinja]

Firearms are tools, tools that are used to complete a specific task. Like any other tool, if overused they do more harm than good.

I've been around guns all my life. I own them, I use them in my job, and I use them for recreation sometimes. Guns are dangerous and need to be handled with great care, that being said though guns do not kill people. People kill people with whatever tool they choose.

Also, this. I've never understood how people can say guns kill people when it's a person pulling the trigger. No matter how you look at it, something has to be there to pull the trigger, it doesn't just go off on it's own, unless it's dropped with a round in the chamber.

Of course guns don't kill people by themselves, but it takes a hell of a lot more to lose your temper and beat/choke someone to death than to shoot them once. So when people say 'guns kill' what they mean is 'it is more likely that a situation will escalate to a homicide when a gun is present than when one isn't'. It shouldn't be that hard to 'get'.

Well then I guess they need to get a handle on that anger problem, huh? Seriously, if the intent to do serious harm is there, it doesn't matter what they use. A firearm just makes it easier.

 

[Eggsnham]

They can be recreational when used correctly, they look badass, and they're amazing pieces of technology.

Plus, they're useful for killing raccoons that steal your horse's food.

Yeah, that too!

As well as squirrels that destroy food containers to steal the food.

I would just use a simple Air rifle for that sort of thing, but you can use a more standard type of gun.

 

[Eggsnham]

They can be recreational when used correctly, they look badass, and they're amazing pieces of technology.

Plus, they're useful for killing raccoons that steal your horse's food.

Yeah, that too!

As well as squirrels that destroy food containers to steal the food.

I would just use a simple Air rifle for that sort of thing, but you can use a more standard type of gun.

No, you kill them before they show up again so you don't have to watch 24/7.

Air rifles have killing power I think. You just have to get the cone pointed pellets.