Agayek said:
Demented Teddy said:
That needs to be made illegal.
No civilian should have access to weapons!
So we should also outlaw:
- Cars
- Tools (Hammers, Saws, etc)
- Kitchen Utensils (Knives, Forks, Sporks, etc)
- Chunks of Wood
- Rocks
- Hands
- The Human Intellect
Any of the above, and significantly more, can be used to kill someone, even unintentionally. It's kinda silly to outlaw something because it could potentially be used to harm someone, because the same is true for everything.
I agree, and I'm a very strong advocate of the right to bear arms. However, I wouldn't necessarily agree with you when it comes to this (I didn't look, but I'm guessing this has to do with the Arctic laser).
I don't really think that a laser weapon is a good idea. With firearms, people are well-aware of the consequences of owning and firing a gun, because the public perception is "guns are killing tools", simple as. Nobody runs around in the suburb shooting holes in things, because if you do, you know you're getting charged with some heavy crimes. A laser torch capable of igniting human flesh and causing instant permanent blindness, however, if just asking for trouble (especially at $200). Everybody's going to want to burn holes in shit, and they're frightfully unlikely to do it in a safe and controlled environment.
Considering the public's only real exposure to lasers comes in the form of laser-pointers (the kind you can shine in your eye and see grainy red light without having your irises cooked), this is like putting a Bugatti Veyron in the hands of a student driver: it's too much power for someone with so little knowledge about the matter at hand. When you apply the "lasers are fucking awesome" factor to the average person, that makes them likely to try burning a hole in everything laying around until they get bored.
These things have so much potential to ruin someone's life, and you'd have to be crazy if you believe that every single person that purchases one is a responsible adult. This thing has the power to make sure you never see again if it's shined in your eyes for even a split second, it's strong enough to bring down an airplane if shined in the cockpit (lot of reflective surfaces in there), and did I mention this thing can burn a goddamn hole in you? My point is, this thing needs to be regulated with more than just warning labels that are more stern than the kind you see on the ones that are readily available from PetSmart and novelty stores.
I don't mind getting a background check and sitting through a waiting period every time I purchase a firearm, and I see no reason why the same thing shouldn't apply to a silent weapon (yes, it's a weapon, it's too impractical to be considered a utility) capable of permanently crippling someone for life, from a distance, with the press of a button. At least firearms have a loud report every time they discharge, this thing could be used in drive-bys and nobody would be the wiser.
