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General discussion (archive)Gun ownership - one point of view(110 posts)(110 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted January 17, 2010
This may be of interest to US gun owners, maybe others as well. I hesitate to post this since most everyone falls on one side or the other. . . still it is an interesting watch . . regardless of which point of view you support . . ..=)
Posted January 17, 2010
Hmm... well, I used to shoot air rifles/pistols and a .22 pistol when I was younger (air rifles at school no less), but stopped going once I'd got a bit older. After moving a couple of times, I don't even know where the nearest range would be.
Basically, I'd quite like to be able to shoot at a range, even though in this country there are a multitude of restrictions on that (in the UK), but never considered the need to have a gun at home, even when such things were allowed (never to the same extent as the US though).
I'd be interested to know why people who don't shoot for sport or whatever keep guns, or why there are seemingly so few regulations on what type of gun you can own. I have to admit I'm rather clueless to the extent of the law in the US (or various state differences).
On a side note, the "right to bear arms" seems a bit anachronistic these days, when the vast majority of people aren't on the "wild frontier" and the fact you have a professional army.
Posted January 17, 2010
Quite frankly the UN does not belong making rules for Americans and I don't know what you folks from other countries think but American Sovereignty should not be undermined by a bunch of loons from the UN. I think the establishment of the UN was probably the single worst thing to come out of WWII. Ineffective - Bloated - Government Sponsered - Idiocy.
Posted January 17, 2010
Something that makes my head spin:
If you are for the legalization of drugs, how can you not support gun rights? Likewise, if you support gun rights, how can you not support more lenient drug laws? It really is the same argument: stupid and malicious people will always do stupid and malicious things, regardless of the tools available to them.
Posted January 17, 2010
UN might be bureaucratic POS, but NRA is even worse group of loonies. In any case I'd really like to not read political threads here. Even with great community like GoG politics is just a huge can of worms waiting to be opened.
Post edited January 17, 2010 by Bluekkis
Posted January 17, 2010
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Bluekkis: UN might be bureaucratic POS, but NRA is even worse group of loonies. In any case I'd really like to not read political threads here. Even with great community like GoG politics is just a huge can of worms waiting to be opened.

Here - Here. I must agree. However, as an American I have a Constitutional Right to Bear Arms.
Posted January 17, 2010
That video is pretty hilarious, they are successfully making gun control sound like some heinous crime against humanity, akin to eating babies...
Posted January 17, 2010
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melchiz: Something that makes my head spin:
If you are for the legalization of drugs, how can you not support gun rights? Likewise, if you support gun rights, how can you not support more lenient drug laws? It really is the same argument: stupid and malicious people will always do stupid and malicious things, regardless of the tools available to them.

The difference is with drugs, you're typically only hurting yourself (IF you abuse them -- they can be quite enlightening if used properly). Well, you can hurt relationships, but at least you're not killing anybody.
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Bluekkis: UN might be bureaucratic POS, but NRA is even worse group of loonies. In any case I'd really like to not read political threads here. Even with great community like GoG politics is just a huge can of worms waiting to be opened.

Don't read them, then..I think they could be good. I like discussing this stuff and there are many intelligent folks here. If you can't discuss them here, where? :)
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tor: That video is pretty hilarious, they are successfully making gun control sound like some heinous crime against humanity, akin to eating babies...

I have a right to eat babies, don't care what no baby grabbers say.
Post edited January 17, 2010 by chautemoc
Posted January 17, 2010
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melchiz: If you are for the legalization of drugs, how can you not support gun rights?

Taking drugs wouldn't defend your home help you overthrow your government should it turn tyrannical. That is, after all the reason the US second amendment exists.
Posted January 17, 2010
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Lou: Quite frankly the UN does not belong making rules for Americans and I don't know what you folks from other countries think but American Sovereignty should not be undermined by a bunch of loons from the UN. I think the establishment of the UN was probably the single worst thing to come out of WWII. Ineffective - Bloated - Government Sponsered - Idiocy.

Really?
[This is going off topic.]
Have you re-read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recently? I love that document. I'd love to live in societies that actually took it forward. It still is a radical document, and yet ... most countries in the world ratified it by joining the UN.
Have you looked at what is doing? The [url=http://www.who.int]WHO? UNESCO? I wouldn't want to see the first two of these organisations to be disbanded, and at least see some good in some of UNESCO's activities.
Not saying there aren't problems; the UN as a peacekeeping force, the world bank, the agricultural politics, etc. all are horrid. But the central idea of having a global organisation setting globally binding rules in a world that by now is so completely interrelated - I can't see that as wrong.
And yes there's bureaucracy. But I, for one, don't really see that as worse than the bureaucracy and the artificial setup of nations in themselves. Re: US: It's such a huge country, and yet you have a Washington setting the general agenda for the whole of it. The UN isn't much different than any other governmental organisation in that sense (but with far less power).
Posted January 17, 2010
I happen to live in a city that is both extremely liberal and very gun friendly. A concealed carry permit is very easy to obtain provided you don't have a criminal record, and we just opened a "pot cafe" downtown.
As far as gun ownership goes, I am for concealed carry and for the right to own handguns and rifles, provided they aren't fully automatic. (Try and justify it all you want, fully automatic is NOT for civilians) Plus, I will also say that criminals are less likely to do something if they know that the average person is packing. Portland has its fair share of crime, like every city will have, but nowhere near as bad as other places.
I point out Chicago as one of the most gun-hating cities of the US next to Baltimore, and look at all the violent crime they have there.
Posted January 17, 2010
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Andy_Panthro: I'd be interested to know why people who don't shoot for sport or whatever keep guns, or why there are seemingly so few regulations on what type of gun you can own. I have to admit I'm rather clueless to the extent of the law in the US (or various state differences).

Defense of one's self, family, and home is a central reason for gun ownership within the US. Over here police have (successfully) argued in court that they have no legal obligation to protect anyone, in response to lawsuits brought following obscenely long response times to 911 calls involving someone being in imminent danger from an attacker. (Or as the saying goes, when seconds count the police are just minutes away). As for regulations on what kinds of guns people can own, there actually are quite a few such regulations, although they vary widely from state to state. There are also a wide variety of regulations on when and where people are allowed to carry guns they own.
Posted January 17, 2010
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Lou: Really?
[This is going off topic.]
Have you re-read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recently? I love that document. I'd love to live in societies that actually took it forward. It still is a radical document, and yet ... most countries in the world ratified it by joining the UN.
We have the Declaration Of Independance - Lou
Have you looked at what is doing? The [url=http://www.who.int]WHO? UNESCO? I wouldn't want to see the first two of these organisations to be disbanded, and at least see some good in some of UNESCO's activities.
World Outreach Organizations have been the the single best thing the UN has undertaken. - Lou
Not saying there aren't problems; the UN as a peacekeeping force, the world bank, the agricultural politics, etc. all are horrid. But the central idea of having a global organisation setting globally binding rules in a world that by now is so completely interrelated - I can't see that as wrong.
Here is where you get off track - No World Global Body sets binding rules for the US - We fought a a war over this one and I would again. - Lou
And yes there's bureaucracy. But I, for one, don't really see that as worse than the bureaucracy and the artificial setup of nations in themselves. Re: US: It's such a huge country, and yet you have a Washington setting the general agenda for the whole of it. The UN isn't much different than any other governmental organisation in that sense (but with far less power).
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Mnemon: Actually we have Individual States Powers with the Federal Government setup as the national protector (Armed Forces) if you will. This is becoming a very hot topic here as we see the National Government taking more and more control from the States. - Lou
Sorry about the above - I still am new and having problems with the reply stuff. - Lou
Post edited January 17, 2010 by Lou
Posted January 17, 2010
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Stuff: This may be of interest to US gun owners, maybe others as well. I hesitate to post this since most everyone falls on one side or the other. . . still it is an interesting watch . . regardless of which point of view you support . . ..=)

mmmmm, fear-based propaganda... yummy, lol. Sorry - I had to make fun. Stuff like that does legitimate guns owners a disservice.
Andy-
VERY BROADLY speaking in the US, you may own any firearm (some limitations apply). You may transport it with you, providing it is unloaded, in a case, or not at hand. You may apply for a CCW (Carry Concealed Weapon) permit which may involve taking a short class on firearms safety. This permit allows you to carry a loaded firearm concealed on your person.
Most people in the US own weapons for sport (shooting/hunting) or for defense. While it is rare that someone actually uses a firearm for defense, those incidents do happen. I can think of 3 local incidents where a victim defended themselves with a firearm in the last 2 years off the top of my head (2 burglaries and a robbery).
Posted January 17, 2010
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tor: That video is pretty hilarious, they are successfully making gun control sound like some heinous crime against humanity, akin to eating babies...

Haha, yeah. The sheer amount of bias in the video hurts my head.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussion (archive)Gun ownership - one point of view(110 posts)(110 posts)
(110 posts)