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Originally Posted by
icedog
Either you are intentionally missing my point or I am not communicating clearly enough.
I can assure you, I am not trying to miss your point.
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This gun thing for me is moot. I happen to like guns. I am trying to explain what the issue is for the people who want to make it difficult to own guns.
I can pretty much guarantee that everyone here understands what that issue is. It's public safety. People who want to make guns difficult to get are trying to prevent guns from getting into the hands of crazy people who will use them to kill others. We all understand that.
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It has nothing to do with swimming pools(I still don't understand why you would throw that out).
I was trying to illustrate the irrational desire to limit civil liberties for the sake of public safety, when there are far greater dangers that could be addressed without striking an entire ammendment from the Bill of Rights. The issue is public safety, plain and simple. If crazy people didn't ever hurt others, you wouldn't care what they did. You care about crazy people hurting and killing people.
I am trying to be as clear as possible here. If you want to save lives, you should devote your resources to the greater dangers, not the ones that make the headlines.
Yes, high profile school shooting rampages make headlines and stir emotions, but far more kids are killed in mundane household accidents, drowning, and car accidents.
You want to save lives? Don't let teen agers drive.
Just to be sure you understand why I'm bringing up car accidents and teen age drivers when you want to talk about gun violence, I'll try to make it more to the point. You only care about guns because they take lives. It's lives you are wanting to save. Therefore, you should really address the activities that take the most lives. I'm not trying to sound pedantic here, it's just that I want to make sure you understand what I'm trying to say.
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It is the ease with which people who may trip off the line and run amuck can obtain firearms.
What you're suggesting is prior restraint.
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There is a law enforcement system in place that is supposed to protect us and for most people it works well.
For many it does not work so well. The average response time where I live is around 10 minutes, and about 30 minutes after midnight. Someone could do a hell of a lot to me or my family in that time.
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I have no fear that would justify my having a loaded weapon in my home and I hope most people feel the same way.
There is no law that says you need to have a loaded gun in your home. I'd like it if you didn't try to prevent me from having one just because you feel safe where you are.
As I said before, horrible crimes make for horrible laws. The law against murder didn't stop this kid from doing somethign really horrible, so taking my right to purchase a gun won't prevent this from happening again.
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People who want more gun control want to know how to stop this sort of thing. Any ideas?
We all want to stop this sort of thing, but consider the fact that increasing gun control hasn't made these things happen less frequently. In fact, they seem to happen more now.
I want to see less crime, just like you. I want the right to defend myself as well. The suggestion that taking that right from me will somehow make me safer, makes no sense.