Quote:
Originally Posted by Urzu 7
I know there are plenty of people who love their gun rights who are not yahoos, and are level-headed people who can be trusted to own guns. But apparently, there are too many yahoos and just plain dangerous people who get a hold of guns in America. I'm not talking about gangsters and drug dealers and such. I'm talking about the people who should be the average joe citizen. I think there are too many common citizens in America who just can't be trusted to have guns (and then there are those that can't keep their guns inaccessible to their kids).
I wish there was hardly any guns in the hands of Americans. I try to see the point of view of those who are advocates of gun rights and gun availability, but I just really dislike the amount of stories and accounts that emerge that tell about gun related violence and death caused by the common citizen.
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That's because we do not have training requirements.
Banning guns has proven to be totally useless.
Even in countries like
China and
India, so access is a moot issue at this point.
Education on the proper use of firearms is key to at least eliminating yahoos from society at large.
As the population gets dumber, their failure to respect firearms gets worse.
I'd like to see mandatory training requirements through the
Civilian Marksmanship Program in the manner that Theodore Roosevelt had intended.
At least to own civilian militia rifles/weapons.
It would also help if the police did their damn job and prosecuted yahoos when they screw up.
If a good law isn't enforced properly, it cannot do what it was intended to do.
That's the problem here, just as Federal Law prohibits selling firearms to unauthorized persons, you know like drug cartels *cough* Fast and Furious *cough*, laws that allow citizens to defend themselves must be enforced properly or else tragedy can strike.
Like when border agents get shot with guns sold by BATFE to gang-bangers, or a young man gets gunned down by an idiot playing Neighborhood cop.
This is why I know more gun control will not solve these problems, and if the goal is to lesson the number of people who are killed each year, then we need to look at other issues first before we single out gunowners.
Statistically, more people are killed by
cars, and drugs then guns, and alcohol related deaths come in a close second.
There are many leading causes of death including Obesity and bad diet.
How much of society are we willing to have policed and/or controlled by others in government?
Firearms are singled out for political reasons and for the simple fact that there are those in power who fear an armed population.
That sentiment is as old as civilization itself.
As Aristotle once wrote:
"Both Oligarch and Tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of arms." (Politics, Aristotle p. 218)