Gun Control Debate thread

[Donutz]

So the Connecticut thread doesn't get derailed into a gun control debate, do it here.

[slyder]

Criminals will always have guns!!!

[TorpedoVegas]

Guns don't kill people... People with guns who think gun controls are stupid kill people.



HA! this thread should be fun times

[ThunderChunky]

What people need to understand is that there is a difference between criminal violence and mass shootings.

Criminal violence with guns happen maybe once or twice in someones life and might kill someone. They are usually with illegally obtained firearms.

Mass shootings only happen once in someones life and kill a large amount of people and are mostly with legally obtained firearms.

Would banning firearms solve mass shootings? It would almost eliminate it.

Should we ban firearms? Fuck no. There are terrible repercussions from our other rights, but it's our fucking right. The benefit of having the right to me out weighs the risks. There are other ways to make this balance more one sided. It's similar to the debate about the Patriot act. Does the Patriot act make it easier to catch terrorists? Yes. Does it violate our rights? Yes. Do the risks outweigh the benefits? Up to you. For me it's close, but no.

With Freedom comes responsibility and risks.

[Donutz]

Well, it's in the political section, so short of actually threatening someone, it's wide open.

Let me start things rolling (maybe) by repeating what I said in the connecticut thread. Canada's last mass killing (other than gang stuff) that I can remember is the Montreal Massacre in Dec 89. I asked my wife cold what's the last one she remembered and she said the same.

Even allowing for the dfferences in population (which I'm not sure is even relevant), that's a huge difference. So WHY the difference? Is Canada unusually low or is the U.S. abnormally high?

It's tempting to go with the cliches and say it's the gun culture in thr US or that Canadians are very polite. Both may be true, but is it enough to explain it?

Thoughts?

[TorpedoVegas]

I thought this was about gun control.. not banning guns. I'd love to hear how a 20 year old with a known personality disorder who had access to 4 guns was worth the risk. Spoken like a true American

[ThunderChunky]

I think it's the culture. Like I said in the other one (my bad). Failure is not really something feasible here. Failure is like some sort of leprosy, everyone looks at you like you're a retard. There is only one way out to people since there isn't anything else for them. Unfortunately they decide to take other people with them. With a shrinking opportunity here the shootings have gone up. I can't really speak for Canada since I don't live there, but I'd say it's at least a little different. People generally seem much nicer and accepting there.

[slyder]

Just pulling this out of my ass but aren't Americans more violent then Canadians. Aren't our major metropolitan areas much larger geographically/population based and our larger cities have a much higher crime rate in comparison??
Don't most canadians have guns for hunting and sport at least the more rural areas.

I believe with all my heart that banning guns will not stop this type of senseless crime. The people that think of this, plan for this, could obtain a gun illegally.
There is no way to confiscate all the hand guns in America. So for discussion sake this is fine in reality it will never happen.

[ARSENALFAN]

I say Obama's last legacy should be to send ATF agents door to door and confiscate all handguns. I have not even read about what this kid used to massacre everybody, but banning handguns is a must. I can tell you that I would feel alot safer to tell somebody to fuck off at a Banff Ski Resort than down in Colorado or anywhere in the US for that matter. The access to handguns is just too easy. I bet ya there are lots of handguns sitting in vehicles at US ski resorts and not one out in Banff today. And that is kind of crazy imho.

[ThunderChunky]

Legally obtained handguns have the least blood on their hands. The only thing they are used for are murders. Which is one or two people. Most mass shooting happen with sub machine guns or an assault weapon. Banning any weapons has never decreased violent criminal activity(not mass shootings). It's not debatable. The Chicago ban proved it, the assault weapons ban proved it.