Gun Law debate

[grassrootsracer]

Because it's an inevitable discussion stemming from the tragedy at Virginia Tech, I've made a separate thread for the debate on gun laws, particularly in the United States.

[AndySpeed]

On the whole, Europe doesn't have the same problem, it doesn't have the same laws. As does most of the rest of the world. Is it time to end this? Of course, America needs to end it's obsession with the personal gun

[ioan]

Personal gun, what for? They say it's for defense, but if none has one than you don't need one to defend yourself.
I think USA will join the list of countries that are least secure every year that goes by, because of their own citizens.

[nicemms]

I totally agree with you andy. The reason why europe doesn't have tragidies like these is because we have ultra strict gun laws.

Guns may be 'usefull' for self defense or shooting animals but I think its time USA had a crack down on guns and changed their laws before anymore innocent people get killed or injured.

[Eki]

Guns may be 'usefull' for self defense

I think that inevitably leads to an arms race. The attacker will always try to find bigger and better weapons than the one who's been attacked, who then tries to find bigger and better weapons himself.

[Daniel]

Because it's an inevitable discussion stemming from the tragedy at Virginia Tech, I've made a separate thread for the debate on gun laws, particularly in the United States.

Excellent idea for a thread.

Obviously it's too early to say for sure what weapon/s the gunman used but one person said "he went into one classroom full of people and no one but the gunman came out alive" so I think it's fairly safe to say he used some sort of assault rifle or sub machinegun type weapon which lets be honest has no place in the hands of someone who isn't in the army or who isn't involved in law enforcement.

Guns like this were purely made for killing people. Any gun can kill someone but I fail to see how this type of gun is an acceptable thing anywhere in the world where you don't have all out conflict.

I don't care if someone wants to own a .44 magnum or a Desert Eagle. Sure they can all kill people just as dead but for someone to own an M16 or an AK-47 or an AR-15 or whatever is just fricking insane and should be made highly illegal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Arthur_Massacre

I think the US should follow Australia's lead and outlaw all weapons like this. I accept the fact that you will never disarm the US in the sense of taking all handguns away from them but you can make it a lot harder for people to do this sort of thing by at least taking most of these guns away from people. That's what needs to happen. It's sad that 31?+ people may have had to die today for this to happen but I sure as anything hope they don't die in vain and that this sort of thing never happens again.

[Daniel]

Personal gun, what for? They say it's for defense, but if none has one than you don't need one to defend yourself.
I think USA will join the list of countries that are least secure every year that goes by, because of their own citizens.

Lets not get into that argument. It's in the US constitution and it's a cornerstone of American society to be able to bear arms. I don't agree with it but lets not attack this thing that Americans hold so dear to their heart because it will just end up in an us vs them fight and I think that's counterproductive.

Whilst I think arming yourself just ends up in an arms race as Eki says I think it does a lot less harm than being able to own your own WMD in the form of an assault rifle.

[schmenke]

I'm not sure I understand how gun legislation would prevent further incidents such as this one in Virginia Tech?
I would have thought that most gun-related crimes are carried out with weapons acquired illeagaly in the first place. With the multitude of firearms available through the U.S. black market I don't see how legislating gun ownership will realistically change anything

[Tomi]

This americans and guns is a strange thing, someone belives its somekind of fundamental right to own a gun

Personally I think it's ok, and every american should have one about the time they start the school, after all you never know some class mate might call you with bad names.

[BeansBeansBeans]

I'm not sure I understand how gun legislation would prevent further incidents such as this one in Virginia Tech?
I would have thought that most gun-related crimes are carried out with weapons acquired illeagaly in the first place. With the multitude of firearms available through the U.S. black market I don't see how legislating gun ownership will realistically change anything.

Interesting point, but it surely can't be a coincidence that the US has massively higher incidences of gun crime than any European Country, or even Canada!