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Therein perhaps lies a point about those who advocate the possession of guns — that they may dress it up in issues relating to the constitution, keeping the government at bay and so forth, but really, possibly subconsciously, they like the idea of some day confronting someone with their gun. There is certainly a certain glee attached to gun ownership that seems to go beyond theoretical, constitutional notions.Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristianArp
You see, to me the presence of a dog would almost be more of a deterrent than would the ownership of a firearm.Quote:
Originally Posted by Knock-on
Is .223 the Best Home Defense Caliber? - Guns & AmmoQuote:
Originally Posted by BDunnell
There are a number of factors behind this—increased exposure to the weapon system via media, fears of terrorism and the realization of just how fun the darn things are to shoot.
- Guns & Ammo magazine, 10th Feb 2012
Same caliber as the one used to destroy 20 children... so much "fun".
I've been on some firearms forums, and some keep citing the Australian gun buyback program. This video keeps getting plastered over and over again about how defenseless Australian's became once they no longer had access to firearms, and how there was a spike in home invasion robberies. I'm not sure if it's smart to cite Australia because homicides and suicides plummeted after the gun buyback scheme. Any Ozzy's here who can shed a bit more light on this issue?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPGBXqaF2dg
The video dates from 1997 and it doesn't surprise me that this would be trotted out now, a video clip which is 15 years old has almost no relevance now.Quote:
Originally Posted by gloomyDAY
"Gun laws that have backfired" - 4:36
Bollocks they have.
Gun deaths halved in past 10 years - www.theage.com.au
After the massacre, tough gun laws were enacted across Australia, specifically targeting military-style weapons, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of weapons being destroyed.
The number of deaths caused by firearms dropped almost 50 per cent between 1991 and 2001, with the biggest yearly fall in deaths coming after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre.
Gun deaths in rapid decline since buyback - National - smh.com.au
The new report, titled Australia's 1996 Gun Law Reforms: Faster Falls in Firearm Deaths, Firearm Suicides and a Decade without Mass Shootings, finds that in the 18 years before the gun buyback there were an average of 492 firearm suicides a year.
After the introduction of the buyback scheme, that figure dropped to 247 in the seven years for which reliable figures are available.
Perhaps most telling is the statistic from 2011:
Homicide and related offences:
Homicide - with firearms: 30
(source) - 1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2012
Sadly, I feel as if it's after September 11th again, and fear is going to lead Americans into stupid decisions (unPATRIOTic Act). For example, Rick Perry (Governor of Texas) has stated that he wants Texas to be ready for a gun-wielding attack in schools. There's discussion of making the "guardian plan" a statewide law.
Texas school where teachers carry guns prepared to protect students | Crime and Safety |...
Thanks. I thought this video was full of crap!Quote:
Originally Posted by Rollo
That such a statement can even be made speaks volumes. In most other countries, it would be like saying schools should be ready for an airliner crashing into them. It could happen, but to make specific preparations would be laughable.Quote:
Originally Posted by gloomyDAY
I don't know about "full of crap" but it isn't very appropriate now. I'm sure that those people had very real sentiments fifteen years ago. Heck even the splash screen shows a VT Commodore as the police car; they stopped production in 2000 which was four; soon to be five models ago.Quote:
Originally Posted by gloomyDAY
Yeah, I see what you're saying. Those people were directly affected by the buyback scheme. I just can't see how that's relevant to the school shooting in Shady Hook. Furthermore, as you alluded to earlier, the results of getting rid of those firearms was a net positive for a everyone's quality of life in Australia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rollo
That's not entirely accurate. It is perfectly legal for properly licensed private citizens to own fully automatic weapons in several states. I have such a license and have owned the military versions of the AR15. I own the semi automatic civilian versions you described and there are substantial differences. i reality, there is little difference between them and many hunting rifles capable or far more damge.Quote:
Originally Posted by Starter
I"ll fully admit, other than the sheer enjoyment we get from shooting them, there is little rational need for a fully automatic weapon and I no longer own any fully automatic weapons because even I can't justify owning one with even the worst case scenarios. That is not however what the shooter was using.
The shootings Friday are an unfathomable tragedy, as a parent, a former teacher and as a human being, but I still fully defend the rights given to me by the founders of this country and I defend that as vehemently as I defend my beliefs in the holy bible. The key issue with every one of these mass shootings has been inadequately treated mental illness. THAT iswhat is not being adequately addressed, and yet we will end up with ineffective hap-hazzard knee-jerk legislation that takes the right to defend oneself against people like this before the f#&#ed-up leaders of this country spends a second of time or a dime of public money improving the access to mental health care for the vast majority of our country.