Gun Control

[Sportsman]

Before I start can I say that I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, anti gun. I have owned both shotguns and rifles and have had to put up with unwarranted intrusion into my medical records and private life to be able to hold the appropriate certification. I was prepared to do this as I like to own and use guns,

 

BUT (bet you knew that was coming )

 

I have been reading about the tragic shooting in the cinema in America and I suppose I was feeling sort of "only in the States"

Then I read that applications for permission to buy guns had risen in the area by 47% in the week after the shooting.

So you think

They have a problem with too many / wrong sort of person owning guns and they solve it by selling more guns to more people.

How stupid is that?

 

But is it?

If I think about it I can see how an individual who found himself in this scenario might want the means to defend himself and his family and reasoning with the guy isn't going to work.

Think some more and you come to the conclusion that if 2 or 3 guys in that cinema had been carrying guns then this whole scenario might have been ended much sooner with subsequent saving of many lives.

So, guns as a force for good? I don't know.

 

I am uncomfortable with the idea of individuals taking the law into their own hands especially when you look at how often mistakes have been made with lethal consequences.

The other problem is if you stand up and start firing back you had better make sure you don't miss. You have just made yourself target one.

Unfortunately unless you have the right background and training missing is highly likely.

I suppose what I want is for other people to take the responsibility but that doesn't work.

What do you guys think?

 

To put my thoughts into perspective, when I had guns on the premises if I or my family had been seriously threatened I would have used them for protection, I am sure of that. I would use one now if I had to (and if I had one)

So, is wider gun ownership the antidote to violent crime?

Discuss

[Tigger]

Imo everyone (within reason) should be entitled to own a gun. Lets face it if you want a gun for illegal activities they're not exactly hard to get hold of, and that includes fully automatic weapons.

I mean anyone wanting a gun to commit a crime isn't likely to go out and buy a licence they'd want a shooter no one knows about.

[ayjay]

Think some more and you come to the conclusion that if 2 or 3 guys in that cinema had been carrying guns then this whole scenario might have been ended much sooner with subsequent saving of many lives.

 

I prefer to think that if one less person had had a gun it couldn't have happened.

[kirisute]

It's a tough thing to balance....did you see the footage of the old guy shooting the gunmen who were robbing the store he was in last week? Basically two young guys with shotguns tried to raid a store ( might have been a diner)...some old dude pulled his sidearm out and defended the entire store from these two thugs.

Right or wrong? You'll argue til your blue in the face and just go round in circles.

My family has shot and fished all our lives...I too have firearm and shotgun certificates....would I defend my family, my partner and my house with weaponary in my possession? Damn straight I would! My lounge wall holds my beloved collection of hand forged katana! I know full well what a person looking to harm me or mine would be in for!

And I make no apologies for that! I believe in the right to protect what is yours.

 

The issue becomes escalation of such things. I recall the scene in one of Nolans batman movies. Gordon says something to Batman about escalation and says something like : " we arm ourselves with pistols, they buy rifles. We wear bullet proof vests, they buy armour piercing rounds....you wear a mask and suddenly the criminals wear costumes"....

It's something like that anyway...but you get the idea.

If the criminal is surrounded by targets that are armed and dangerous then the criminal will simply become more dangerous.

 

I don't truly know which way to lean in the discussion....i usually go back to a bit of Chinese pulp philosophy: "you don't stop a rat by reading it poetry....to stop a rat, you simply kill it!"

[Phone]

Sportsman,

 

I bet you didn't think I would "hop in" did you? Here's my opinion.

 

Phone

[corydoras]

Think some more and you come to the conclusion that if 2 or 3 guys in that cinema had been carrying guns then this whole scenario might have been ended much sooner with subsequent saving of many lives.

I think you'll find that even is states where CCW is permitted, most cinemas and theatres prohibit concealed weapons.

[Phone]

Cory,

 

""""A PERMIT TO CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN AUTHORIZES THE

PERMITTEE TO CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN IN ALL AREAS OF THE STATE,

EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY LIMITED IN THIS SECTION."""""

 

VERY FEW "specific limitations" (certainly not movie theaters).

 

Phone

[corydoras]

Cory,

 

""""A PERMIT TO CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN AUTHORIZES THE

PERMITTEE TO CARRY A CONCEALED HANDGUN IN ALL AREAS OF THE STATE,

EXCEPT AS SPECIFICALLY LIMITED IN THIS SECTION."""""

 

VERY FEW "specific limitations" (certainly not movie theaters).

 

Phone

I thought that was up to the owner of the venue Phone? If not then I stand corrected.

[kirisute]

permit for concealed weapons? sheesh you learn sumthin new every day! i never knew that existed.

Phone what are the terms for a concealed weapon then? if you know?

is it specifically hidden? or just stuffed down the back of your pants? when does a weapon become concealed to warrant this permit?

just curious to learn more about that

[corydoras]

permit for concealed weapons? sheesh you learn sumthin new every day! i never knew that existed.

Phone what are the terms for a concealed weapon then? if you know?

is it specifically hidden? or just stuffed down the back of your pants? when does a weapon become concealed to warrant this permit?

just curious to learn more about that

CCW rules vary from state to state. Some states do not permit CCW. Here is a link to the CCW rules for Kansas.

http://www.usacarry.com/kansas_concealed_c...nformation.html