Gun control or just control

[hardlife_nef 1]

<rant> Why is it that everytime there is a tragedy and some lunatic kills a bunch of people, right on its heels you can hear the cry to ban guns? Yeah, for most it is just a knee jerk reaction. But seriously, can someone show me where a ban on something has actually had a positive effect? I'm sure there are example out there, its just that I personally am not aware of any. The examples I can think of are just a few, but they didn't work out as planned. I recall the words of the Rev. Billy Sunday

 

"The reign of tears is over. The slums will soon be a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories andour jails into storehouses and corncribs. Men will walk upright now, women will smile and children will laugh. Hell will be forever for rent."

 

Didn't exactly work out that way did it? From 1914 to 1932 there was a 561% rise in federal convictions. (source cato institute) Most of those were guilty of violations of the Volstead act.The homicide rate jumped from 6 per 100,000 pre-Prohibition to nearly 10per 100,000 in 1933. That was reversed by the repeal of Prohibition in 1933, and continued to decline through the 1930s and early 1940s. This also saw the birth of organized crime in the US.

 

The war on drugs a term coined by Richard Nixon, wow that was 1971. In 2008 alone 1.5 million american were arrested in the war on drugs. This gave a rise to the street gangs and cartels. I can't even begin to tally the number of deaths attributed to this war. It continues to this day. While a Constitutional argument can be made based on the pursuit of happiness for both of these, they are not in of themselves specifically mentioned in the Constitution.

 

Now there is a call for a ban on guns. A cry so strong that many of those on the fence wanting to look like they care have jumped to the side of the banners. Whats shocking to me is that we are even considering this as there is an entire amendment that has but 27 words and 3 commas that states our rights on firearms. Not a subject where we can use the Constitution to make and argumnet based on the pursuit of happiness or liberty, no it is specifically about that. It is pretty clear and uses simple wording. That being said we have not followed those words. A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Yet we have passed laws that have in fact infringed on those rights. Yes there are many that aren't opposed to sensible restrictions on that right and I'm not going to argue for nor against those, I am merely stating the simple fact. The right of the peoplelto keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. Any law that resticts or puts any conditions on that right is an infringement. Again I am not arguing for or against any of those regulation just using definitions.

 

Now based on history and using 2 common examples on prohibitions and how well they have worked, mindful that these aren't specifically protected rights we see how we the people have responded to them. People still do drugs as did people continue to consume alcohol. How do you think we the people will react to a gun ban? A right specifically enumerated in the Constitution. A natural right not granted by said document but still protected by it. When will the people wake up to the fact that gun control is in fact not about guns but about control. Do we as a country really have to go through this again? Jorge Agustín Nicolás Ruiz de Santayana y Borrás aka George Santayana once said "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". Well have have numerous worldwide examples of gun control. Germany, England, Russia, Australia and Mexico spring to mind. It doens't work. How about we try a differnt tact. How about we try less restrictive gun laws and see how that works out? After all we have examples of those as well. Switzerland, France (wait what France? Yeah France where silencers are bought over the counter) hell Isrealis have fully automatic weapons at home. What makes them better than us? </rant>

[Old Glock guy 1,127]

Good post, but you (and we) are thinking about it logically, while the antis are playing on emotions to push their agenda. I'm sure that all of us on both sides of the debate are in agreement that we need to do what we can to prevent such tragedies in the future, but those of us applying reason can see that keeping guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens is not the answer.

[M4BGRINGO 139]

The 2A doesn't mention how we should handle mentally incompetent people and guns either. I surely don't want loonies to have guns, but if we were follow the 2A to the 'T', then we are infringing upon their rights, plus the rights of any convicted felons from owning firearms. Somewhere a line has to be drawn.

 

Then again, if we were ALL allowed to purchase and carry the weapons of our choice, then after a few decades those that souldn't be bearing arms most likely will no longer be around......................

[tom catman 0]

we are being played...for example..y2k/maya apocolypse../gun control...the politicians,media.govt already control us.they are just turning up the fire for the frogs in the frying pan.planning for what?agenda 21?when the next occurrance happens in a mall or school they will again call for more control;...the only way to stop this is carry permits for everyone that wants one..this wont ever happen tho.....