BoJester wrote:
My point was that there are TOO MANY GUNS in the hands of the wrong people.
Please define the phrases, in your words, "too many guns" and "wrong people".
I showed you my hands, in the terms of fair play, you should show yours.
BoJester wrote:
So since you agree that I did not advocate more gun restrictions, let's look at a few facts. The shootings in Chicago and DC and other crime ridden cities is mostly between rival gangs. Both groups are armed, so having a gun does not necessarily protect one from crime, if the victim is a criminal.
So my point is proven, make guns illegal and only criminals will have guns. So, you have criminals in possession of guns killing other criminals, as well as innocent bystanders, which is a significant number, and that justifies taking the guns out of the hands of law-abiding citizens?
BoJester wrote:
Having a gun does not prevent one from being killed by oneself, as in suicide.
If someone is going to commit suicide, they are going to do so whether they have a gun or not. Many use a gun because it is quick and efficient. And comparing suicide by gun to death by gun is just as silly. There is a one to one ratio for suicide by gun over suicide by other means. Does this mean that half of all suicides will suddenly go away when we take away all guns? Again, refer yourself to the CDC statistics.
All suicides (2010)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm Number of deaths: 38,364
Deaths per 100,000 population: 12.4
Cause of death rank: 10
Firearm suicides
Number of deaths: 19,392
Deaths per 100,000 population: 6.3
Assault or Homicide(2010)
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/homicide.htmMortality
All homicides
Number of deaths: 16,259
Deaths per 100,000 population: 5.3
Firearm homicides
Number of deaths: 11,078
Deaths per 100,000 population: 3.6
The second pair of statistics should be considered significant as well. If you take away the guns can you guarantee those 11,078 deaths in 2012 would not have happened by other means?
BoJester wrote:
Having a gun does not necessarily protect one from domestic violence or spousal abuse.
And no one is saying that it will. But taking away the right to own a gun and not allowing a person to carry will almost guarantee they will probably have no other means to defend themselves as well. When a person is afraid to bully another, you get no bullying. When a person does not know if the person they are confronting them can defend themselves, they are more likely not to escalate a confrontation. When you know your intended victim, in this case, your victim is not allowed to carry a gun, you can, with confidence, assume that your intended victim is a law-abiding one and will not have any ability to defend themselves because they are not carrying a gun.
BoJester wrote:
Stop trying to make more of my response than what I said.
Too many guns, too many idiots, a simple observation
Why not, you are doing it to my responses. Turnabout is fair is it not? And fair is the watchword for Liberals.
I guess being "fair" is not fair in the eyes of a Liberal to whom it is being used against, or at least not in your eyes.
BoJester wrote:
Too many guns, too many idiots, a simple observation
Just to push this a little further, how many innocent bystanders have been killed by law enforcement officers over the years? Did it occur because the cop using the gun was mishandling it and therefore an idiot as well? Should we also disarm every law enforcement officer in the country because a few seem to not be able to grasp the three basic rules of the usage of guns?
1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
Add to that the below rules
1) Know your target and what is beyond.
I have also seen this listed as the fourth basic rule
2) Know how to use the gun safely.
3) Be sure the gun is safe to operate.
4) Use only the correct ammunition for your gun.
5) Wear eye and ear protection as appropriate.
6) Never use alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription or other drugs before or while shooting.
7) Store guns so they are not accessible to unauthorized persons.
8) Be aware that certain types of guns and many shooting activities require additional safety precautions.
9) Cleaning
By the way, it cannot be a simple observation. You fail to take everything into account. You only take into consideration a tiny selection of the whole. You believe guns kill people. Which is inherently untrue. Just like any tool, a gun can be used by one person to harm or kill another. The gun on its own cannot do so.