[quote=Jazzman]The whole pro-gun argument is pretty vacuous. The overwhelming evidence suggests the higher the rate of gun ownership, and the more lax the gun control measures, the higher the rate of gun-related fatalities. It is so simple a child could understand it. However, common sense has been besmirched by visceral arguments, which emanate from an overly-possessive desire to allow the current status quo to prevail. With the waters so muddied, fallacy can masquerade as reason, and is stoked by prejudice and fear. It is the creation of a pluralistic society that has severed ties with competing interests by allowing corporate hegemony the unfair advantage to influence legislation. For sensible gun control to happen, the debate needs to be kept alive until the next (inevitable) Sandy Hook. Hopefully, the impetuous will compel constituents to pressure their representatives enough to shake-off the NRA’s grip.[/quote]
You’re referring specifically to “gun-related fatalities.” Those of us who support the Second Amendment couldn’t care less about how one decides to kill; we care that someone is willing and able to kill, irrespective of the tool(s) they chose to use in their crimes.
In the U.K., where they have some of the strictest anti-gun regulations, violent crime is off the charts. IMHO, we have the right (and duty!) to protect ourselves and our families. Nobody else’s emotionally-based feelings about guns should trump our rights to self-defense.
The legislation that’s been pushed would not have prevented Sandy Hook, nor the devastation caused by the scum in Boston. Gun registration does NOT prevent crimes, and background checks (which I would support if we could be sure that once someone is checked, their information would be permanently deleted) provide minimal protection against homicidal acts. Criminals can use stolen guns and background checks would do nothing to stop this.
Please provide *evidence* that gun bans and registration reduce homicides or violent crimes. From everything I’ve seen, cities/states with some of the strictest gun laws tend to have the highest crime/murder rates.