Gun Control (Page 2)

Sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I left work just after posting this afternoon, and didn't see the questions till now.  However I see that Max and BodyCheck have answered as the the laws not being enforced.  No mater what laws are on the books, criminals will get guns if they want guns.  We have waiting periods for handguns, but that doesn't seem to stop those with criminal records from getting guns, the background checks don't do anything to stop criminals from getting guns.  As I, and others stated, firearm regulations only seem to effect those of us that obey the laws.  The criminals are so because they have no problem braking laws, so what would make you think they will obey any new laws or regulations passed?

Also, someone mentioned the "wild west."  The idea of the gun slinger's of the wild west is actually a fallacy.  You may have had highway men, and they may have used guns in their crimes.  But the number of these criminals was nowhere near as high as is widely believed.  The reason for this is  that since most people carried guns for protection of natural predators.  Not to mention, if you got caught committing a crime, you were done.  It is a great deterrent to crime knowing that when you are found guilty you would be taken from the court house and hung.  Unlike today when you spend 15 plus years on death row and are likely to die of old age before the eclectic chair after killing a police officer.

Bingo. The gangbanger getting a firearm with a filed off serial number isn't being told, "Hey dude, I need a few minutes to run your stats through the state & fed systems before I can sell you this..."

It goes back to stemming illegal distribution - but I'll readily admit, I don't know exactly how you go about doing that. But, there has to be a way, somehow...

Nah, you've got to admit, this one has been pretty even handed - and it's not like anyone has posted pics of naked chicks with firearms...

LOL....now you've got me running off to Google! 

I have the camera if you have the gun, and the willingness to pose....

Exactly...carry all of the guns you want, but if you utilize them for a purpose not intended by the 2nd amendment, you have forfeited your right to be a free citizen...that should satisfy both ends of the argument, no??

I feel we need to stop thinking about imprisonment as a 'timeout', and start dealing with it as a voluntary relinquishment of your rights as a citizen.  By eliminating recidivism alone, we would decrease crime significantly.  And probably reduce the need for lawyers as their business would dry up almost immediately...sound like a win/win

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That's a really good point. There have been several excellent points brought up on this thread that argue that the problem with gun violence rests with criminals and not with law abiding citizens. So what are some of the underlying issues that lead to gun violence?

There are probably many. Here are just two: the breakdown of family and the marginalization of fatherhood.

I think one social ill that can be tied to criminal gun violence is the lack of fathers in the life of many of these criminals, and more specifically, the lack of fathers in the home.

For decades now, we've been building a culture that says that, at best, fathers are optional. They're nice to have around if you can swing it, but not really necessary for the health of children or for society at large.

If the law is teacher, what is it teaching us if it says that a mother and father can divorce without showing reasonable cause. Here in Pennsylvania, a spouse can file for divorce and then have it granted after a period of six months. They do not have to show any reason for the request. It seems to me that a law like this says that the happiness and satisfaction of a parent is more important than the stability of the environment that their child may grow up in.

What message are we sending our young people when we argue that our young should have contraceptives available in school because, "they're going to do it anyway so they may as well be safe". Well of coarse they're going to do it anyway. We keep telling them that sex outside of marriage is ok, and that if you think otherwise you are suspect. So why would they think otherwise?

There are many more examples, but I think that these two can be seen as contributing to the breakdown of family and to the marginalization of fatherhood. And I think that the breakdown of family and the marginalization of fatherhood are two of the factors that contribute to gun violence.

I know the thought is that "gun control" will reduce or eliminate violent crime.   But they didn't need guns to annhiliate Gilbert Tuhabonye's tribe and classmates.  They just used machate's, gasoline and matches.

The article below is dated...but there's a great article about him in the June issue of Runner's World... 

http://www.acu.edu/alumni/acu-today/spring99/cover01.html

Most states already have required background checks on all firearms and a waiting period for getting a license to buy handguns....at least they do in Missouri and Iowa...

Most of the folks wanting "additional" gun control are not aware of this.  There are already controls in place...