-
Welcome to Smogon! Take a moment to read the Introduction to Smogon for a run-down on everything Smogon, and make sure you take some time to read the global rules.
-
Congrats to the winners of the 2023 Smog Awards!
Guns...
- Thread starter .astrokid
- Start date
- Status
I used to but some sense was knocked into me. Criminals will still find a way to get their hands on a gun, no matter what. And even worse, innocent people with guns for self-denfence, for example those living in bad neighborhoods, won't have a good way to defend themselves should the need ever arise.
Yes. Ban them all, only police officers should carry them. And what do you mean, a black market for guns? Do you really believe that Joey K. Drugdealer who works a couple corners in the Bronx is going to be able to get his hands on a gun? Guns can't be grown like drugs can, and supposing they will be shipped in from other countries... who is going to be the ones paying for them?
While gun control will never fully eliminate the problem, as many have pointed out, it certainly would put a huge damper on your average shootings, deter things such as the recent Virginia Tech shooting, and simply make it harder to get a hold of a gun on the spot. So many people are irrational and the shootings occur just because they can. If guns weren't so easily accessed I don't think that we'd have as big of a problem with them.
I'm sick of things like these shootings happening once every so often and everyone getting in a huge "BAN GUNS" debate. As always, guns don't end up restricted and people forget about the massacre all too soon, only for another one to happen and the cycle to repeat itself. Hopefully this can end sooner than later.
For the record, I also don't think that we should even have a right to guns, despite the second amendment. Are you really keeping your guns in order to maintain a well regulated militia?
I'm sick of things like these shootings happening once every so often and everyone getting in a huge "BAN GUNS" debate. As always, guns don't end up restricted and people forget about the massacre all too soon, only for another one to happen and the cycle to repeat itself. Hopefully this can end sooner than later.
For the record, I also don't think that we should even have a right to guns, despite the second amendment. Are you really keeping your guns in order to maintain a well regulated militia?
So we should place all our trust in our future in the hands of the police and military? If circumstances should change such that the government becomes corrupt to the point of needing overthrowing, should the people have no means to exercise their strength? I don't trust the government to be the only institution with power. They're untrustworthy enough as things stand.
Also, it's not like making a gun is really that complicated. With a bit of internet reading and some determination, anyone could make a gun in the league of the muskets of old. A legitimate artisan in the craft of gun making could pretty easily make a quality handgun with common materials. It's really easier than drugs since you can do it in a dark and hidden basement that's quite hostile to growing things, and all things are completely portable. Of course, the black market would thrive. Criminals would happily pay for guns, and as long as there are drugs to sell (which many anti-gun people use...) and things to steal (this one's kinda unavoidable), criminals will have money. The only way law enforcement could possibly stop an arms market would be by totally invading the privacy of everyone. Really, in order to stop people from simply hiding guns in their homes, the government would have to conduct random, highly invasive searches which I'm sure anyone who even remotely believes in the ideas behind the USA would be opposed to.
I'm also pretty sure it would be unconstitutional; the 2nd amendment isn't that narrow. Of course, the Constitution seems to be a detail to most people so I won't harp on it.
Lastly, there's no reason. Murderers will murder with whatever tools they have at their disposal. The guns are just a tool. Banning the guns doesn't fix the problem. Do you think the shootings you hear about on the news would all just go away if guns disappeared from the world? Was the world a peaceful place before guns were invented? I've heard that places like ancient Rome were far more violent than even the worst neighborhoods in modern America, and the best killing tools they had were swords. It would be the same way here if we eliminated the guns. Absolutely nothing would change. Well, I suppose muggers would have an easier time since their random victims would be assured to not have such a means of defense, and if the mugger had an illegal gun, his job is really easy. I don't see the gain here.
I have yet to see a single statistic suggesting that decreased gun ownership leads to decreased crime. I'm calling shenanagans, and I would go so far as to claim that it's a lie as ridiculous as video games causing violent crimes. It makes sense to some people, but there's no evidence to support the claim. The lack of evidence can only lead to the assumption that the premise is false, no matter how popular the premise is.
Also, it's not like making a gun is really that complicated. With a bit of internet reading and some determination, anyone could make a gun in the league of the muskets of old. A legitimate artisan in the craft of gun making could pretty easily make a quality handgun with common materials. It's really easier than drugs since you can do it in a dark and hidden basement that's quite hostile to growing things, and all things are completely portable. Of course, the black market would thrive. Criminals would happily pay for guns, and as long as there are drugs to sell (which many anti-gun people use...) and things to steal (this one's kinda unavoidable), criminals will have money. The only way law enforcement could possibly stop an arms market would be by totally invading the privacy of everyone. Really, in order to stop people from simply hiding guns in their homes, the government would have to conduct random, highly invasive searches which I'm sure anyone who even remotely believes in the ideas behind the USA would be opposed to.
I'm also pretty sure it would be unconstitutional; the 2nd amendment isn't that narrow. Of course, the Constitution seems to be a detail to most people so I won't harp on it.
Lastly, there's no reason. Murderers will murder with whatever tools they have at their disposal. The guns are just a tool. Banning the guns doesn't fix the problem. Do you think the shootings you hear about on the news would all just go away if guns disappeared from the world? Was the world a peaceful place before guns were invented? I've heard that places like ancient Rome were far more violent than even the worst neighborhoods in modern America, and the best killing tools they had were swords. It would be the same way here if we eliminated the guns. Absolutely nothing would change. Well, I suppose muggers would have an easier time since their random victims would be assured to not have such a means of defense, and if the mugger had an illegal gun, his job is really easy. I don't see the gain here.
I have yet to see a single statistic suggesting that decreased gun ownership leads to decreased crime. I'm calling shenanagans, and I would go so far as to claim that it's a lie as ridiculous as video games causing violent crimes. It makes sense to some people, but there's no evidence to support the claim. The lack of evidence can only lead to the assumption that the premise is false, no matter how popular the premise is.
guns don't kill people. people do. i do not think that guns should be banned but i do agree that a much stricter policy on who can and cannot buy a gun should be enforced. turning 18 and being able to purchase a gun is ludacris. there should be viable proof that one actually needs a gun before it can be aquired. living in a "bad" neighborhood isn't a good reason either. tazers work just fine. i also think that every single person that lives in the United States should have to pass a gun safety course no matter if they plan to own one or not.
on a side note i think we should legalize ganja. nobody would want to kill each other if they could just go smoke a J
on a side note i think we should legalize ganja. nobody would want to kill each other if they could just go smoke a J
Explain why every country where guns are banned has less gun related crime (and if I recall correctly, murder) per head of population than the united states then, please try and explain that to me.
Yes, people kill people, but guns make it a hell of a lot easier.
When the founding fathers put the right to carry arms in the constitution, they were not referring to modern automatic pistols that you can conceal in your pocket.
ita vera
Except for the crime relating to the brand new gun black market and the knowledge that only the criminals have guns and all "honest citizens" turned them in and are defenseless...
lol, gun black market.
Guns are good fo killing people because. They are easy to obtain and they are cheap. Once you obtain them they kill very well.
You take away the very easy to obtain part. They are no longer cheap. Petty criminals that make up most of the fire arms murders. Cant get the guns because they need them to get money to pay for them.
Guns are good fo killing people because. They are easy to obtain and they are cheap. Once you obtain them they kill very well.
You take away the very easy to obtain part. They are no longer cheap. Petty criminals that make up most of the fire arms murders. Cant get the guns because they need them to get money to pay for them.
A gun black market is a very viable situation. Petty criminals keep the illegal guns in circulation and tack a dollar onto the pricetag each time around. And what does a criminal do with a gun when no one will buy it and he's out of money?
High-quality guns would of course be gone but that doesn't stop junkers from causing all the gun crime.
And on a related note, it would suck to be a gun-shop owner and be forced out of business by people 2000 miles away. =X
High-quality guns would of course be gone but that doesn't stop junkers from causing all the gun crime.
And on a related note, it would suck to be a gun-shop owner and be forced out of business by people 2000 miles away. =X
Can you claim to know the mind of a murderer? You seem to brand them with this label of a vicious killing machine who is intent on taking the life of another. Not every murderer is a cold-hearted villain - they are people, and people get scared. As I've said before, it's so much easier to pull a trigger than to actually approach someone, come into contact with them and forcibly push a blade into them. Not to mention the amount of accidental deaths guns cause that could so easily be avoided.
Laughable. You must realise that there are more elements to 'violence' as to whether or not guns were around. It would not suddenly be like Ancient Rome in America if guns were to be eliminated, that statement is just prepostorous.
Believe it or not, criminals are usually well-versed in the law. They know exactly what will get them in trouble and what will get them into even deeper trouble, and brandishing an illegal gun will do just that. The gain here is that the law is ultimately intended as a deterrent, not a system for punishment.
Yeah. I love it when people invoke the people's "right to rebellion" as some kind of argument for keeping guns. Like as if, if it ever did come down to U.S. citizens actually fighting their government, they could use the gun they bought down the street to take out the tanks and bombs.
Guns should definitely be illegalised in the USA, I read once that there is more gun crime in the US (a country where owning a gun is legal) in a day than there is in the UK (where even owning most kinds of gun is illegal) in a year. I know there is 4 times the population, but 400(ish) times the gun-crime? If you really want to kill some-one, then you are still going to find a way to do it, true, but the amount of "spur-of-the-moment" killings, would go down drastically.
Basic demand and supply would mean that the price of guns would sky-rocket putting it out of the reach of ordinary people so that only the rich or organised gangs would be able to afford it. That guy only paid $571 (~£300) for two guns and ammo. That's what 2 weeks wages? Absolutely RIDICULOUS. Any psycho with two weeks wages, a clean criminal record and proof of residency could buy a gun. Please don't tell me that if guns were $2000, that most people would still buy them regardless especially if the number of guns on the street declined as guns are basically a deterrent for most people.
They should just outlaw firearms altogether, not even police officers should carry them. You cannot trust anyone with a weapon. People will always kill people, as Trax mentioned, but I am not putting my life in the hands of strangers; not even if they are meant to uphold the law. Police men can be just as corrupt as the rest of us, perhaps even more due to their PRIVILEGED right to wear these guns. It is an inherent flaw in humans that wielding more power than someone else always ends in the misuse of that some power. Do not offer anyone the opportunity to be stronger than anyone else, because when the time is come, it will be used. Humanity is not good with self-control.
I advocate the immediate destruction of all weapons. No weapons, no war, a hell of a lot less violence.
I advocate the immediate destruction of all weapons. No weapons, no war, a hell of a lot less violence.
That would be ideal, but you never know if some country tries to take advantage of that by making weapons and make war while other countries won't have weapons anymore.
a vote against guns is a vote for communism
- Status