Quote:
Originally Posted by YeOldeCurmudgeon
This is an ultra political topic but for some reason TOV has allowed it to continue.
Because of this I am going to post some facts that should make you all realize that the right to bear arms was created during a much different time than the present.
When the second amendment was passed, the U.S. had no standing army and needed private citizens to join a militia to defend the country. Not only this, but pioneers had to deal with the hazards of hostile Natives, wild animals, and unknown threats in the wilderness.
Today we not only have a huge standing army but a well-funded and organized police force.
The facts are that there are 100 million more guns in the U.S. than people and that's a dated statistic and I suspect the number today is even greater. Just based on those stats, we have by far more guns in our nation than any other in the world. We also have, as of 5 years ago, second highest number of firearms-related deaths of any nation, only Brazil topping us. The only other nations with a greater percentage of firearms-related deaths are all in Central or South America, and it would not surprise me if we have climbed in the rankings. No other nation has so many mass murder shootings.
Also, if you review the numbers of comparable nations in Europe or Asia with strict gun control like England or Japan, the number of firearms-related deaths are shockingly low. Australia, for example, had a rash of mass shootings in the 1990s and implemented strict gun control and the mass shootings virtually stopped.
For instance in the UK, the majority of police don't even carry a firearm; they carry those bobby sticks. And in the UK, shooting deaths by police average between 50-60 / year. In the U.S., the number is more than a 1,000. With all those guns out there, the police are going to reach for their guns often and quickly, and often shooting rashly for fear of their lives. So, it is more likely that in most circumstances, having a gun puts your life in greater danger, especially if you interact with police. How many times have you heard of people telling police they had a gun and reach to get their ID or registration and get shot?
The facts are blatantly obvious and to say that more guns are needed is patently insane. The only people who sell guns to people for protection are only fooling themselves and their customers.
Sure, there are some people who do need guns for their profession or some legitimate purpose, but those are people who are trained and licensed to use them.
Did you hear about the man in Utah who was being arrested and while the police were doing so, his four-year-old took the gun that was in the car and started shooting at the police? He said he did it, so his Dad could get away and do what he wanted to do.
Wake up, people, we don't need guns to protect us; they're killing machines not life protectors.
|
I agree with everything you said, and you left out that when the constitution was written we had just finished a brutal war with a tyrant. And there were still a LOT of "loyalists" that didn't like that we left England. The new government needed to be sure it would not loose to local loyalists the fight it just won again England. That plus your point they didn't have (and didn't want to pay for) a standing army.
BUT.
There ARE over 400 million guns in circulation. Those will not magically disappear.
So, rather that repeat over and over that guns are the problem and not the solution, we need instead to find common ground for a way to solve our problem - mass shootings, school shootings, etc, etc, etc.
If we can't need to find a way to LIVE with them.
Most people posting here, don't offer solutions, just "justifications" for wanting or not wanting guns. A few have posted suggestions. Most ignore that and just continue to repeat the dog whistles that just lead to arguments.
I have posted many times my proposed solutions. I don't want to post them again since so many complain that I repeat myself too much.