Guns should be banned.

ProtopangraphyProtopangraphy New Arrival
edited August 2010 in Spurious Generalities
Guns are an unnecessary social liability.

1. The majority of homicides in the USA are deaths by firearm. [1]


2.) Although we cannot say for certain that the previously mentioned homicides would not have occurred were there no firearms, it is highly probable that many of these homicide victims would not have died, as it is far easier to kill someone with a firearm than a knife, a bat, etc.

3.) Household firearms significantly increase the probability of an accidental fatality [2], [3].

4.) It is a common right-wing argument that areas with strong gun control tend to have greater crime and this is because of the lack of guns in the environment. These arguments are faulty at best. How would the crime rate be affected if gun bans were lifted? Right-wingers say they would decrease because everyone would have guns. But the police have guns too, and they are very prepared to use them, and that doesn't stop criminals from committing crimes. More guns in the environment only increase the chances that they will get in to the hands of criminals. Burglaries, thefts and robberies are all means by which criminals could obtain firearms. Areas with strong gun control tend to have copious amounts of crime due to cultural and economic issues, not a lack of guns.

5.) You cannot justify keeping guns for protection. The police keep your community safe through deterrence (police presence discourages crime) and through quick responses to emergency calls. Pepper spray is just as reliable and far less dangerous than a twelve gauge shotgun. Are you telling that every time you hear a bump in the night, you grab that shotgun?

6.) It is often said that criminals will always get guns even if they are outlawed, but what if we completely banned the manufacturing of firearms, as we have banned the manufacturing of nukes? From that point on, firearms can be disposed of until they are so rare and expensive that it isn't worth a criminal's time and effort to try and find one. Also, most criminals cannot and will not manufacture reliable homemade firearms. The number of criminals out there who know how to make a working semi-auto firearm has got to be negligible. The chances that those who do will be able to produce homemade firearms at an industrial rate are slim to none.

You cannot justify owning firearms. We live in a different society from the one which the authors of the US constitution lived in. No sane, rational, intelligent individual would argue against gun control. Guns have no place in the hands of civilians and most police officers in civilized societies.

"The NCVS remains the most authoritative source on the criminal and defensive uses of guns, and it shows that these weapons are overwhelmingly used more for crime than self-defense."


[1] Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States, 1997 and 2007.

[2] Wiebe DJ. Firearms in US homes as a risk factor for unintentional gunshot fatality. Accident Analysis & Prevention 2003;35:711-6.

[3]Wiebe DJ. Homicide and suicide risks associated with firearms in the home: a national case-control study. Annals of Emergency Medicine 2003;41:771-82.

Comments

  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited July 2010
    Guns are an unnecessary social liability.

    1. The majority of homicides in the USA are deaths by firearm. [1]


    2.) Although we cannot say for certain that the previously mentioned homicides would not have occurred were there no firearms, it is highly probable that many of these homicide victims would not have died, as it is far easier to kill someone with a firearm than a knife, a bat, etc.

    3.) Household firearms significantly increase the probability of an accidental fatality [2], [3].

    4.) It is a common right-wing argument that areas with strong gun control tend to have greater crime and this is because of the lack of guns in the environment. These arguments are faulty at best. How would the crime rate be affected if gun bans were lifted? Right-wingers say they would decrease because everyone would have guns. But the police have guns too, and they are very prepared to use them, and that doesn't stop criminals from committing crimes. More guns in the environment only increase the chances that they will get in to the hands of criminals. Burglaries, thefts and robberies are all means by which criminals could obtain firearms. Areas with strong gun control tend to have copious amounts of crime due to cultural and economic issues, not a lack of guns.

    5.) You cannot justify keeping guns for protection. The police keep your community safe through deterrence (police presence discourages crime) and through quick responses to emergency calls. Pepper spray is just as reliable and far less dangerous than a twelve gauge shotgun. Are you telling that every time you hear a bump in the night, you grab that shotgun?

    6.) It is often said that criminals will always get guns even if they are outlawed, but what if we completely banned the manufacturing of firearms, as we have banned the manufacturing of nukes? From that point on, firearms can be disposed of until they are so rare and expensive that it isn't worth a criminal's time and effort to try and find one. Also, most criminals cannot and will not manufacture reliable homemade firearms. The number of criminals out there who know how to make a working semi-auto firearm has got to be negligible. The chances that those who do will be able to produce homemade firearms at an industrial rate are slim to none.

    You cannot justify owning firearms. We live in a different society from the one which the authors of the US constitution lived in. No sane, rational, intelligent individual would argue against gun control. Guns have no place in the hands of civilians and most police officers in civilized societies.

    "The NCVS remains the most authoritative source on the criminal and defensive uses of guns, and it shows that these weapons are overwhelmingly used more for crime than self-defense."


    [1] Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reports for the United States, 1997 and 2007.

    [2] Wiebe DJ. Firearms in US homes as a risk factor for unintentional gunshot fatality. Accident Analysis & Prevention 2003;35:711-6.

    [3]Wiebe DJ. Homicide and suicide risks associated with firearms in the home: a national case-control study. Annals of Emergency Medicine 2003;41:771-82.



    "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

    That is the second ammendment a right that was seen and is a god given right. people have the right to defend themselves. You say it isnt justified to own a gun because of quick police response time. What about when you turn on the news and here of people being murdered in there own homes? Where were the police then and would a gun have significantly improved thre chance of survival? Most likely.

    You say that if they were completely banned it would be like nukes in the sense that no one could get or build them. Are you honestly trying to say that manufacturing guns is as hard as building a nuke? Tell you what ill start making a quality zip gun while you build a nuke well see who gets done first and the easiest.

    Thomas Jefferson said, “No free man shall be debarred the use of arms.” Patrick Henry said, “The great object is that every man be armed.” Richard Henry Lee said, “To preserve liberty it is essential that the whole body of people always possess arms.” Thomas Paine said, “arms discourage and keep the invader and the plunderer in awe.”

    Guns are used 2.5 million times a year in self-defense. Law-abiding citizens use guns to defend themselves against criminals as many as 2.5 million times every year—or about 6,850 times a day.1 This means that each year, firearms are used more than 80 times more often to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives. According to the National Safety Council

    US Bureau of Justice Statistics show that guns are the safest and most
    effective means of defense. Using a gun for protection results in fewer
    injuries to the defender than using any other means of defense and is
    safer than not resisting at all.[

    Also do you believe that crime wasn't rampant before the invention of guns? If so learn history and learn something about human nature. Crime will never be stopped and the best a citizen can do is ensure there own safety. You ever wonder why nobody's ever shot up a gun show? Maybe because they didn't want to be shot that's why they choose places with a small likelihood of people being able to fight back.

    Gun control has led to an explosion in the black market with illicit trading leading to yet more violent crime.
    Also good luck getting countrys that sell guns to terrorists and criminals to stop.

    The Supreme Court, in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 290 (2008), ruled as follows:
    The Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home....The District's ban on handgun possession in the home violates the Second Amendment, as does its prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm in the home operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense.


    Since 1987, when Florida enacted a favorable CCW law, its murder rate has dropped 22%, even while the national rate has risen 15%. Only .007% of Florida CCW permits have been revoked because of a crime after licensure. I though gun control lowers crime?
  • ProtopangraphyProtopangraphy New Arrival
    edited July 2010
    What about when you turn on the news and here of people being murdered in there own homes?

    That happens only on extremely rare occasions and usually it is gang-related violence in inner city communities. And a gun most probably would not have increased their chances of survival, unless there was only one attacker and they were within arms reach of the gun. And in order to prove that a right is God given you will need to demonstrate what God gave it to you and proof that said God exists. And a lack of access to a gun doesn't equate to an inability to defend oneself.

    Once again, most criminals are not going to manufacture semi-auto guns with high lethality and certainly not an an industrial rate. You can build a zip gun, but it will not be an effective murder/defense weapon. Most zip guns are highly unreliable, fire bullets at low velocity, and are often just as dangerous to the user of the gun as they are to any potential targets.

    Also, +2,000,000 crimes are not prevented by the use of firearms. You are citing flawed research by a rejected social critic named Gary Kleck. For a detailed explanation:

    http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-gunownership.htm

    No one ever said that crime was not "rampant" before the invention of guns. First off, crime has never been "rampant", the majority of people out there aren't violent criminals. Of all the industrialized nations the least violent are those with the strongest gun control laws. Although many of them were non-violent prior to the adoption of gun control laws, the fact remains that the USA is one of the most violent industrialized nation on Earth and this is correlated with it's firearm-saturated environment.

    "Gun control has lead to an explosion in the black market and increases in crime"

    Not true. Firearms are extremely difficult to obtain on the "black market" in countries like Japan and England where it is very difficult to get guns without proper licensing. They are often so expensive that anyone who would use them to do harm cannot afford them in the first place (a majority of criminals come from low class backgrounds). Guns make their way in to the hands of American criminals because they are easy for "law abiding" persons to obtain. Criminals get these weapons from "law-abiding" sources. Of course, many of them also purchase them legally, since all that is required to legally purchase a handgun in most areas in the USA is a drivers license.

    And the national murder rate has not risen 15% since 1987. The national homicide rate has fallen since 1987. It might have been true that the murder rate had risen slightly at the time of the publication of this alleged "fact" some fifteen years ago, but the national homicide rate is on decline as of 2010. And to suggest that the minority that makes up the number of CCW holders in Florida could ever have such a substantial effect on the homicide rate is ridiculous. Less than 10% of citizens even carry firearms for self defense (Rasmussen). And comparing the state of Florida to the entire continental USA is even more absurd.
  • ashenbloodashenblood Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    The crime problems in this country are certainly not a result of guns. They are caused by the culture in which we live. Anyway, its not possible to simply make all guns go away. The police and army will still have guns, and hunters sure as well won't give them up without a fight. Besides, even if it were possible to simply stop the manufacturing of all guns right now, there are millions already in the country, and most criminals simply get them from the black market anyway. More people die from automobiles each year than guns, so maybe you should be pushing for stricter seat belt laws :p
  • ProtopangraphyProtopangraphy New Arrival
    edited July 2010
    Cars should be banned for a number of reasons. One reason is that they are totally inefficient and unsuitable for civilian use. Human beings should rely more on the bicycle and walking as well as rail transport for where they want to go. Human beings are imperfect. Their motor control (stability) is limited by neurological and chemical processes. How can you tell me the average human can be skilled enough to reliably operate an automobile? You cannot. High-speed transport requires security. It requires rails. Human beings are too flawed to be permitted to engage in multidirectional locomotion at high speeds. A human should be allowed two options - acceleration and deceleration in two directions - forwards and backwards. Although many of them can't even handle that. All turns and curvatures at high speed should be regulated by supercomputers.

    Vehicular accidents are among the more common causes of death in our society. Once again you have the more advanced, civilized nations in Europe relying on train and cycling for transport whereas Americans feel entitled to automobiles. It's just absurd, the transition should have been made years ago.

    You cannot tell me that you are justified to own an automobile. You can bike fifteen miles comfortably. That's as far as a human should have to travel on a regular basis.
  • ashenbloodashenblood Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Humans aren't skilled enough to reliably operate a car. I agree with you that ideally, supercomputers could control transportation through trains and bikes could be used for short distances. However, THAT IS NOT REALITY. Cars remain necessary and superior to other modes of transportation, and that won't be changing anytime soon. Last time I checked, every country in Europe still has plenty of cars and drivers, and the US is even less able to give up automobiles. Sure I can bike 15 miles comfortably, even 30 without much difficulty. However, it takes too much time. Also, for millions of people living in the middle of the country, there are no rail networks, and nothing close enough to bike to is worth it. Anyway, what about what I said about guns?
  • ILTST9ILTST9 Regular
    edited July 2010
    By banning guns all that you do is take guns out of the hands of people who get them the legal way, giving criminals who get guns illegally the upper hand over innocent civilians. If you were a criminal I guarentee you that you would choose to target the person who doesn't own a gun over the person that can put a bullet in your dome.In addition is my right given to me by the constitution to defend myself with a firearm. Rather than ban guns education on the proper safety and usage of them should be increased to decrease accidents.
  • ilovechronicilovechronic Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Juste fuck off to die in the UK and everyone will be mutually happy.

    The police are reactive in nature. They don't magically save people. They drive up, shine their light arond the neighborhood while your telling them "the criminals LEFT THAT WAY" and then they investigate crimes after they occur. If you think the police will save you, you are dilusional.

    Case law says the police have no responsibility to protect any one individual and therefore they are not liable if they can't make it to a call for service.

    So with the police you can count on them possibly investigating the crime that occured and thats about it.

    guns stop the threat THEN AND THERE. No waiting for the police to investigate your death, instead the police will investigate the other guys death and you know what they say, it is better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6.
  • DirtySanchezDirtySanchez Regular
    edited July 2010
    That happens only on extremely rare occasions and usually it is gang-related violence in inner city communities. And a gun most probably would not have increased their chances of survival, unless there was only one attacker and they were within arms reach of the gun. And in order to prove that a right is God given you will need to demonstrate what God gave it to you and proof that said God exists. And a lack of access to a gun doesn't equate to an inability to defend oneself.

    Once again, most criminals are not going to manufacture semi-auto guns with high lethality and certainly not an an industrial rate. You can build a zip gun, but it will not be an effective murder/defense weapon. Most zip guns are highly unreliable, fire bullets at low velocity, and are often just as dangerous to the user of the gun as they are to any potential targets.

    Also, +2,000,000 crimes are not prevented by the use of firearms. You are citing flawed research by a rejected social critic named Gary Kleck. For a detailed explanation:

    http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-gunownership.htm

    No one ever said that crime was not "rampant" before the invention of guns. First off, crime has never been "rampant", the majority of people out there aren't violent criminals. Of all the industrialized nations the least violent are those with the strongest gun control laws. Although many of them were non-violent prior to the adoption of gun control laws, the fact remains that the USA is one of the most violent industrialized nation on Earth and this is correlated with it's firearm-saturated environment.

    "Gun control has lead to an explosion in the black market and increases in crime"

    Not true. Firearms are extremely difficult to obtain on the "black market" in countries like Japan and England where it is very difficult to get guns without proper licensing. They are often so expensive that anyone who would use them to do harm cannot afford them in the first place (a majority of criminals come from low class backgrounds). Guns make their way in to the hands of American criminals because they are easy for "law abiding" persons to obtain. Criminals get these weapons from "law-abiding" sources. Of course, many of them also purchase them legally, since all that is required to legally purchase a handgun in most areas in the USA is a drivers license.

    And the national murder rate has not risen 15% since 1987. The national homicide rate has fallen since 1987. It might have been true that the murder rate had risen slightly at the time of the publication of this alleged "fact" some fifteen years ago, but the national homicide rate is on decline as of 2010. And to suggest that the minority that makes up the number of CCW holders in Florida could ever have such a substantial effect on the homicide rate is ridiculous. Less than 10% of citizens even carry firearms for self defense (Rasmussen). And comparing the state of Florida to the entire continental USA is even more absurd.


    So my sources are flawed but your from the goverment are completly reliable? got it:rolleyes: So zip guns arent an effective killing too? I geuss you never heard of this guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heriberto_Seda
    He used a zip gun.

    Also who are you to tell me that im a danger to my family because i own guns. Not everyones a fucktard and there is such a thing as responsible gun usage and ownership.

    Lets say I wanted to go on a killing spree but no guns i could be like this guy easily http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Happy_Land_fire

    Did you know 9/11 was carried out without one gun being used? True story bro. Whens the last time a criminal with a gun killed 3 thousand. and being murdered in your own house isnt as rare as youd think.
  • ilovechronicilovechronic Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    ^also, same with the oklahoma city bombing, timothy mcveigh had a glock but he didn't use it. he used a ryder truck and put barrels of ANFO in the back of the truck. That means moving vans COULD be used as car bombs. Definetly have to ban moving vans. What about the 50 gallon barrels he used to hold the ANFO, oh know, those COULD be used to contain a ANFO bomb, better ban them. But wait he used diesal fuel and supposedly nitromethane race fuel for the bomb better ban that.



    Just like a gun COULD be used to commit violent crime. There is estimated to be millions of guns in the US and the statistics prove you wrong. If a person has a gun they turn into murdering criminals from just owning a firearm which obvious a complete bullsht attempt at trolling. If guns magically made people murderers we wouldn't have 3000 deaths per year from firearms or whatever it is we would have millions.
    Statistics show concealed carry is a good thing.
    SB 1108 eliminates the prohibition and penalties for law-abiding adults
    who carry a concealed weapon without a permit, while increasing the
    penalties for criminals who carry a concealed weapon.

    The concealed weapons (CCW) permit is NOT eliminated. A CCW permit is
    still required for carrying a concealed weapon into restaurants that serve
    alcohol, when traveling to states that recognize Arizona's permit, and for
    streamlining firearms purchases.

    The absence of a training mandate to carry concealed without a permit is a
    non-issue. Only 2% of Arizona's population has a CCW permit and no permit
    is required for the remaining 98% to carry "openly." Twelve states, all
    of which Arizona recognizes permits from, have no training requirements
    for obtaining a CCW permit. Two of those, Indiana and Pennsylvania, have
    issued close to 1,000,000 permits combined. There is no evidence that the
    minuscule misuse rate among permit holders with training is different than
    those who are not trained.

    A practical purpose of having an armed citizenry is crime deterrence.
    Concealed carry has external, third-party benefits, in that criminals must
    assume that anyone they come across may be armed. Research has shown that
    liberalizing concealed carry laws increases the crime deterrence effect
    more than any other public policy method available. The current system of
    training, paper-work, background checks, etc., all at great cost to the
    law-abiding, serves to depress the population of armed citizens and reduce
    the crime deterrence effect. The larger the population of law abiding
    citizens that can carry concealed, the greater that deterrent effect.
    Lets make sure you get it, research has shown libralized concealed carry laws increases the crime deterrant effect more than ANY OTHER PUBLIC POLICY METHOD. That includes police policies and methods. Crime deterrance is one of their main goals.

    Canada is not any more civilized than AZ BBJ is just ignorant and talking out of his as. Canada is civilized until hockey season and then they riot in the streets whether they when or lose.
    bottom line is that guns are inanimate objects and if you guys that think they should be banned and are projecting and assuming others are like you because you don't trust yourselves with a firearm then don't get one and possibly be a victim but you can't make the decision for others.
    Nature is violent,animals are violent, people are animals; therefore, violent.
    People are the problem.
    I am not going to reply to these trolls anymore and let this thread die and I suggest you guys do the same.
  • ObbeObbe Regular
    edited July 2010
    Guns are an unnecessary social liability.

    They exist and you can't control them.

    Drugs are prohibited, you know. That works real well, doesn't it?

    lol, God himself once tried to ban some fruit from some people. And he only had two people to watch. And even God himself could not stop them from getting this fruit.



    Listen man - I know you care about people. And that's very nice of you. You're probably a very nice person. But, you need to come to terms with the fact that people die, people get hurt, they hurt each other and they even kill each other. They always have, and most likely, always will. Accept it and stop trying to be everyone's mom. This world is full of adults. They make their own decisions, whether you agree with them or not. Sometimes they will make bad choices, and it will be painful. That's life. Let it live, stop suffocating it with well wishes. Just let go, and maybe, just maybe, the world might surprise you


    Statistics leave out more information then they provide.
  • ilovechronicilovechronic Acolyte
    edited July 2010
    Regardless of these peoples flawed perceptions of the world, many states are challenging gun bans like chicago which though they could ban handguns from within the city which was deemed unconstitutional because of the 2nd amendment. You have a right to atleast keep a firearm in your home. It is up to your city and county to decide if they want to enact ordinances for carrying firearms.

    Also like the senate bill I posted which was just recently passed in AZ retoring the right of cancealed carry for citizens 21 and older called " constitutional carry."

    Another bill gives AZ the right to manufacture firearms in state as long as they stay in our state.

    Another restored the right to carry and conceal carry a firearm in parks.

    The federal gov also passed one to restore the right to carry in national parks.

    alot of good shit this yeah.
  • GreenbullGreenbull Regular
    edited July 2010
    Cars should be banned for a number of reasons. One reason is that they are totally inefficient and unsuitable for civilian use. Human beings should rely more on the bicycle and walking as well as rail transport for where they want to go. Human beings are imperfect. Their motor control (stability) is limited by neurological and chemical processes. How can you tell me the average human can be skilled enough to reliably operate an automobile? You cannot. High-speed transport requires security. It requires rails. Human beings are too flawed to be permitted to engage in multidirectional locomotion at high speeds. A human should be allowed two options - acceleration and deceleration in two directions - forwards and backwards. Although many of them can't even handle that. All turns and curvatures at high speed should be regulated by supercomputers.

    Vehicular accidents are among the more common causes of death in our society. Once again you have the more advanced, civilized nations in Europe relying on train and cycling for transport whereas Americans feel entitled to automobiles. It's just absurd, the transition should have been made years ago.

    You cannot tell me that you are justified to own an automobile. You can bike fifteen miles comfortably. That's as far as a human should have to travel on a regular basis.

    Are you serious?

    400px-Preventable_causes_of_death.png
  • Big baby jesusBig baby jesus Regular
    edited July 2010
    Suggesting banning guns should be banned. I know you got free speech to say it but in a world like this that would just allow anybody who wanted to still make guns free reign to rule their respective areas. It's madness I tell ya; you can root out all the guns but you'll never find all the motherfuckers who remember how to make em.
  • GreenbullGreenbull Regular
    edited July 2010
    Not to mention like 60% of those deaths are suicides :facepalm:
  • ImaginariumImaginarium Regular
    edited July 2010
    Legalize crime!
  • EbolaEbola Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    Ban cars! They kill many people than guns.
  • ArmsMerchantArmsMerchant Acolyte
    edited August 2010
    OP, you can wring your hands all you want--guns are not going away.

    Over the years, my family has shot two moose and a bear-- two of which were in our yard. One year, a moose charged my wife as she was walking her young son to the bus stop--if she had not shot the moose, most likely it would have killed her and/or Doug.

    Firearms related deaths are due more to alcohol, fear , and/or stupidity than to the weapons themselves.
  • MorningsideMorningside Regular
    edited August 2010
    The police keep your community safe through deterrence (police presence discourages crime) and through quick responses to emergency calls.

    I actually lol'd at this. 7/10
  • FiremindFiremind Acolyte
    edited August 2010
  • VickyVicky Regular
    edited August 2010
    Maybe an IQ test before a gun license is given? Or even just a redneck ban?:)

    Seriously though we don't have them in the UK and it's no big deal. You can get a gun license if you want but guns aren't widespread. If our police accidentally fire at the wrong guy, it's okay, they only use tasers. (Okay maybe not so okay when they're holding their finger on the trigger of a gun with the gun pointed at their head)

    Still, I don't understand the American obsession with guns. If you were to try and take over the government the army, (btw there are more mercenaries than govt soldiers in Afganistan) would just go for it's own citizens and you'd all be screwed? No?
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