Quote:

Just for giggles;

There's nothing on this site that doesn't make me giggle.



That's good


Quote:

You're not secretly james are you?



Nope

And yes, I'm happy we, both, live where we do.

Quote:

Good, because you scare me.



This I just don't understand. You are afraid of someone with an opinion that differs with yours? That's sad.


.
Quote:

And if as you say you've ever been a policeman, I'd be very suprised if you treated and spoke to some lovely old lady the same way as someone who'd just tried to run you down with their car. "Fuck" and other slang is effective when used in context..



Now wait, your first telling of this little tale had no mention of the " someone who'd just tried to run you down with their car" This is a new part to the tale. And no we would be written up for that kind of slang usage.


And you are correct a lot of people kill other people with guns, a lot of people kill themselves with guns, and way too many officers are killed in the line of duty; with guns. So by your way of thinking guns are bad. I can respect that, understand it no. Respect it yes.

But let's carry on to all deaths.....
More people are killed in cars in a week than are killed by guns in a year. Cars are bad?

More people commit suicide with prescription drugs in a year than are killed with guns. Prescription drugs are bad?

More people are killed with everyday items, knives, baseball bats, fists, hammers, ice picks, blunt objects ect...than are killed with guns. They all must be bad too.

Where do we stop the banning?

Well we can't ban cars, I bet you need them.

We can't ban prescription drugs; I bet you have needed them from time to time.

And we can't ban all the rest, there would be nothing left to work with.

You see, to me, it has nothing to do with the gun, it has to do with people, and people tend to be hard to regulate.
Bad people will always find a way to prey on the weak, blaming guns is just, in my opinion, a cop out.

But hey that's just my opinion.


Quote:

See I can see the allure and seduction of guns. My car got broken into out front of my house, like 5 metres away from the bedroom window a couple of nights ago. If I privately owned a gun and I was an average Joe I would well have been tempted to use it.



Then you are right YOU should not own a gun, if you would shoot someone that was not causing you bodily harm.
That is wrong on too many levels.

Quote:

But cars serve a purpose. Transport, not killing.



So do my guns. And by the way they have never killed anyone.
So you are saying no one has ever used a car, in your country, to intentionally harm someone? That would not fall under that transportation theory you like so much and use to justify their use.
See I know that looks absurd, but to me so does you point of view on firearms.

Quote:

Drugs too. Medication.



And they happen to be abused quite often, so I don't quite see your point being very well made here either.


Your whole argument seems to be about how firearms can be abused. I.E. used to cause someone harm.
Well using your point; I am just pointing out all the other things that can, also be abused that would cause death. Hell sitting here at my computer I can see thirty things I could use to cause death to another. Life isn’t risk free.



Quote:

So everyone can own a tank?



No. That is not a gun. That is a weapons platform.

Quote:

A nuclear missile?



Tell me, with a straight face, that you didn't feel silly typing that question.

Quote:

An F-16? An aircraft carrier?



See above!

If we are going to take this to that level of absurdity, then all things not soft and fuzzy should be banned.


Quote:

I have very little faith in human nature to not use a gun.



I figured that out in your first post. All I’m saying is don’t project your paranoia to others.

Quote:

Guns have been shown to make killing psychologically easier. It removes you from the victim. Other tools such as knives etc do not.



I don’t buy this for an instant. Killing is killing. Never a good thing unless it is to stop someone from causing grievous bodily harm to others.



Quote:

As I say, I can how guns are seductive. They're powerful, they make little ppl big men. But the paradox of groups like the NRA etc is they love law enforcement and long prison terms etc, but then advocate a free and easy liberal approach on gun ownership.



I don’t see your paradox, but OK.


Quote:

The old line "Guns don't kill ppl, ppl kill ppl" is all very well, but I know its a lot easier to kill a person from ten metres away with a handgun in all respects than it is to kill them from 0 metres away with a club, a knife etc.



This being an obvious fact, but so is running them over with a car, coming up behind them with a baseball bat……………..


Quote:

Ppl need protection from themselves. Which is why we have governemnts, police etc. Putting such a deadly tool in the hands of all sorts of ppl is just plain crazy.



Now here is where you really go off the deep end. Do a little research. We do have many laws about who can and cannot own firearms. Yes there are criminals that have guns. They are criminals; do you really think they would turn in their guns if they were outlawed? No only the good law abiding citizens would.

Now for the second part of you above statement. It is the duty of the police to protect the public, at large, not guarantee the safety of an individual. Hell that borders on stupidity to think otherwise. What are you going to do; make every third person a cop and then rotate through the other two every eight hours? Wait you might think that is a good idea.
The police do not guarantee your personal safety period. If you think they do, try to sue them when you get your ass whipped, or your car broken into, or your wife is raped because they where not there to stop it. See they prevent very little crime. Investigate after the fact, yes.
Same for the government.

I know we will never see eye to eye on this subject, for several reasons. The most important being; I take responsibility for my and my families personal safety. That is not a responsibility I would trust to anyone else, period. Nor would I shoot the guy breaking into a car, stop him most assuredly. Shoot him no, not unless he threatened my person or the person of someone else.

The simple fact is; you are comfortable giving that responsibility to others.

I am not.
I could not.
I would not.
That responsibility is mine. Ponder on that word “responsibility”.

I enjoyed the discussion, but it is one I have been in several times before and there is no end to people’s phobias about gun ownership. I respect your view. I will never share it, nor do I suspect you would ever share mine.

But think about this.
Which one of us would prevail if, person or persons unknown broke into your home with the intent on causing death and mayhem?
You can call the police and hope they arrive in time. But if they don’t , don’t worry you and your family, wont know it. But hey at least you didn’t get shot with your own gun. As I’m sure you are an honest law abiding citizen.
Me I’ll call the morgue, and after the police get through investigating, I’ll tuck my family back in bed.

You have no need to fear me as long as you are not trying to harm me or mine. Oh and my firearms are inanimate objects, they do nothing until I act.

Now let's just let this go.


Or we could continue on forever.



Attachments
148613-1911.jpg (8 downloads)



Edited by Cerberus (03/22/06 07:33 PM)
_________________________
'' Women are not people, they are devices built by our Lord Jesus Christ for our entertainment.'' Peter Griffin