OzDigger
Colonel
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2006
- Messages
- 8,279
Extremely well said, Tom. I think better defined and enforced background checks on weapons, banning the sale of high capacity magazines, and limitations of fully automatic weapons and the readily available parts used to convert semi-automatic weapons to fully automatic weapons are all good ideas which would alleviate the problem. While I firmly believe the right to bear arms is the most important right in the bill of rights, as it guarantees the others, I am not adverse to reasonable controls. However, for those of our non-United States brethren, you have to understand, the right to bear arms is not about home defense or hunting, or about being able to fight the U.S. Army or an invading army, its about politicians understanding that if you try to abuse your power and take over the country, as has happened in so many budding democracies throughout the world, most recently Turkey, one of the more than 300,000,000 rifles, in the hands of a society which grows up using them, will end your coup. As was stated in that wonderful comic book movie "V" for Vendetta, "a people should not fear their government, a government should fear its people."
On the other hand I do agree that semi- or fully-automatic assault rifles with high capacity magazines are the single largest contributing factors to these mass shootings. Frankly, while Tom is one of my best friends, and I agree with most of his position on these issues, I respectfully disagree with the old chestnut that "guns don't kill people, people kill people." Simply, automatic weapons allow anyone, no matter how physically, mentally, or spiritually infirm, to kill dozens or even hundreds of people without any effort or training beyond pointing the weapon at a crowd and pulling the trigger. Getting these weapons out of the hands of anyone but law enforcement and the military would effectively put an end to mass shootings. That would be extremely difficult in the United States, where so many are already in circulation, but to me, that would be the solution to end these types of mass shootings.
Just my two cents.{sm4}
I agree Louis. The restriction/banning of semi/fully auto firearms, including handguns is a must imo. However is such a ban likely to happen in the US? I did have several semi autos but preferred bolt action rifles for serious hunting, imo there's no real need for semi/fully weapons for hunting if you're a decent shot.