People living in countries with gun control - please chime in

EZoolander · #1 2nd July 2009, 06:46 PM

A few questions:

1: Do you believe that your government keeps guns out of your hands, so you will be impotent when they choose to misbehave themselves either now/or in the future?
2: How do you keep yourselves from being slaves without the implicit threat that you might shoot and kill your leaders if they don't behave themselves?
3: Why do you think the government keeps guns out of your hands?

Orris · #2 2nd July 2009, 06:55 PM

I wonder if you will get many responses here. If people don't have the right to defend themselves how long will they have the right to speak freely?

jgarden · #3 2nd July 2009, 09:38 PM

It should be noted that even in America, gun owners and those who think that gun ownership makes them safer represent a distinct minority, whose political influence is far out of proportion to their numbers.
**********************************************************
"Americans and Guns: Danger or Defense?" - by Darren K. Carlson

- 38% of Americans report having a gun in their homes, while an additional 2% keep a gun elsewhere on their properties (a garage, barn, car, etc.)

- 48% of men report gun ownership, compared to 33% of women
- 44% of whites own guns, compared to 24% of nonwhites

- Southerners are more likely to own guns than any other region in the nation
- 56% of those living in rural areas, 40% of suburbanites and 29% living in urban areas report owning a gun

- 53% of Republicans, 36% of political independents and 31% of Democrats own guns

- 62% of gun owners possess more than one gun, 29% have 5 or more guns, leaving 31% with only one gun
- gun owners average 4.4 guns per household.
- Americans own an average of 1.7 guns per household, despite the fact that approximately 60% of all housholds report not owning a gun

- 42% of Americans surveyed thought having a gun in the household made it safer
- 46% of Americans surveyed thought having a gun in the household made it less safe

Americans and Guns: Danger or Defense?

HerbieHeadley · #4 2nd July 2009, 11:02 PM

[quote=EZoolander;52244035]A few questions:

1: Do you believe that your government keeps guns out of your hands, so you will be impotent when they choose to misbehave themselves either now/or in the future?

They misbehave themselves now with or without them keeping my guns.
They have left me without my choice of weapon, but never impotent....till healthcare Obama style.

2: How do you keep yourselves from being slaves without the implicit threat that you might shoot and kill your leaders if they don't behave themselves?

Generally by not relying on them to take care of me. That, and my pencil, and scarey phsyco stare.

3: Why do you think the government keeps guns out of your hands?

Because they are very medlesome and think they know better.

explodingboy · #5 3rd July 2009, 12:33 AM

1: Do you believe that your government keeps guns out of your hands, so you will be impotent when they choose to misbehave themselves either now/or in the future?

Nope, I mean look at the places with guns, its not like the populace have the government under control with or without.

2: How do you keep yourselves from being slaves without the implicit threat that you might shoot and kill your leaders if they don't behave themselves?

More than 2 political parties is a good start.

3: Why do you think the government keeps guns out of your hands?

Because There isn't exactly that much of a need for them other than some fantasy view that holding gun means a politician in a building hundreds of miles away will suddenly start agreeing with you. Not to mention they have little practical use in modern living.

nolongerhome · #6 3rd July 2009, 12:49 AM

Originally Posted by EZoolander

A few questions:

1: Do you believe that your government keeps guns out of your hands, so you will be impotent when they choose to misbehave themselves either now/or in the future?
2: How do you keep yourselves from being slaves without the implicit threat that you might shoot and kill your leaders if they don't behave themselves?
3: Why do you think the government keeps guns out of your hands?

1. No, I believe it does so because we have seen terrible crimes committed with the use of guns and have decided that less guns = less gun crime. If the government wants to send in our well equipped 21st century army, I don't think any firearm I own will do much good, so I'm resigned to the fact that in the remotely possible case that the government decides to impose some sort of military dictatorship I will need to resort to non-violent actions to bring about any change.
2. The many checks and balances in a plural society. We also seem to be able to vote governments out when we don't like them. Worked well so far.

3. I guess I already answered this one in question 1.

Maxwell511 · #7 3rd July 2009, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by EZoolander

A few questions:

1: Do you believe that your government keeps guns out of your hands, so you will be impotent when they choose to misbehave themselves either now/or in the future?

No.

2: How do you keep yourselves from being slaves without the implicit threat that you might shoot and kill your leaders if they don't behave themselves?

Democracy.

3: Why do you think the government keeps guns out of your hands?

Originally to stop the Anti-Treaty forces to continue a war. In the last half a century to stop the IRA and other groups from committing acts of terrorism.

In Ireland the possession of firearms has been illegal for centuries yet every time we had a rebellion we imported them pretty quickly.

I find the American 2nd amendment to be cute. You think that you can defend yourselves with guns against the federal government?

Americans have never been on the wrong end of a lopsided war, they don't seem to know that guns are almost useless in such situations. Bombs are way better, does the second amendment cover the right to own explosives?

EZoolander · #8 3rd July 2009, 02:25 AM

Wait, wait, this is heresy!

You mean...you elect people because they're good people...and they don't screw you over? You mean - you can actually have a civil society that does not devolve into a dictatorship without having guns? You mean...your leaders don't behave themselves simply because they're afraid of getting shot if they don't?

Fools!!!

lol

nolongerhome · #9 3rd July 2009, 02:51 AM

Well, I wouldn't say we necessarily elect good people that don't screw us over and that our leaders behave themselves...

But neither do yours.

So it looks like guns don't make a difference either way

LightHorseman · #10 3rd July 2009, 03:06 AM

Originally Posted by EZoolander

A few questions:

1: Do you believe that your government keeps guns out of your hands, so you will be impotent when they choose to misbehave themselves either now/or in the future?

Not expressly

2: How do you keep yourselves from being slaves without the implicit threat that you might shoot and kill your leaders if they don't behave themselves?

An entrenched system of checks and balances to limit the powers of any one branch or tier of government... though it is far from a perfect system, I doubt that blowing away democratically elected representatives who enact or support policies we disagree with is likely to be any more effective or efficient.

3: Why do you think the government keeps guns out of your hands?

Mostly because of nanny state concerns and the seriously misguided desire to eliminate all forms of short term risk. The same sort of muddled, possibly well meaning but ultimately counter productive sort of thinking that leads to things like schools banning bikes or walking to school Kids Forbidden to Bike or Walk to School | Strollerderby