Rant
What I Posted to a blog in response to a right wing rant on gun control -
I have to somewhat agree with the right winger's conclusion, but not at all how he got there... And I like to think myself as a liberal...
A gun, like many other things in life is a responsibility, and not everyone is responsible. We cannot practically forbid the entire public from having "Arms" then we can forbid the public from having babies, or drinking alcohol, smoking pot, driving a car or taking bad house loans. All of which can have devastating consequences if done irresponsibly.
About 29,000 people die each year in the U.S. due to guns. 40,000 people die due to car accidents. 1750 children die each year from abuse or neglect.
And these pale to some of the others -
Alcohol - 85,000 - 40,000 drunk driving deaths.
Tobacco - 425,000
Adverse reactions to prescription drugs - 32,000
Do we outlaw Alcohol? Wait... tried that... Tobacco? Good luck. Mandatory sterilization for the abusive and/or stupid? Right... (speaking of Nazis) Outlaw Pot? Oh wait we have... Doesn't seem to help much...
On one hand some rich moron shooting a stupid kid for egging his car is a tragedy and a horror. A 90 lb woman shooting a sadistic rapist... not so much so... (250,000 - 750,000 rapes per year in the U.S... shall we outlaw penises? We are #9 per capita for rapes in the world!)
What would help all of this? Having people be more responsible for their actions. How to achieve that is what should be argued here... Not what a person should or should not have.
Niall, so you're saying high per capita gun ownership doesn't deter rape?
Stephanie -
To tell the truth, I don't know... but you should open the question further... Does high gun ownership per capita deter crime overall? (rapes, murders, armed robberies, jay-walking, etc)
It might... it might make it worse... I haven't seen the studies.
What I am saying more is the gun is a tool, as are tazers, swords, knives, spears, crossbows, sticks, rocks and fists.
Mind you I am not saying that we should legalize all these things or not. Personally I am very much in favor of restricting handguns in certain areas for all but those who are registered for them and have proved themselves responsible.
But what is the right thing to do for the best of us all, that is not an ideal, but a practical solution? Outlawing guns will never work. Neither will handing everyone a bazooka... There must be a middle ground...
I have to somewhat agree with the right winger's conclusion, but not at all how he got there... And I like to think myself as a liberal...
A gun, like many other things in life is a responsibility, and not everyone is responsible. We cannot practically forbid the entire public from having "Arms" then we can forbid the public from having babies, or drinking alcohol, smoking pot, driving a car or taking bad house loans. All of which can have devastating consequences if done irresponsibly.
About 29,000 people die each year in the U.S. due to guns. 40,000 people die due to car accidents. 1750 children die each year from abuse or neglect.
And these pale to some of the others -
Alcohol - 85,000 - 40,000 drunk driving deaths.
Tobacco - 425,000
Adverse reactions to prescription drugs - 32,000
Do we outlaw Alcohol? Wait... tried that... Tobacco? Good luck. Mandatory sterilization for the abusive and/or stupid? Right... (speaking of Nazis) Outlaw Pot? Oh wait we have... Doesn't seem to help much...
On one hand some rich moron shooting a stupid kid for egging his car is a tragedy and a horror. A 90 lb woman shooting a sadistic rapist... not so much so... (250,000 - 750,000 rapes per year in the U.S... shall we outlaw penises? We are #9 per capita for rapes in the world!)
What would help all of this? Having people be more responsible for their actions. How to achieve that is what should be argued here... Not what a person should or should not have.
Niall, so you're saying high per capita gun ownership doesn't deter rape?
Stephanie -
To tell the truth, I don't know... but you should open the question further... Does high gun ownership per capita deter crime overall? (rapes, murders, armed robberies, jay-walking, etc)
It might... it might make it worse... I haven't seen the studies.
What I am saying more is the gun is a tool, as are tazers, swords, knives, spears, crossbows, sticks, rocks and fists.
Mind you I am not saying that we should legalize all these things or not. Personally I am very much in favor of restricting handguns in certain areas for all but those who are registered for them and have proved themselves responsible.
But what is the right thing to do for the best of us all, that is not an ideal, but a practical solution? Outlawing guns will never work. Neither will handing everyone a bazooka... There must be a middle ground...