Hmmm, gun control thread... *backs away slowly*

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The Massassi-Map
There is no spoon.

It's possible to be educated about guns and still not like them...

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Shut up. I'm GOING to do this whether you like it or not.

"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."

Even if it did not mention directly that the people were the ones to keep and bear arms, remember why the bill of rights was originally written: it was ensure the rights of the people.

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"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."

-Albert Einstein

Militia: An army composed of ordinary citizens rather than professional soldiers.

But then again, I guess the word regulated would go against my point... Nevermind, I stand corrected.

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"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity."

-Albert Einstein

The Bill of Rights was written to enjoin the federal government, not the states, from abridging its enumerated rights. The Supreme Court has since ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment applies parts of the Bill of Rights to the states, but the right to bear arms, the right to a grand jury indictment, and the right to a civil jury trial aren't incorporated.

Consequently, the states can pass whatever gun laws they want, provided that they don't violate their own constitutions or existing laws.

[This message has been edited by Argath (edited January 24, 2004).]

If someone beats me up, it would be absurd for me to think, "If I make myself weaker and more defenseless, he'll leave me alone."

Think about this: In Switzerland, each individual citizen in considered a member of the national military (or militia, if you will), and is provided with an assault rifle and a sidearm by the government. Their crime rate is near zero. The two have to be linked.

Also interesting is the punishment codes of Singapore, where the punishment for any particular crime is extremely more unpleasant than it is in the US. Their crime rate is also near zero.

Combine the two, and the cocky "Whatcha gonna do?" attitude thugs love so much disappears, and crime drops.

Also, banning guns will not result in criminals unable to do anything but yell "BANG!" Supposing that such a ban succeeds in removing all guns from the public (right!), the criminals will move on to knives. Ban knives, and they use rocks. At this point you have a 'good luck' situation.

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Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of old men are the vices of peace: mistrust and caution. It must be so.
-Laurence of Arabia

I believe the word regulated is supposed to mean 'trained'. A well trained militia...
This would make far more sense coming from a group of people who just finished a 7-year war to separate themselves from their oppressive government.

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Young men make wars, and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of old men are the vices of peace: mistrust and caution. It must be so.
-Laurence of Arabia