Do you believe in guns?

[Mark Jordan]

As with most things, it depends on the other variables.

If you live in a society that is relatively peaceful with very few gun owners then adding more guns will increase the harm. But if you have lots of crimes & violence already, then supporting gun control or gun carrying laws will likely decrease crime because one is able to defend oneself and hopefully serves a deterrent to criminals.

 

[LuckyKBoxer]

As with most things, it depends on the other variables.

If you live in a society that is relatively peaceful with very few gun owners then adding more guns will increase the harm. But if you have lots of crimes & violence already, then supporting gun control or gun carrying laws will likely decrease crime because one is able to defend oneself and hopefully serves a deterrent to criminals.

Ya I disagree with the reasoning.
an armed society is a polite society in my opinion.
I dont care if I have the only gun in America, it will still be better fo rme to be armed with one if some criminal want sot come after me with a machete, or a bat, or anything else.
I dont think that everyone needs to have a gun, but if a criminal thinks that you have a gun he is going to go look for someone he thinks does not have a gun.
A gun is a tool, like any other tool it can be misused. I think that both sides are never going to agree on this, but I personally see alot more reason in the argument that its a tool and can be used in good or bad ways, rather then its an evil instrument that only leads to troubles. I have met very few reasonable people who are anti gun, and most anti gun people come across as overcontrolling. Trying to tell everyone else how to live their lives. I hate that. I dont tell them they have to own a gun, or see a gun, or anything, I simply want them to leave me the hell alone.

 

[jks9199]

Actually what is a proven fact is that when people are educated, and have half way decent jobs, they don’t commit crimes. Poverty and its brother ignorance is the enemy.

Japan and Singapore have incredibly strict gun laws and their crime rates are much lower then anywhere in the US. Look to Canada and Western Europe also, stricter gun laws and lower crime rates.

They also have a many-times more homogeneous culture and society...

It's always easier to victimize "the other..." whether that other is the "rich white boy in my 'hood" or the "ghetto rat invading my suburb."

 

[chinto]

OK folks, It really is simple. so please listen carefully and remember its proven fact...WEAPONS CONTROL OF ANY KIND DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


ok now history shows that no matter how draconian the penalty's outlawing weapons does not work at all. weather in Colombia, or Okinawa or England! So the question of, "do you believe in a weapon?", is at best ludicrous and more aptly one of the very few stupid questions in existence!

Of course I believe in guns, I also believe in hammers, drills and welders. they are all just tools. neither good or bad.
Can I use the tools above? yes, gun or hammer or drill. no tool kills. and yes every one up there and a lot more have 'killed people' by the definition of the anti-gun and other anti-weapons nuts.

NO WEAPON IN HISTORY HAS EVER KILLED ANY ONE! The PERSON with that weapon did!!!! please for Gods sake get that through your heads. its the hard heart and the hand of the one with or with out a weapon that kills when a killing happens. some are good people who are forced to kill to survive an attack. others are evil and criminals out to harm any one they can. This makes the weapon in question neither good or bad. it is just a tool! So I think that every one is entitled to have posses and keep and carry a weapon. I also think that they should be held responsible for how they use it.

 

[Archangel M]

Actually what is a proven fact is that when people are educated, and have half way decent jobs, they don’t commit crimes. Poverty and its brother ignorance is the enemy.

Japan and Singapore have incredibly strict gun laws and their crime rates are much lower then anywhere in the US. Look to Canada and Western Europe also, stricter gun laws and lower crime rates.

********. Crime rates between countries are full of inconsistencies. In Japan they don't count deaths as "murder" as we would here. Here "gun violence"/"gun death" stats include suicide:

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvinco.html

"Gun death" statistics are frequently cited, in the manner above, to strongly suggest that guns are the cause behind the high violent death rate in the U.S. As in the case of the Los Angeles Times article, no mention is made that over half of those violent deaths are suicides. The CNN article mentions gun homicides and gun suicides, but fails to show us the total violent death rate of other countries, not just gun deaths. For example, in Japan, where gun ownership is rare, its total suicide rate is higher than our total suicide rate.

As to the "they have no guns and look they have no crime"...******** comparison.

http://www.haciendapub.com/stolinsky.html

Japan has harsh anti-gun and anti-crime laws and a low homicide rate, but Japanese-Americans, who live under our laws and have access to guns, also have a low homicide rate. Japanese immigrants bring something with them that inhibits homicide and is transmitted to their children and grandchildren. It may be self-control or love of education, but it has nothing to do with laws. Cultural factors are clearly important. To study the effect of gun laws, statisticians would first have to correct for all the cultural differences between various nations. Not enough is known to do this. The best we can do is observing what happens when new gun laws are passed in the U.S. and Germany, or when Japanese live in the U.S. In these cases, little effect of gun laws is seen.

 

[Ken Morgan]

They also have a many-times more homogeneous culture and society...

It's always easier to victimize "the other..." whether that other is the "rich white boy in my 'hood" or the "ghetto rat invading my suburb."

Homogenous???
Have you ever been to Toronto, Montreal or Vancouver???

 

[Ken Morgan]

********. Crime rates between countries are full of inconsistencies. In Japan they don't count deaths as "murder" as we would here. Here "gun violence"/"gun death" stats include suicide:

http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvinco.html



As to the "they have no guns and look they have no crime"...******** comparison.

http://www.haciendapub.com/stolinsky.html

Japan has harsh anti-gun and anti-crime laws and a low homicide rate, but Japanese-Americans, who live under our laws and have access to guns, also have a low homicide rate. Japanese immigrants bring something with them that inhibits homicide and is transmitted to their children and grandchildren. It may be self-control or love of education, but it has nothing to do with laws. Cultural factors are clearly important. To study the effect of gun laws, statisticians would first have to correct for all the cultural differences between various nations. Not enough is known to do this. The best we can do is observing what happens when new gun laws are passed in the U.S. and Germany, or when Japanese live in the U.S. In these cases, little effect of gun laws is seen.

Really unbiased sources.

BTW I like guns, I have guns and enjoy shooting.

It is a proven fact that when people, are educated and have good jobs the crime rate is low. That fact holds true everywhere in the world, transcending culture, religion and country of origin.