Firearms

[InbetweenDreams]

The biggest issue is most of America has lost its sanity.

You know, I don't care for nor pay much mind to opinions that are of hot air. @Karl Rand I think we've established that you don't like guns. If you would expand on what you have said up to this point in this thread I would welcome that, but this sort of bovine scatology that "America has lost its sanity" isn't contributing anything to the conversation.

Do you see what my issue is here? It's not you, it's not your position on the matter either.

Bet let's recap...

Here in Australia we have very strict and very limited laws covering firearms held by civilians. The vastly lower incidents of fatal shootings per head of population compared to ”˜the Land of the Brave and the Free’ tells us something.
The 2nd amendment may have made sense when it was first written but the context and meaning have changed since then.

You might be on to something about the 2nd amendment. I think most people want a firearm for self-defense purposes and not be part of a militia. I also agree, the folks who wrote that had muzzle loading rifles and weren't thinking about what modern firearms can do today. Does that nullify the 2nd amendment?

I said ”˜per head of population’ This has a specific meaning I suggest you’ve either missed or misunderstood.
My comment ”˜nation has lost it’s sanity’ wasn’t snarky but something I've experienced as regretably true. I’ve been visiting the US since my mid 20’s some 50 years ago so have some idea of the profound changes that have taken place.

I understand what you're saying. Since less people have guns in Australia there will undoubtedly be less shootings and overall less chance that someone would be killed by a gun in Australia. I'm not arguing that removing guns doesn't reduce gun violence, heck I would also agree that it probably reduces homicides overall. So yes, sure, I think if we could magically remove all guns all at once that there would be less killings. But there's one problem with criminals, they don't care about whether something is legal. That has been a popular argument.

Getting to the second part of what you said. So over the last 50 years of you visiting the US off and on you say there have been profound changes. What are you referring to here? Because in the last 50-60 years a lot of things have changed and many things that have changed have had a huge impact on US culture in general, not just guns or crime for that matter. Perhaps you're referring to concealed carry? Because concealed carry 50 years ago was actually unheard of. It wasn't until the 80's roughly when state laws changed in favor of concealed carry.

The opinion he’s formed of an America armed to the teeth become more negative every time he visits his relatives. He’s no longer willing to have his children with him when he visits ”˜home’.

His opinion is just that. Not sure where your friend lives but there are few places so dangerous that I would not feel comfortable staying. My opinion is that's pretty extreme. Despite the laws, it's not Looney Tunes here.

However, despite what anyone thinks about guns, the right to bear arms or the right to defend yourself, family and property. We do have to as a society decide on whether the loss of innocent lives is worth it. The fact of the matter is no matter what gun control laws are passed there will be more shootings, there will be more killings. Either that's something we have to accept and move on or do without the guns. Perhaps the answer might seem to come at an instant but I think it is more complex of an issue than what you're willing to admit.

Likewise, someone can just about as easily kill someone with a bowie knife, a ball bat and so on. I referenced an article about Michelle Dunn who was stabbed to death by a maniac. So one question is how do you stop people killing altogether? Also raises the question about self defense and whether a gun is justifiable.