Gun Control

[OrangeEmpire]

Assult rifles are still illegal in most states. The National Assult Rifle Ban may have expired, but most states have their own assult weapon laws as well. California, for example, expanded the national law to include all weapons that have assult characteristics.

Gun regulation is not a problem, nor is it something I have a problem with. Some of the members in here would probably flip over the extent of firearms that I really have no problem with, but regardless, regulating firearms has never been my problem. It needs to be done. Gun control is a problem. Because anti-gun politicians don't want to simply "regulate" firearms. They want to control the people. Now I'm not talking about some retarded, liberal conspiracy to turn the nation into a regime like some paranoid, ultra-conservatives may preach. But these politicians are the ones who just want to tell us what to do: this is what's best for you.

All in all though, I think that people are just too afraid of guns. Now someone might say, "Well, look on the news everyday. It's crazy." You have one or two reports of gun violence a day... maybe. And that sucks, but when you take into consideration that something like 1 in 3 Americans now owns a gun (That's about 100 million people owning at least one gun in our country.), it is safe to say that the population has become extremely paranoid. Besides, the people don't know any better anyway, and the media knows this. Look at it's reporting on Iraq. They take reports of violence in Baghdad and parts of the Al Anbar Province and try to pass it off as though the entire country is a deathtrap. The American public doesn't know the difference anyway. Same situation here.

A gun is a gun. I carry one around my back for seven months out of the year. It has a lot of cool, liitle gadgets and gizmos that can be attached too. But when it's not loaded, when there's no mag inserted, it's just a gun, a molded and fitted piece of plastic and metal. It's not going to bite you. I have a bunch of them myself, personally. They're not a toys; that's for sure. And they should be treated with respect. They are weapons. But ultimately, a gun is only going to do what you tell it to do. It's not going to load itself. It's not going to fire itself. It's not going to jump up and hypnotise you and then convince you to murder you ex-wife by whispering sweet nothings in you ear.

Why do you think that so many of those "country-folk" are against gun control? It's not because they're hicks and rednecks, although that's what the typical steriotyping of these people is. It's because they've grown up around guns, and they understand them and respect them for what they are. And that's the point. They should be respected, not feared. But most people don't take the time to teach their children about guns, other than the fact that they're these hoorible machines that kill people. Well, no wonder everyone's afraid of them then. Most of the gun violence in the urban areas results from illegally purchased firearms or irresponsible gun ownership on the part of the legal owner of the used firearm(s). And that's a fact. Legal and responsible gun ownership, which is the case with the majority of gun owners, is not the problem it's made out to be by certain politicians who are just looking for a pet-cause.

Now like I siad, gun-regulation is not a problem. Age limits, multiple backgound checks, special liscenses for the carrying of concealed weapons, that is fine. Personally, I think that anyone who owns a gun should also have to own a locking, gun storage unit, a gun case.

I do believe that gun manufacturers should be forcd to practice more responsible marketing techniques, and I believe that they should be held more responsible for their own irresponsible selling and marketing practices. I mean, they pass these things off like the Tobacco companies pass off cigarettes, like you could do whatever you want with them and not have to worry about any mishaps. Like I siad, they are weapons, and I think that should be stressed.

Bottom line, education (proper education, not just anti-gun paranoia) is the key, just like anything else. They need to be respected. But they don't have to be feared.

Here's an interesting piece about where illegal guns come from:

Ask a cop on the beat how criminals get guns and you're likely to hear this hard boiled response: "They steal them." But this street wisdom is wrong, according to one frustrated Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agent who is tired of battling this popular misconception. An expert on crime gun patterns, ATF agent Jay Wachtel says that most guns used in crimes are not stolen out of private gun owners' homes and cars. "Stolen guns account for only about 10% to 15% of guns used in crimes," Wachtel said. Because when they want guns they want them immediately the wait is usually too long for a weapon to be stolen and find its way to a criminal.


In fact, there are a number of sources that allow guns to fall into the wrong hands, with gun thefts at the bottom of the list. Wachtel says one of the most common ways criminals get guns is through straw purchase sales. A straw purchase occurs when someone who may not legally acquire a firearm, or who wants to do so anonymously, has a companion buy it on their behalf. According to a 1994 ATF study on "Sources of Crime Guns in Southern California," many straw purchases are conducted in an openly "suggestive" manner where two people walk into a gun store, one selects a firearm, and then the other uses identification for the purchase and pays for the gun. Or, several underage people walk into a store and an adult with them makes the purchases. Both of these are illegal activities.


The next biggest source of illegal gun transactions where criminals get guns are sales made by legally licensed but corrupt at-home and commercial gun dealers. Several recent reports back up Wachtel's own studies about this, and make the case that illegal activity by those licensed to sell guns, known as Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs), is a huge source of crime guns and greatly surpasses the sale of guns stolen from John Q. Citizen. Like bank robbers, who are interested in banks, gun traffickers are interested in FFLs because that's where the guns are. This is why FFLs are a large source of illegal guns for traffickers, who ultimately wind up selling the guns on the street.


According to a recent ATF report, there is a significant diversion to the illegal gun market from FFLs. The report states that "of the 120,370 crime guns that were traced to purchases from the FFLs then in business, 27.7 % of these firearms were seized by law enforcement in connection with a crime within two years of the original sale. This rapid `time to crime' of a gun purchased from an FFL is a strong indicator that the initial seller or purchaser may have been engaged in unlawful activity."


The report goes on to state that "over-the-counter purchases are not the only means by which guns reach the illegal market from FFLs" and reveals that 23,775 guns have been reported lost, missing or stolen from FFLs since September 13, 1994, when a new law took effect requiring dealers to report gun thefts within 48 hours. This makes the theft of 6,000 guns reported in the CIR/Frontline show "Hot Guns" only 25% of all cases reported to ATF in the past two and one-half years.


Another large source of guns used in crimes are unlicensed street dealers who either get their guns through illegal transactions with licensed dealers, straw purchases, or from gun thefts. These illegal dealers turn around and sell these illegally on the street. An additional way criminals gain access to guns is family and friends, either through sales, theft or as gifts.


While many guns are taken off the street when people are arrested and any firearms in their possession are confiscated, a new study shows how easily arrestees believe they could illegally acquire another firearm. Supported by the National Institute of Justice and based on interviews with those recently arrested, the study acknowledges gun theft is common, with 13 percent of all arrestees interviewed admitting that they had stolen a gun. However a key finding is that "the illegal market is the most likely source" for these people to obtain a gun. "In fact, more than half the arrestees say it is easy to obtain guns illegally," the report states. Responding to a question of how they obtained their most recent handgun, the arrestees answered as follows: 56% said they paid cash; 15% said it was a gift; 10% said they borrowed it; 8% said they traded for it; while 5% only said that they stole it.


ATF officials say that only about 8% of the nation's 124,000 retail gun dealers sell the majority of handguns that are used in crimes. They conclude that these licensed retailers are part of a block of rogue entrepreneurs tempted by the big profits of gun trafficking. Cracking down on these dealers continues to be a priority for the ATF. What's needed, according to Wachtel, is better monitoring of the activities of legally licensed gun dealers. This means examining FFL paperwork to see where their guns are coming from, and making sure that those guns are being sold legally. But he says, "Let's be honest. If someone wants a gun, it's obvious the person will not have difficulty buying a gun, either legally or through the extensive United States black market."

 

[Lexvol]

I vote for "people control".

 

[OrangeEmpire]

Lets form a committee.............

 

[herksrus]

I vote for gun control...

steady hand
breath control
steady squeeze


OE, you live out of TN right? Do they have carry permits where you live? I have kept my TN carry permit current for the last ten years, and I enjoy being able to carry on occasion. THe problem is I live on a Air Force base and the cops on base dont take kindly to packing.