Allow me to chime in on one of my favorite subjects.
To all who have said that "hunting and sport shooting is OK, but no concealed handguns", I absolutely disagree. The inherent human right to self-defense is no less inalienable than any other right. It is the right of all free people to defend themselves, their families, and their homes by the most effective means available.
The 36 states which now have "shall-issue" concealed carry laws (they HAVE to issue you a carry permit if you aren't disqualified by felony, restraining order, or mental deficiency) have seen a significant and measurable decrease in murder, rape, robbery, and other violent crime in the 15 years since Florida became the first state to bring back concealed-carry. (Congratulations to Missouri and Ohio, the two most recent). In my state, only about 3% of the people have such permits, but a decade of statistics have shown that they make the other 97% safer from criminals. Crimes committed with legally-owned and legally-carried firearms are virtually nonexistent. Law-abiding, responsible citizens CAN handle carrying guns in public. It has been proven.
Banning guns is foolish to even talk about, even if it wasn't a gross violation of human rights. The UK's rate of violent crime and even gun crime has skyrocketed since the people there were disarmed. I mean, if all these governments can't keep cocaine, heroine, etc. out of the country, what makes anyone think they can keep guns out? A "gun-free society" is nice to daydream about, but anything more is a waste of time. If you can find a way to travel back to the 15th century and de-invent the firearm, go ahead. Otherwise, learn to live with them.
There is also a perfectly logical reason why most gun-owners oppose registration and do not want the government to know they have guns and how many. Such measures have almost invariably been a prelude to confiscation in other countries, both recently and throughout history. (Hitler was one of the first in modern history to disarm his country this way, little by little, starting with the Jews.)
Which leads me to the REAL purpose of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution. It has nothing to do with hunting, target shooting, or even self-defense. It has to do with freedom. The Constitution was written by men who had just finished winning independence with GUNS. They had witnessed what any government is capable of that is not accountable to the people.
The true purpose of the 2nd Amendment is a last-ditch safeguard for the people against the rising of a tyrannical government. History has proven time and again that a well-armed populace is the surest guarantee of liberty. Those that say these ideas are out-of-date, I disagree. Many in Poland thought the same thing in 1935. People all over the world, most especially Africa and Asia, continue to rise in armed revolt against oppressive governments, and I support their right to do so. It's called self-determination. War is horrible, but slavery is worse. Maybe such things will never again have to happen in our "civilized" countries of North America, Europe, and Australia. Am I willing to bet my life and my liberty on that assumption? No way. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance, and there are millions of us that are armed, trained, and ready, should that day ever come.
Last edited by cls12vg30; 11-05-2004 at 07:16 AM.
"The good news is, not one of the 50 states has the death penalty for speeding....although I'm not too sure about Ohio."
Sesquipedalian -- a really cool word. It means long-winded, polysyllabic, or verbose. See the word describes itself...isn't that neat?
1988 Nissan 200SX SE V6
UCP's most hardcore S12 fan!