Defending the Truth

WE do have the constitutional rights to protect our property,homes,
and ourselves. Most major cities here in America is suffering from
cutbacks or layoffs. Which means less Police protection, and more
criminal activities. Don't get me wrong by thinking that I am giving
suggestions to become a Charles Branson, but go to your local law
enforcement agency, and sign up for a personal gun permit (Here
in Michigan...its called a CCW). A permit to Carry Concelled Weapon.

I also encourage you to sign up for the firearm classes to learn how
to fire a gun from close and far range.

I am also for gun and firearms rights for the people PoliticalParalegal.

I'm fine with handguns and hunting rifles/shotguns, but nobody really needs anything beyond that to protect their homes. And, of course, it should all be under strict standards of ownership (no felons, nobody with a history of mental illness, nobody known for affiliations with dangerous groups, etc).

At the same time, I really think the problem is the black market and all the loopholes in gun laws.

Very cool Jaaaman. I have a CCW permit, and I do carry a 9mm on my
side everywhere I go, and I have a 38 that I have got for my lady to
carry also. The problem with crime is to many wrongdoers get off to
Damn easy, and they usually return to the only game they know. Which
is criminal activities, and you see its clowns like the 22 year old guy
who carjacked the 91 year old man, and beat him up pretty bad. That's
the case where that old guy should have had a gun, and blew that
bastard's brain out.

I have been bitter for the past 37 years after returning home from
Viet Nam, and in Viet Nam we was forced to kill women & children
or be killed ourselves. However being a member of the Green Beret
Special forces I learned about how to control a situation.

I am NOT the kind of person who love to show off my piece, due
to the fact that its not everyone's business what I have, and what
does matter is my weapon is registered. Today's Society is so messed
up until nobody seems to care, and I have a old saying that goes like
this.....To get a ass..one gotta bring one. Its better you then me.

I'm a strong advocate for proper training, esp. if somebody want a firearm for self-defense.

Most of the police officers I've known strongly favored people having weapons for self-defense... but ONLY if they were properly trained and had been through proper background checks.

Exactly. I love those permits, they are true crime deterrents IMO. I mean if you are in a state where one can have a concealed weapon, you'd have to think about that when deciding whether or not to mug someone on the street. Let's say you have a city with 10,000 people and 10% of them have a concealed weapon. There's a 1 in 10 chance you're going to get shot. Those are not good odds.

The right to protect one's self is important, considering that the Courts have said that the police are under no obligation to protect individual citizens. (Warren v Metropolitan Police, 1983. DC Court of Appeals) So if the police which are a branch of the legislative arm of government are under no obligation to protect the individual citizen, who else will do it??

Virginia is a state that allows the right to carry. Earlier this year the legislature passed legislation that allowed the State Universities the right to deny students the right to carry. Upon passage President Casteen of VT applauded the legislature in the efforts to make the students of his university safer. Tell me, how safe are those 31 students that died??

So despite guns not being allowed on the campus, people were still killed by them. Hmmm gun control laws only work when people are willing to follow them, which means that only the law abiding have to fear for their safety.

dmk

One problem indeed with the gun control 'side' of this debate is the underemphasis of personal defense. I find it absurd that people are locked up for a long time when they are forced to defend themselves and/or their families (by other means too, and not just guns!).

However, the problem with these kinds of issues is that the 'sides' usually become polarized and the truth ends up being kind of in the middle. The problem with the other side is the overemphasis on the need of lethal force, and the level of lethal force. Of course I believe in the right to own a gun, and its use to defend yourself; but no one needs a heavy machine gun or an uzi to do so, or to hunt. Likewise, where a gun might have been involved (and perhaps consequently a lethal injury), things like stun guns, pepper spray, or even martial arts training could be just as effective with many people (and perhaps be more effective for others); and using the threat of lethal force on your attacker could force him to defend himself with lethal force at the same time.

So yes I believe in personal defense (and there are too many ridiculous laws against that), but I don't always think a firearm is necessary. I believe the intent behind the second amendment was about defense against tyranny rather than personal defense against criminals.