I think some of the aspects of what I discussed are already in place, in some means.
But I don't see anything set-up to ensure that prospective gun owners know what to do with a gun, or how to properly store it away from little people who shouldn't have it...

I never said it made sense. I think pot should be legal too, remember?

Some states have mandatory training courses.

You can't just go buy a gun in Massachusetts, I think it's easier to buy pot...

Soft liquor can get you just as drunk should we ban that aswell? Perhaps when your drunk you are more likely to fight someone but with a handgun your more likely to shot and kill someone. There is a difference.

There are 44 million gun owners in the United States, and in 2004 there were 700 accidental deaths. That equates to around 0.002 accidental gun deaths per year.

By the way, there are some 700,000 Doctors in the United States and in 2004 there were 120,000 accidental deaths. That means there are 17.2 accidental deaths per doctor.

Hmmm you face a risk that is 8600 times greater in going to a doctor and dying accidently than you do of dying accidentally from a gun owner.

Unfortunately, the facts just don't support your argument.

dmk

The simple fact remains that gun control laws only take guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens. Criminals find it difficult to buy guns legally. Most are restricted during the background check because of a criminal record. Criminals by their very nature purchase guns illegally. Washington D.C. has the most restrictive of all gun control laws, yet routinely leads the U.S. cities in homocides. For all practical purposes guns are banned in D.C. You cannot own one, you cannot keep one in your home, nor in your car, nor on your person.

According to your logic the number of murders should be less, yet they are higher. So much for logic.

dmk

First hkbajwa let me thank you for the nice things you said to me in your post


hkjabwa, there is a quote by one of the founding fathers of our country:
"Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom"
Thomas Jefferson

YES the government might screw us over. Politics attracts many power hungry persons - not all by a long shot mind you but an inordinate number of them.
And yes,
sadly there ARE a few people out there who only mean harm to other people. Can you deny it?
It would be true even if there had only been one murder or rape in the history of the world...and sadly the number is millions of times that.

Maybe scary, but definitely realistic. Please see Niccolo Machiavelli's very practical instructions in The Prince about how to gain and maintain political power.

Isn't it? Consider the predicament in New Orleans, when some of those people were going around committing crimes on their stranded fellow survivors. That would have been obviated by a significant presence of law enforcement in the area to keep order during the crisis. Yes, law enforcement: with guns.
But they were not there; thus, young girls got raped and other people's dignity was pillaged also.
And that's only one example.
Hkjabwa,
Most people inherently want to be good. But not everyone. You simply cannot project this idealized portrait of human nature; it's not like that.

Ahhh....theeees eees as eeet SHOULD beee....
right back atcha

Indago, thank you for all the good information - the more I learn, the more convinced I become about this.

On the contrary, it is manifestly true. The only error is that the post said guns would be out of the picture if they were outlawed.
Not even !
The difference would simply be that only jack-booted thugs from the government would have them...and of course, criminals.

Also hev, you said in another post that you are free to put a bullet through a human being.
Not so, unless in self defense.