Dec 23 2012: I like your idea that we the people need to initiate the change in our own lives irrespective of government action. The question is what actions will stop the violence? I think it will take many too because there is no single cause.
Many people are advocating banning assault rifles or high capacity magazines. The proposals are missing the point. It only takes one bullet to kill and one death is a death too many. I read that in the last week over 100 people have died from gunshots since Newtown. Newtown was a tragedy, but I believe the real tragedy is violence everywhere.
Assault weapons are not the problem. Most of those 100+ deaths in the last week were not at the hands of assault rifles. Most didn't even use the full magazine of ammunition because they didn't need to. I have a gun in my house. It's locked in a safe unloaded. No one will ever use my gun to commit violence because it is always locked in my safe unless being cleaned or taken to the range to shoot. It could be a machine gun, it doesn't matter, it still won't be used for violence. I won't use it for violence because I don't express my anger through violence, I use words calmly, its more effective. That gun won't be used for violence unless my life or loved ones are threatened.
What should we do? What are the causes of violence in our culture? Is it desensitization to violence. Is it poor impulse control? Is it a lack of empathy? Is it mental illness? Is it poor communication skills? Is it deep in the threads of our culture (I think of the trivial nature of sitcoms and reality TV, the sensationalism of news, the lost art of conversation, the holes in our hearts for inner peace and fulfillment)? Is it greed? Is it selfishness? How do we stop the violence? Most of it is committed against people we know too. Why do we hurt those we know and love?
Dec 23 2012: I don't think the purpose of the 2nd amendment was a counterbalance to government tyranny. If you look at how the militias were used around the time of the bill of rights it was actually to put down uprisings and riots within the 13 states, sort of the opposite of what you imply. The Government didn't have a standing police force or even Army like we do now. The Militia was the police force.
Dec 23 2012: Assault weapons are not the problem, Adam could have killed those people with revolvers simple enough. Adam was the problem and his ability to obtain access to guns (any) that should have been locked in a safe. Ban assault rifles, ban high capacity magazines and the next Adam will use what ever weapon is available, be it a gun, propane tank, chemicals or fertilizer.
I don't think the "state" is always around to assist in protecting my safety either. If an intruder broke into my house I could dial 911, but I don't know how long it would take for help to arrive. With budget cuts and too many people not wanting to pay taxes, there are not that many deputies on call and I don't live in the city. Many people live in rural areas where a response could be 30 to 60 minutes.
The issue of violence and guns has many facets. I'm not afraid of guns, though I do respect them, and believe they should be secured at all times, commensurate with their ability to enable violence.. I'm afraid of irresponsible people with guns, but this is a very very small minority of the people with guns. There are millions of shooters who enjoy target practice at the shooting range, or who have a gun in their house for the normally unlikely chance of someone breaking in, or hunters assuming the role of the higher level predators. Semi-automatic weapons (including assault rifles) are useful and used by the target shooter, the hunter and the person protecting their lives. I have a gun in my house because I see the potential for political instability in the future that could be beyond the power of state and national governments to control. The rich get richer in a rigged system at the expense of the 99%. Global warming could affect food production enough to cause starvation and riots in my lifetime,.....
Banning certain types of guns or magazines won't solve the problem. Cops successfully used revolvers to patrol the streets for decades. It only takes one bullet to kill. Two or three revolvers would be adequate to repeat Newtown. Other countries have minimized gun violence by drastically minimizing the number of guns in their countries, but they also have cultures different from the US, ones that value and respect people more (more socialist and strangely enough Christian in caring for their fellow man). There are too many guns in circulation for anything but a national confiscation plan to remove enough guns to reduce gun violence and I don't see this working with our national mindset and history of gun ownership. Maybe if we never let the guns enter circulation (all handguns) but its too late for that.
Yes, we need to do something, and most everyone wants to do something, but it has to be the right something or the violence will continue.
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A comment on Conversation: The time is NOW for people to stand up and say 'No More Assault Weapons" and not wait for the government to legislate the change.
Many people are advocating banning assault rifles or high capacity magazines. The proposals are missing the point. It only takes one bullet to kill and one death is a death too many. I read that in the last week over 100 people have died from gunshots since Newtown. Newtown was a tragedy, but I believe the real tragedy is violence everywhere.
Assault weapons are not the problem. Most of those 100+ deaths in the last week were not at the hands of assault rifles. Most didn't even use the full magazine of ammunition because they didn't need to. I have a gun in my house. It's locked in a safe unloaded. No one will ever use my gun to commit violence because it is always locked in my safe unless being cleaned or taken to the range to shoot. It could be a machine gun, it doesn't matter, it still won't be used for violence. I won't use it for violence because I don't express my anger through violence, I use words calmly, its more effective. That gun won't be used for violence unless my life or loved ones are threatened.
What should we do? What are the causes of violence in our culture? Is it desensitization to violence. Is it poor impulse control? Is it a lack of empathy? Is it mental illness? Is it poor communication skills? Is it deep in the threads of our culture (I think of the trivial nature of sitcoms and reality TV, the sensationalism of news, the lost art of conversation, the holes in our hearts for inner peace and fulfillment)? Is it greed? Is it selfishness? How do we stop the violence? Most of it is committed against people we know too. Why do we hurt those we know and love?
A reply on Conversation: Has the time come for the U.S Second Amendment to be repealed or amended?
A reply on Conversation: Has the time come for the U.S Second Amendment to be repealed or amended?
I don't think the "state" is always around to assist in protecting my safety either. If an intruder broke into my house I could dial 911, but I don't know how long it would take for help to arrive. With budget cuts and too many people not wanting to pay taxes, there are not that many deputies on call and I don't live in the city. Many people live in rural areas where a response could be 30 to 60 minutes.
A comment on Conversation: Has the time come for the U.S Second Amendment to be repealed or amended?
The issue of violence and guns has many facets. I'm not afraid of guns, though I do respect them, and believe they should be secured at all times, commensurate with their ability to enable violence.. I'm afraid of irresponsible people with guns, but this is a very very small minority of the people with guns. There are millions of shooters who enjoy target practice at the shooting range, or who have a gun in their house for the normally unlikely chance of someone breaking in, or hunters assuming the role of the higher level predators. Semi-automatic weapons (including assault rifles) are useful and used by the target shooter, the hunter and the person protecting their lives. I have a gun in my house because I see the potential for political instability in the future that could be beyond the power of state and national governments to control. The rich get richer in a rigged system at the expense of the 99%. Global warming could affect food production enough to cause starvation and riots in my lifetime,.....
Banning certain types of guns or magazines won't solve the problem. Cops successfully used revolvers to patrol the streets for decades. It only takes one bullet to kill. Two or three revolvers would be adequate to repeat Newtown. Other countries have minimized gun violence by drastically minimizing the number of guns in their countries, but they also have cultures different from the US, ones that value and respect people more (more socialist and strangely enough Christian in caring for their fellow man). There are too many guns in circulation for anything but a national confiscation plan to remove enough guns to reduce gun violence and I don't see this working with our national mindset and history of gun ownership. Maybe if we never let the guns enter circulation (all handguns) but its too late for that.
Yes, we need to do something, and most everyone wants to do something, but it has to be the right something or the violence will continue.