MENTALLY ILL MENTALLY ILL MENTALLY ILL

[Kalidurga]

82. I have come to the conclusion after reading thousands of comments on this debate that....

A near total gun ban is the only solution. I know it will not happen at least in my life time. I can't see the tipping point for people who insist guns aren't a bad thing. Gun enthusiasts are going so far as to harass a man who gave comfort to 6 children that survived the massacre. So, they may not have a tipping point.

My tipping point in thinking that guns should be a lot more regulated was when Lennon was shot, that event scarred me and it is still a very sad place in my pscyci. However, I wouldn't have said
gun ban.

To make this clear I have to say, it isn't the anti-gun people that have persuaded me. It is the pro-gun people and I am not talking gun nuts. I am talking about the very rational and knowledgeable gun people. I am talking about people that know the difference between an automatic gun and a semi-automatic and all their configurations. I am talking about people that could talk all day about clips, magazines, and drums and know exactly what they are talking about.

What the people that are knowledgeable about guns and who are not gun nuts have done is show that almost any gun type can be used for a mass killing. That even if you ban clips that can be used in a mass killing many people who know guns can fix them to override clip capacity laws. They admit that many people can get guns illegally. So, that is to say almost any gun regulations we pass will be all but useless. I think that gun regulation might save a few lives, but it is actually nearly useless as people who know guns have pointed out in at least a round about way.

It is also shown that owning a gun is far more dangerous for gun owners than criminals. The criminal always has the element of knowing what they intend to do. The victim is nearly always caught by surprise. Also having a gun and being responsible with it means it won't always if ever be in your hands when you need it. Unless you turn your bedroom into a fortress and have plenty of time to get your gun in the case of a midnight break in you are pretty much sol even if you have a gun.

I am not against hunting or range shooting, I think we can have a situation where these things are allowed and it will keep other people a lot safer. I haven't known too many hunters that have used their guns on humans, I know it happens and I read about hunting accidents frequently. But a a ban on hunting guns would put thousands of people at risk for starvation even if those numbers are dwindling, I would not want to put any one at risk of starvation if they can hunt for food. Sure I think it would be better if they learned to not eat meat, but that is a whole nuther story.

In short I think the only people that should have guns are LEO, people who have decided to become a part of a well regulated militia, people that can show they have a legitimate need for a gun for protection ie someone who is being stalked, and hunters. And of course this will never happen, but it is what needs to happen.