General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: the gun nut kills 38 year old thread got me wondering [View all]Tommy_Carcetti
(43,155 posts)Just because something is legal for purchase doesn't mean you need to buy it.
And just because something is legal for purchase doesn't mean that your purchase of that item is putting you and others at greater risk.
There are some members of the public (non-military, non-law enforcement) who have a legitimate need to own a firearm for self protection.
However, many--and I might say a majority of said people--do not need a gun. In those situations, the risks of gun ownership outweigh the necessity.
After Adam Lanza shot 27 people dead with his AR-15 last December, thousands upon thousands of gun enthusiasts were tripping all over themselves to buy AR-15s. Even though many, if not most, of these people already had other firearms. Including other AR-15s.
What possible need was there for people to make a mad rush to buy this particular type of gun? Was there suddenly a dramatic spike in home invasions that people felt that they needed to stock up on these guns?
Or are we talking about people being guided by paranoia and hysteria?