Ok, first off...I'm a sheriff's deputy working on the road. I deal with lots of guns and people who shouldn't even be around guns quite often. I don't like the thought of every shithead being able to get a gun, point it, and take out a hard working fellow american just because he doesn't want to pay cab fare or needs 100 bucks for his meth addiction. However, to say that guns have no place except for hunting is idiocy. The fact is, in todays society, this country or any other, guns will be accessible. If they can not be purchased, they can easily be made. As long as there is demand, there will be supply...legal or illegal.
Our founding fathers had been through oppression, persecution, revolution. They knew why the second ammendment had to be in there. Personal ownership of guns is not for hunting. Yes, it's a benefit and can be used as a tool for this, but the purpose is to protect ourselves, first from criminals, and second from the government if it becomes totalitarian. I've heard all kinds of nieve idealists say how society would be better and if people didn't have guns, crime would go down. Unfortunately, history has shown us otherwise. In many countries around the world, guns are totally banned, some still allow single shot rifles for hunting, but nothing that can be effective home protection. Austrailia banned most of their guns and the violent crime rate skyrocketed. Now thugs don't have to worry about the old grandpa putting a hole in them if they break in. They can just barge in, beat him with whatever, and take what they want. It's sickening. Many of our states that have allowed citizens to carry firearms and/or been liberal in issuing concealed weapon permits to people who have not been convicted of a felony or violent crime have lower crime rates. Michigan just recently changed the CCW laws so that any non criminal without a history of mental illness can take an approved safety/educational course and get a CCW. Any schmo that has a history of problems can not get one. I like this.
The problem normally comes when those people who would use the gun for the wrong reasons have one. Most of the people who screw up with guns that I've run into in my several years in law enforcement (at least 95%) did not have CCWs and were carrying illegally. Stricter gun laws help nothing, enforcing the ones we have and stiffer sentances for those that violate will. I know it's barbarric but I'd be all for saying bye bye to the bad guy's hands when he carries illegally and uses the gun for a crime. When he finally gets out of prison, no more gun problems with him. Anyway, back to what I was saying; guns are like anything else, good or evil depending on the person using them. They are good protection for those good people (the majority of americans bye the way), and evil tools for thugs that are already committing the crime anyway. Taking guns away will definitely escalate the violent crime short term. It may go down as time goes on, but not until a huge mess. It will leave those who are weaker in our society (females, elderly, handicapped) unable to defend themselves against shitheads who would victimize them. It is follly to think police can protect you. Most of the time, we can respond after the crime is done, investigate, and often catch the criminal. But, the crime is done, you may be dead or crippled for life and many times the criminal is not caught. Response time of police can very greatly. Where I work, we normally have 4 deputies covering an area of about 450 square miles. If we're lucky we have 6 and normally some are always on calls. Sometimes it takes 20-25 minutes running code to get to a call. That's a hell of a lot of time if someone's trying to kill you...especially if they have a gun and you have...a stick.
As a final thought, many Jews would still be alive today if the gun rights were not stripped away and guns remobed before the nazis started "clensing" their country in their mission of genocide.
I'm not a gun lover. I own a few guns, but not a "collection". I have them because I know they are a necessity to protect my family if needed. I don't believe in the violent overthrow of our government...yet. However, if our government ever becomes a totalitarian system that begins systematically eliminating people, I will. Guns are not REALLY NEEDED until someone tries to take them away. If you really want to kill someone, you can do it with a fork, nail, ruler...don't need a gun.
