Let's imagine really hard, and think of a US where there were no guns at all being produced. You'd still have more than plenty coming from Glock (Austria), Beretta (Italy), CZ (The Czech Republic), FNH (Belgium), and a very long list of others. In short, you'd still be "in the world". If you really want to put a dent in accidental deaths, we need to reduce the number of swimming pools being made in the US, the number of people who slip and fall at home, and the number of medical practitioners who "make mistakes".
I'm amazed that you'd even try to present this as justification for gun control. You're admitting that it doesn't work.
Let me post the last paragraph from my article: The lesson to be learned is clear and not the one gun rights haters would have us learn. Dreams of legislating away murder by outlawing guns is a dangerous fantasy. It will only lead to more violence as it doesn't address the causes of the problem. Until we start dealing with the social dynamics that drive crime the killing will continue both here and in the Bahamas.
Reducing the number of firearms in general circulation by even a mere one percent, which is three million, is an exercise in futility. The war has been lost due to the degree of market saturation that has been achieved. It is akin to trying to prevent a ship from sinking when half its hull has been destroyed.
So we should go on producing more and more firearms? If we don't reduce the number of firearms manufactured, nothing else matters.
Please stop with the rational thought processes and verifiable data. Those things have no place in a gun banner debate. [/sarcasm] - - - Updated - - - The majority of guns in the USA were not manufactured here.
According to the ATF's statistics there are far more firearms manufactured in the US than are imported into the US.
Good. So now discuss how to get rid of illegal guns. The best defense for maintaining access to legal guns would be for legal gun owners to support ideas to get rid of illegal weapons.
Unfortunatly the track record on mandatory sentencing modifying behavior is extremely poor. Think history of three strikes and out or mandatory sentencing of drug offenders. Maybe a mandatory death sentence for guns used in commission of a felony would work more effectively.
This is part of what makes life in the US good, but at the same time, aggravating. If I'm charged with a crime, I hope to God that due process will be observed and carried out. That's the "good". When I look at some of our social problems, my thinking is very much inclined to go the route of the military summary court martial, where the case is heard, a decision is made, and the sentence is carried out post haste. That would be wrong, but I think it anyway. How about if we just grant the courts the power to declare a late term abortion, like into the 70th. year of gestation?
Good point. Ignoring the social dynamics that drive crime while focusing on guns or punishment is a waste of time. Today, we live in a world of the progressives creation, somewhere halfway between socialism and liberty. It is a volatile mixture. It is a world increasingly ruled by force; force wielded by a powerfully armed government. Whether it is the force of the income tax, the force of compulsory education, the force of regulation, or the force of law enforcement the effects are clear to all willing to see: a society becoming sicker and more aggressive. Weve sunk a long way since 1850 when a Frenchman, Frederick Bastiat, wrote in his book The Law: Theyre sure not talking about us like that in France anymore! Progressivism has failed to achieve its lofty ideals. Instead it has created our present situation of crime and murder, war and empire. It is this failure that the advocates of gun control want to cover up. Instead of facing reality they want to blame guns for the problems the implementation of their ideas has created. Before anyone gets too smug, let me emphasize that both political parties have adopted the progressive ideology. Todays so-called liberals and conservatives advocate different degrees and different aspects of it, but advocate it they do
War-torn countries, the military of corrupt countries--the places where the Mexican drug folks get their heavy weapons from. - - - Updated - - - How many of the US manufactured firearms are exported?
I agree, how do you suppose we go into these zip codes and remove guns from the thugs that are illegally carrying? As it stands, our policies are not tough on these criminals. Our law enforcement are actually afraid to police proactively in these areas. They just respond after the crime to do the paperwork. Most of these people are repeat offenders. Why does our justice system fail to keep these people behind bars? Legal gun owners and the NRA support stiff sentences for violent gun crime offenders, and those who illegally possess guns.
What do I think? I think gun shops should have 0% of their inventory. I don't think guns should exist.
I would vastly prefer a world where no weapon of any kind had ever been thought of. But that would be another world. In this world, weapons are as much an aspect of reality as air and water, and in this world, that can't possibly change. There are a whole bunch of things that I don't like about this world. Pain. Suffering. Growing old, and having to defend myself from other creatures. You can wish all you want, but no man has any choice but to deal with the realities of this world. Let's get back to that, OK?
You can get back to that when you start to think in terms of hundreds of years. We don't think long term enough.
That is not reality. Over 300 million firearms in America that are going no where anytime soon. And if for some reason guns were outlawed, outlaws will still have guns. The outlaws are already carrying illegally and law enforcement can do nothing significant about it.
It's about the direction, not the outcome. We should work in the direction of 0 firearms, not the direction of 3 billion.
I feel the majority of the liberals in the major media--- using this attack as platform for: attacking the Confederate flag, guns and Whites in general--- could care less about the dead victims. Notice how almost nothing about this attack has been about the dead being Christians in the MM? Certainly the killer, Roof, choose a Church because he knew his victims would almost certainly be unarmed. Obama, USA Today, CNN and all the other liberals have in effect walked quickly over the dead to attack Whites and guns.
You take away firearms from those who have them illegally first. Then the law abiding among us next. Any proposals to move in the direction you are talking about seems to do it the other way around.
