A good gun is like a good woman,you have to support it all year round and you only get to shoot it once ina while.

The real issue here is responsibility. Once again the populace EXPECTS the government to take the responsibility. If every legal gun owner took the proper amount of responsibility of owning a gun, then 90% of the problems would be eliminated. Alot of gun owners, don't properly teach their children about the guns they may have in the house. The age old adage applies: "curiosity killed the cat." I was taught at a young age about the weapons in our house, anytime I wanted to look at them I simply asked. Any questions I had were answered, I was taught respect for guns. I really feel that because I was familiar with the guns in the house, I didn't need to "sneak" around and "play" with them. Another responsibility of gun ownership that needs to addressed in the U.S. is proper storage. Alot of gun owners keep their guns in a dresser drawer, or in th top of the closet, or under the bed. This is common knowledge, for everyone, including the criminals breaking into your home when you are not there. If the guns are kept in a gun safe then the chances are greatly reduced that they will be stolen, and can't be used against you (criminal lying in wait). I personally keep my guns in a gun safe mounted to the floor in the spare closet. I also have a small single gun safe mounted in the top drawer of my night stand, that can be opened by finger combination. So my home defense weapon (Smith&Wesson model 1006 in 10mm) is easily accessible to myself but not to anyone else. These simple responsibilities will reduce the number of home accidents, and the number of guns that criminals gain through burglary.

Also, as I have posted before in another thread:

There has never been a documented nor undocumented occurrence, where a gun killed someone or anything. Someone has to, physically PICK the gun up, make the conscience decision to aim, apply pressure and pull the trigger. Unless dropped (most new guns will not) a gun will not "go off" accidentally. I gun laying on a table WILL NOT fire itself, it is impossible. It is a simply matter of responsibility. My solution to the problem other than described above, it mandatory training with the purchase of each firearm. Even seasoned gun owners, can always use a refresher.

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Thinking like an Independent, while leaning to the right.

agree with all of the statements in the above post, and I want to add to them. If guns kill people....then it's safe to assume that a spoon made Rosie O'Donnell
"large." yeah. I honestly don't believe that there's a need for a gun in a home ...especially when children reside in said home. If you stand back and look at it...when someone invades your home they don't do it in a manner that would allow you to think to go..get the gun..take off the lock or safety and then use it to defend yourself. You wouldn't have the time to do that. In all honesty..it'd be alot smarter to hide in the closet with the phone and let the police do the shooting. heh. While I see no logical reason to have a gun in a home with children or in a home AT ALL unless it's for hunting I'm not gonna be stupid enough to blame in home deaths as a result of shooting on a gun. The gun doesn't squeeze it's own trigger.

-Meighan

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http://freehosting.hostrave.com/b/meighan

God.Through.Art

your views and opinions on having guns in the home. But I disagree with the fact that you don't think there would be enough time to get a gun, in the case of a break in. It takes me less than 2 seconds (literally) to obtain my gun. The way I look at it is that if I hear someone break in, my first thought is that of the safety of my family, and anything I can do to promote that I will, until LEOs arrive. But rest assured, if it comes down to the criminal and one of my family or myself, call the corner and grab my gun cleaning kit. Now I do not advocate violence, but I will not shy away from it if the absolute need arises.

Like I previously posted, guns can exist in a home with children, as long as the parents take the responsibilities that come with owning a gun.

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Thinking like an Independent, while leaning to the right.

gun control should mean taking guns away from known, proven criminals, and No more(though even that isnt enforcable, as theyre proven criminals). there is no reason to remove power or a right from a populace that has not been proven guilty.

Gun control done by the government only means it wants more power over its people, one less thing it could fear from its people. The civil war would not have happened had there been gun laws, and the tenth ammendment would not have passed were there gun laws. The holocaust would not have happened had the jews been allowed to carry guns, and numerous robberies have been prevented by guns, and many criminals taken off the streets by guns.

in crises when the police are overwhelmed, looters will take advantage, and they always have. what will protect the people now when they arent allowed to protect themselves, might i ask? the recent hurricane was one good example, the problem isnt as bad as it could have been because the areas hit were cut off by the police, but in many cases, that isnt possible to do.

I don't think those in the government, that are in favor of gun control or weapons bans legislation, are doing it for power over the people. I think that supporters of gun ban issues support them because they are of the mind set that the less guns "out on the street" means less gun related violence. Additionally these weapon control proponents are simply appeasing their constituents, and winning their favorable vote in elections.

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Thinking like an Independent, while leaning to the right.

guns should only be allowed to people who will use them for the right reason. someone should look into their life for any crime they have committed

I'll repeat my crackpot idea from another post. Guns should be licensed like driving. If you can't complete a stupid test to show your knowledge of the use, maintenance, and safety issues of a gun, you shouldn't have one.
And let us hope the government doesn't decide to turn on us, because I just don't have that much faith in you guys with guns. Two words: Bombers and Tanks.
And no, I wouldn't feel safer if you gys had bombers and tanks. You DEFINITELY need a license for them, preferably one involving a field test and constant renewal.

Most of the comments here are made out of TOTAL ignorance of US gun law. First, there are a list of crimes that if convicted make a person ineligible to purchase and/or own a firearm. Those crimes include domestic violence, all felonies, and drug crime.

As per the brady law, every time a person attempts to purchase a gun from a Federally licensed dealer, that person must undergo a background check before the purchase is OK'd, this is done VIA a FBI database which contains names and SS numbers and physical description of felons and other ineligibles. So you DO need government permission to purchase a firearm. Just because someone can walk into a gunshop and back out 25 minutes later with a gun doesn't mean that the system isn't working.

As far as criminals getting guns, that is another illegal act called "straw purchasing" meaning that a person who can purchase guns is the one who physically purchases them, and then just turns them over to the criminals. This is ALREADY illegal. and there is little that can be done to prevent it. Even one gun a month laws do not prevent several straw purchasers from buying guns for ONE criminal.

As to accidental deaths, guns are very low on the list of dangerous objects. And an irrational fear isn't arguement enough to enact additional gun laws in my book.

I'm not in favor of gun ownership. But I do think everyone ought to own their own nuclear bomb. And drive a tank that comes complete with flame thrower.