Sylvus wrote:Midnyte_Ragebringer wrote:Fairweather Pure wrote:Noysyrump wrote:People die in Detroit because they like to sell drugs and/or rob each other. Detroit has gone in the tubes, because the automotive industry went away, now poverty is rampant as well as the crime that goes with it. Crime is a by-product of freedom. Of course we could send in the Gestapo/NKVD and make everyone conform if that is what you'd like.
So it's because of everything else in the world except guns. Gotcha.

Guns don't kill people, people kill people. It's an old saying, but still rings true. Control of illegal guns is something I don't think any reasonable person would dispute. Problem is people want to take away legal guns as well.
Guns don't kill people, people with guns kill people. Might be a new saying, but it still rings true. People with knives or bows or a trebuchet or piano wire kill far fewer people because it's much more difficult than pointing and clicking, as it were.
Where do most illegal guns (the kind most often used in violent crimes: handguns) come from? Are they being sneaked across the border in balloons up peoples' asses? Or are most of them legally shipped to an end point (gun store/gun show/etc.) and then end up getting into the hands of a criminal via poor background checks, resale by an individual, theft, etc? I'm honestly asking here, I don't know the answer.
My gut feeling is that if it weren't so easy for anyone (read: bad guys) to get guns, then no one (read: good guys) would need them.
People kill people with cars far more often than any gun crimes, But that alas is another story. Yes most 'criminals' gain legally purchased guns through theft or resale, or by legally buying them themselves BEFORE they do anything illegal (thus making them a criminal).
Yes I agree guns make it easier to kill. Yes I understand that. But that is also why they are a GOOD thing.
Now as for that last remark...
My gut feeling is that if it weren't so easy for anyone (read: bad guys) to get guns, then no one (read: good guys) would need them
You are missing the point entirely as to why the second amendment exsists. Thomas Jefferson believed the people would likely need to revolt every 20 years to truly remain free. It was specifically put into the constitution for that very reason. To give the people the protection against a maliciose Gov't. If Burma had the gun rights we do, do you think they would be going through what they are? If germany had gun rights like ours would the Nazi's have been able to line Jews up against the wall with impunity? Had the russian Peasentry been able to posses their own defense, would Stalin had been able to send 60 million off to their deaths in the gulags?
Our gov't is the OLDEST in use today. EVERY SINGLE other Gov't has been replaced throught the world. I believe that is due to the peoples ability to limit the power of our 'elected' officials. And just very wise planning by the founding fathers in setting up this
Constitutional Republic in the first place. We do not have a democracy as you would all like to believe, we have a republic that has its laws laid out in its constitution to protect
YOU from power hungry polititions or would be kings.