Ivan2006 wrote:@Tau
I have the feeling that... gave me an idea of how some americans think about guns.
So, he made his point, now I make mine:
Is it really a benefit of having a gun?
Is it beneficial to have a thing designed specifically for killing people?
So, maybe you say you want to defend yourself with it, but if Obama really regulated guns more, the chances your "bad guy"-opponent has a gun are pretty low.
Honestly, I can´t imagine living somewhere where the danger of being attacked by someone with a gun outweighs the benefit of possibly being capable of defending yourself in
that situation if you have your gun with you at that time. Might be cause I live in Europe.
Second point of that guy is that less guns=/= less violence, but what is the truth is that less guns = less violence with guns, and of all possible tools usable in violence, guns are the most deadly (okay, one could use a sledgehammer, but that would be a bit heavy for killing multiple people, right?)
1. Under many circumstances, it CAN be beneficial to have a gun for purposes other than defense. In rural America, wild animals are a very real problem. I happen to know this firsthand. (You don't want to know.) Also: recreational shooting, anyone?
2. It can be beneficial if the other guy has a gun, or even if he has some other equally deadly weapon. Say you were about to be attacked at close range with, say, a machete. A gun can kill or incapacitate the attacker before he has the chance to inflict harm.
3. If Obama regulated guns more, it would just lessen the chance of civilians having guns. Criminals don't give a shit about the law, and therefore will ignore gun legislation. In the city of Chicago, where guns are banned entirely, 98% of murders are performed by handgun, and 1% by rifle. None of the murderers registered these weapons, or obtained them legally for that matter.
4. In many parts of America, especially large cities and some rural communities, the risk of being assaulted or murdered by gun, or other means, is very real. Not just out in the open, but also in your own home. There have been situations where my father has had to take our shotgun(s) and defend our home and those of our neighbors. This has happened on three occasions, 2 involving our home and 1 involving our neighbors'. In all these events, our safety was put in risk, as all 3 criminals had rifles and other deadly weapons on their person.
5. Less guns does not mean less violence with guns, only fewer armed civilians. Gun legislation would decrease the number of guns, but would any of those guns be taken from the criminals who have guns? No! They'd all be taken from the law-abiding citizens who own guns. Only law-abiding citizens follow the law, and law-abiding citizens aren't the problem.
Guns aren't necessary for mass murder. In 2008, in Ahikabara (misspelled), Japan, a man killed 7 people in 15 minutes with a knife and a truck. In 2012, in the same week as the Newtown shooting, a man murdered 22 people in China with only a 4.5" knife.
There's a saying popular among US Conservatives. Guns don't kill people; crazy * kill people. Guns are a TOOL; like any other tool, they can be used for nefarious purposes. If put in the hands of a mentally infirm person, a hatchet or a hammer can be as deadly as any firearm.