[Ydiss]

[quote="Simo Häyhä":2058f]civilians owning guns will prevent goverments from ruling the people with an iron fist. you take away the guns and the people are defensless against the government.[/quote:2058f]

(I picked this one quotation out but it's not the only one of its kind here. Nothing personal, you understand...)

We've managed to keep ourselves safe from our own government quite well for many years and guns are banned here. What kind of country do you live in if you fear an attack from your own government by which firearms would be your only defence?

Also, in response to someone saying it's good to own and learn to handle guns at a young age to prepare you for war:
Our armed forces seem to be equiped quite well at handling fire-arms and a huge proportion of them would not have handled a live ammunition weapon before they joined the forces.

And as for preparing kids for being drafted into war....

Are your lives so focused around conflict, war and defense/attack?

Bizarre reasons why guns are a good thing, guys, very bizarre.

I completely disagree that guns work in a society. I am perfectly happy that guns are banned here and I live in the worst city for shootings in the UK (Nottingham). More people are shot here in a year than anywhere in the UK but hey, less people per 1000 are shot here than most cities in America.

So, we manage quite well without guns being allowed.

I understand why America allows them. I respect that. It's something that is ingrained in your culture and I'd never wish for that to be taken away from you.

But for any of you to say your laws make your country safer is utter bullshit.

Locking up all the nut-cases would do that. Taking away or allowing the use of guns won't make a blind bit of difference.

However, it's a lot easier to get another person to do something when you have a live gun pointed at their face.

Pull out a knife or a baseball bat and try to get the same reaction they at least have the option to run.

Or gang up on you and batter the shit out of you.

Granted both of those weapons can be lethal but guns are lethal even in the hands of the incompetant. Even in the hand of a child... In a school perhaps?

Give that child a knife or a stick and he'd not do as much damage.

Many reasons why gun laws these days should be very much stricter.

I don't see that "constitutional rights", "Defence against our government" and "Prepares us for war" are great reasons at all.

Facts of your lives, perhaps, but not particularly good reasons to keep guns legal.

Come on now...

Bottom line is this: Guns will not be out-lawed in America because you're too used to having them and more than 50% of the population would disagree with it.

May as well try to legalise cocaine.

There are your reasons.