Why Guns?

[poohandwendy]

And people wonder why people defend the right to bear arms with such passion...because so many are willing to give that right up. I'm not willing to give up any of our rights. Not the ones I don't use (2nd amendment), not the ones I use every day.

 

[poohandwendy]

No, that's for werewolves!!

Crap!

 

[JennyMominRI]

LOL, now am I gonna need silver bullets for the zombies or is that only for vampires? Cause silver's kinda pricey right now...

I think that's werewolves

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

No, that's for werewolves!!

Um...you know way too much about the undead. I'm just saying.

 

[MScott1851]

Yeah, my security system at home sure helps when I drive down the street, or go shopping...

In this city I have a good chance of getting carjacked or mugged in a parking lot.

DH has a gun, I don't but I'd love to get one, learn to handle it and get a permit to carry....

Here's why......

First number is Memphis total for 2006, next is Memphis per 100,000 and then Nationwide per 100,000 people.

Memphis TN Crime Statistics (2006 Crime Data) Compare City Crime Rates
Overall Memphis Crime Index

Memphis Memphis per National per
Total 100,000 100,000

Violent Crimes 13544 1989.3 553.
Murder 147 21.6 7
Rapes 425 62.4 33.1
Robberies 5311 780.1 205.8
Aggravated Assaults 7661 1125.2 336.5
Property Crimes 56905 8358.2 3906.1
Burglaries 16450 2416.2 813.2
Larceny/Thefts 33736 4955.1 2601.7
Motor Vehicle Thefts 6719 986.9 501.5
Memphis Arsons 246 36.13 N/A


Sorry it looks so jumbled, it won't display like I typed it! Just believe me, it's BAD!

I feel you...I don't ever think I've had anyone who lives here EVER ask me why we own guns. It's just common assumption that everyone HAS a gun.

I put a sticker from the range I shoot at on my rear window of my car. That way, someone who is coming from behind thinking about jacking me might think twice.

 

[glasslipper]

So then the slave laws in some states of the country weren't tyrannical when the country was founded?

Did I say that? Hmm.. the right to own another human being, let me think, didn't some of those founding fathers of ours own slaves? I guess they weren't right about everything now were they?

 

[legalsea]

No right is absolute.

Yes, the First Amendment speaks of there being no laws passed abridging the freedom of speech, but we still have laws restricting speech. As one Justice once stated (from memory): "Freedom of speech does not mean you have the right to yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater". You also do not have the right to slander someone.

I think the Supreme Court will someday rule that the 'right to bear arms' can also be reasonably restricted. Right to own a Bazooka? Probably not. Shotguns, rifles and handguns? Yes, since they have traditionally been owned by US citizens.

Indeed, those Conservatives who argue that the Court should strictly interpret the Constitution should hope that the US Supreme Court does not interpret it TOO strictly, and rule that the 2nd Amendment only guarantees a person the right to own 'arms' that were available to the Framers back in 1787 (i.e., muzzle-loading muskets, etc).

Anyhow, my wife owns a handgun. Every time we leave town (via car) she wants to pack it. I have always refused. I gave her one rule: take me out to the gun range and show me that you know how to load and shoot that weapon, and I will allow you to carry that gun on our vacations. I even offered to pay for one of those courses available here in Texas so she can get a license to carry the handgun. For reasons unknown, she has refused. Hence, she may not bring her handgun along with us. We have been together some 20 years and I have never seen her shoot the gun.

One last thought: back in law school I read an interesting law review article that explored whether the Court could rule that 1) the 2nd Amendment allows for private ownership of guns; but 2) 'bullets' are not 'arms' and so may be restricted by the Government. So, you may own all the handguns you wish, but no bullets. It was, as I said, interesting.

 

[Art Vandalay]

Oh, I thought that was democracy.

It is... and that's why our founding fathers made sure we were not a democracy, but a republic.

Democracy is the most vile form of government... democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention: have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property: and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their deaths.

 

[perdidobay]

That's a very smart idea about the sticker.
Do you go to Rangemaster?
That's were I am planning to take lessons.

I know it's coming, but I dread the day when Fisherville is city not county.
We really hope to be out of here by then.

PS Will it ever stop raining?!

 

[Duckfan-in-Chicago]

Did I say that? Hmm.. the right to own another human being, let me think, didn't some of those founding fathers of ours own slaves? I guess they weren't right about everything now were they?

You said:

it isn't tyranny if the people choose it.

So if 51% of this country believed in slavery, then by your quote the democratic system would allow that the other 49% could be enslaved in a non-tyrannical way. The majority would rule.

 

[poohandwendy]

No right is absolute.

Yes, the First Amendment speaks of there being no laws passed abridging the freedom of speech, but we still have laws restricting speech. As one Justice once stated (from memory): "Freedom of speech does not mean you have the right to yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater". You also do not have the right to slander someone.

I think the Supreme Court will someday rule that the 'right to bear arms' can also be reasonably restricted. Right to own a Bazooka? Probably not. Shotguns, rifles and handguns? Yes, since they have traditionally been owned by US citizens.

Indeed, those Conservatives who argue that the Court should strictly interpret the Constitution should hope that the US Supreme Court does not interpret it TOO strictly, and rule that the 2nd Amendment only guarantees a person the right to own 'arms' that were available to the Framers back in 1787 (i.e., muzzle-loading muskets, etc).

Anyhow, my wife owns a handgun. Every time we leave town (via car) she wants to pack it. I have always refused. I gave her one rule: take me out to the gun range and show me that you know how to load and shoot that weapon, and I will allow you to carry that gun on our vacations. I even offered to pay for one of those courses available here in Texas so she can get a license to carry the handgun. For reasons unknown, she has refused. Hence, she may not bring her handgun along with us. We have been together some 20 years and I have never seen her shoot the gun.

One last thought: back in law school I read an interesting law review article that explored whether the Court could rule that 1) the 2nd Amendment allows for private ownership of guns; but 2) 'bullets' are not 'arms' and so may be restricted by the Government. So, you may own all the handguns you wish, but no bullets. It was, as I said, interesting.

I think there will be another revolution if our government ever tries to restrict gun ownership to the point where they take away our right to protect ourselves with practical arms that are available today. (ie, no bullets, only musket loading, etc loopholes)

There would also be a revolution in my household if my DH told me what he 'allowed' and what he didn't 'allow' or what I 'may' or 'may not' do, as far as packing my travel bag.

 

[jen0610]

My brother, a police officer, loves his alarm system and advises people to get them..He also has a very large german shepard and tons of guns..In case of a zombie invasion, I'm going to his house..I support the right to bare arms in case of zombie invasion

This is the standard notice to all our friends. In case of a zombie outbreak, get to Tony and Jen's house, like yesterday. They have have enough fire power to ward off any attack. And everybody in that house knows their job and section to cover. We even have plan A for just the 4 of us and plan B in case DH's best friend is there, because he increases our odds of survival even more so.

 

[storzo]

If anything, I think that it teaches them to be fearful. You cannot control everything that is going to happen in life, the chances that a "bad guy" is going to come try to hurt you is very, very slim. I don't want my kids feeling like we live in some kind of bunker! Thats just me.

I'm not teaching my sons that a "bad guy" is going to hurt him or to be fearful. I am teaching them gun safety. Not a bad thing to do whether you have guns in the house or not, since you never know who has one. They know that they are not toys and that they are not to be played with even if someone utters the famous last words "it's not loaded." There is no way anyone in my family feels they live in a bunker.

We have had three houses on our block broken into and my friend's house was robbed (about three blocks away) and at least five others in the immediate area. Thankfully we were not hit, but then again we have an alarm, a dog and guns in the house. My family feels safe when we go sleep.

 

[froglady]

Did I say that? Hmm.. the right to own another human being, let me think, didn't some of those founding fathers of ours own slaves? I guess they weren't right about everything now were they?

They were smart enough to realize that addressing this issue from the get go would result in total failure to create a new country with a new form of government. Heck, it almost destroyed us when it finally was addressed, four score and seven years later!



But the right to own slaves was NOT written into the Constitution or the Bill of Rights, so the majority of them did not consider it a God given right. They did consider having the right to defend yourself against unlawful attack from anyone, including your own government, to be one.

 

[MScott1851]

That's a very smart idea about the sticker.
Do you go to Rangemaster?
That's were I am planning to take lessons.

I know it's coming, but I dread the day when Fisherville is city not county.
We really hope to be out of here by then.

PS Will it ever stop raining?!

No, I go to Range USA. But Rangemaster has a very nice facility and the instructors are top-notch.

The annexation is coming, we thought we had at least three or four more years but they got us last January. The city is so hungry for the tax money that they are really trying to get all the newly developed areas out east going towards Fayette County. I just wish we had either moved into Lakeland or Arlington, or across the county line and we could have avoided the whole thing.

The rain is a bummer, isn't it? I wanted to go to Target and the mall today, but I just can't make myself get out in it!

 

[glasslipper]

And people wonder why people defend the right to bear arms with such passion...because so many are willing to give that right up. I'm not willing to give up any of our rights. Not the ones I don't use (2nd amendment), not the ones I use every day.

Passion is one thing, violence another. When many people become defensive concerning a cause, they have the tendency to become violent. So yeah, when people become violent towards others because they don't hold the same opinions, I wonder. I wonder why they think they have the right to threaten other people. I wonder why so many people think it's ok to own handguns. I wonder why they think it's ok to use the it's my right excuse, so they can use said handgun against another person for harm(not tyranny or revolution). Or am I mistaken? Are all of you just revolutionaries ready to take up arms for our country? I wonder why criminals have such easy access and citizens cry and complain about all the gun violence and crime in our Country and yet don't want to try to solve it, because they are afraid of losing a right. I wonder if any one of you who advocate owning a handgun has known someone killed or injured by a handgun?

I never said let the government have complete control. If the voters, the people decide legalized handgun ownership is a mistake and change the laws, that isn't tyranny. It's the fact that you are so opposed to the idea, that you call it such.

 

[legalsea]

I think there will be another revolution if our government ever tries to restrict gun ownership to the point where they take away our right to protect ourselves with practical arms that are available today. (ie, no bullets, only musket loading, etc loopholes)

There would also be a revolution in my household if my DH told me what he 'allowed' and what he didn't 'allow' or what I 'may' or 'may not' do, as far as packing my travel bag.

I do not know what a "DH" is (D***h***, I guess).

So, you would simply put a loaded gun into your suitcase without telling your d***h***?

 

[Christopher Robin]

... the 2nd Amendment only guarantees a person the right to own 'arms' that were available to the Framers back in 1787 (i.e., muzzle-loading muskets, etc).

...'bullets' are not 'arms' and so may be restricted by the Government.

It is interesting. And for fun, let's apply that to that argument to the First Amendment. The First only guanantees a person the right to 'free speech' that was available in 1787 (ie. spoken, written or hand operated printing press only; no cell phones, no radio, no television, no internet and certainly no DIS Boards, etc.) Also, words are not speech, so the government may not ban speech, but can ban certain words (and a person may only exercise thier First Amendment with words in existance in 1787).

 

[Art Vandalay]

I never said let the government have complete control. If the voters, the people decide legalized handgun ownership is a mistake and change the laws, that isn't tyranny. It's the fact that you are so opposed to the idea, that you call it such.

Voting on something doesn't automatically exclude it from tyranny. The founding fathers understood this all too well. In fact, that's the entire reason for the Bill of Rights -- to ensure that certain individual rights are protected, regardless of how the majority feels. The people cannot vote away "unalienable rights." That is the essence of the republic.

 

[perdidobay]

I just wish we had either moved into Lakeland or Arlington, or across the county line and we could have avoided the whole thing.

Same here, we built our house in 1996 before the city and county had divided up what was to be future city/county.

We live 1/4 of a mile north of Macon Road, and they decided that everything north of Macon is future city annexation