Gun Control in the United States.

[Misha]

You mention handgun. So someone can walk into a gun store or say an outdoors store (here we have a place called Cabelas which sells basically anything outdoor related to camping, fishing or hunting) and purchase a rifle or shotgun for example that same visit?

I have heard random people can go to a gun store and easily buy a weapon as long as they do not have a criminal record. Just show up with no paperwork nd a little later have a weapon in their hands as long as they have the money. I know nothing about gun licences and such so is that a lie I have heard or unfortunately a reality?

A shotgun or hunting rifle, yes, as long as you are of age and pass the federal background check (usually takes about 3 days to process). Which isn't a very good system if you ask me, although you do need a license for specific semi-auto rifles I believe.

[Sick]

it's not necessary to own a gun. citizens of the United States should not have a right to bear arms.
how many more deaths is it going to take before gun control occurs?
why do you need to own a gun? self defence? I don't think so.
here in Australia we don't possess that right, and as a result we have no massacres or tragic gun related events, the United States has them far too often.
if you lived like us you'd see it too, you're all just so used to a way of life you don't need.
guns kill people
that's all they do
defence and protection should come from police officers and other law enforcement agencies

[Misha]

it's not necessary to own a gun. citizens of the United States should not have a right to bear arms.
how many more deaths is it going to take before gun control occurs?
why do you need to own a gun? self defence? I don't think so.
here in Australia we don't possess that right, and as a result we have no massacres or tragic gun related events, the United States has them far too often.
if you lived like us you'd see it too, you're all just so used to a way of life you don't need.
guns kill people
that's all they do
defence and protection should come from police officers and other law enforcement agencies

With the state that our country is in right now, taking away the citizen's right to own guns would do nothing but create far more deaths due to criminals who obtain them illegally. On top of that, we have a corrupt government consisting of trigger happy police and politicians who are giving guns to terrorist organizations to further their own agenda. America has become a bully to other countries and because of it we have too many enemies. We are headed towards a Civil War as well as World War 3. The United States government needs to be dismantled completely because it is most certainly not a Democracy anymore and Capitalism puts the 1% (the wealthiest people in the country) in control of the rest of us. If I had the ability to do so, I would love to get the hell out of here and never look back. But, I simply dont have that option, so for now I only have my guns to uphold my own safety against criminals AND a tyrannical government. So I actually do need it for protection, sadly.


ALSO OMG I MISS YOU COME HERE MORE OFTEN!

[zxzero]

I am Canadian, but here is my honest opinion. This relates not only to the gun control but a lot of things that have happened over the past years concerning terrorism. It seems like America goes to help a country, but then citizens lose rights after the fights. This has been happening quite often.

It just seems like Obama is carrying on what Bush was doing. Tariq Ramadan: "As many of you know the images of the campaign are still vivid. Big, large mobilizations in the United States, of young people primarily. Desperate for change. And the slogan of that campaign change we can believe in. Change Change Change. But what has changed and what hasn't changed. There has of course been a change in the presidency, and we can't complain too much about that. There is a new vice-president also in the United States, and we can't complain too much about that. But the Defense Secretary is the same. That's the guy who sits in the pentagon and organizes wars, and the reason he was kept on was to show that there is, there are both elements of discontinuity at the top and very strong elements of continuity. And the reason for that, is that if you wear Caesars clothes, you must behave like Caesar."

I dunno I'm just an outsider looking in.

I don't think the government will be able to bypass the constitution though with that being said.

[Misha]

I am Canadian, but here is my honest opinion. This relates not only to the gun control but a lot of things that have happened over the past years concerning terrorism. It seems like America goes to help a country, but then citizens lose rights after the fights. This has been happening quite often.

I dunno I'm just an outsider looking in.

I don't think the government will be able to bypass the constitution though with that being said.

That is absolutely what happens. We overthrow their system and become their new dictator. It's bullshit.

[Virus]

TBH I think that the gun issues got too far, way too fast. It's a little irreversible now, without crazy bastards running around blowing people away because they wanna keep their "rights."

It's just too far gone now to pull them away from folks in my opinion.

[Sci_Girl]

In the US what do you think the breakdown is of people living in urban areas vs rural?

My guess is those wanting gun rights to carry a weapon around everywhere they go are those from non-urban centers. The farm folk, the backwoods acreage loving folk, and hunting folk come to mind as those who would shoot you if you dare mentioned the prospect of removing firearms from people. However those in urban centers, big metropolis cities, technology laden dwellers are more likely to say no to having weapons at the ready. I can only speak for where I live, Alberta, where the population last I read was an 80/20 split of urban living vs rural. There are some individuals here who would love to have concealed weapons to play superhero at a moments notice. The harsh reality is that urban dwellers have the absolute majority in the matter. Snow balls chance in hell would this Province ever have concealed weapons laws. So I ask about the population split between urban/big city living and rural in the US.

So hypothetically if there was a poll saying we will let the people decide what happens with weapons do you think there would be a majority win in the "no guns" category? That being due to the majority of populations being urban living and therefore more anti gun compared to rural pro gunners? Or is this way off base? Like I said I can only speak based on my experience. I am talking about an average here not pinpointing that say only Dallas, Texas or Los Angeles, California could vote on the matter. Those two would be polar opposites. I am taking abouy the average opinion of all urbanites.

[Ph0enix]

I think it's silly to be honest. It's literally in the amendment that we have the right to bear arms. Trying to say we can't buy them or own them is literally going against the constitution this country created. I don't know what they think they're going to get done like everyone is just going to go, "well shit it's illegal now better not own a gun!" .. I really don't get what they think this is going to accomplish. The attacks that happened in Paris were in a place where they have very strict gun control. It's not going to stop anyone.

[JaimeLannister]

I believe in personal gun ownership, even of high capacity weapons (assault rifles are used in like 3% of killings), but there does need to be a LITTLE compromise. I don't even think one mistake (unless it was a murder, rape, basically lifeable offense) should permanently bar someone from owning one. Like say a 19 year old commits a felony, I think after a certain time period of good behavior they should get their right back.

I think domestic abusers (as in the cyclical disease type, not girl who slapped guy once) are the biggest group to keep guns away from. Then I would say white supremecists and hate groups but it would be unconstitutional to do so unless they have previously committed a hate crime.

Also, as much as we talk about the mentally ill they are actually not responsible for tons of gun violence.

---------- Post added at 12:39 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:38 PM ----------

also, the felons that would follow the law not to own guns would be the ones that should be allowed to.

[Cybun]

Takings guns away will not help with anything, it will only make things worse. Right before I was born the government decided to take our guns away, but instead of decreasing the number of deaths, it just increased, taking guns away from citizens will NOT stop the baddies from owning them. They know you're unarmed and they WILL take advantage of it, soon your government will act just like ours: a good citizen has a gun for self-defense? He needs to be arrested, this is terrible, such a violent person! A bad person uses a gun to rob and murder a family? He's a victim of the society, the family should have built a 50ft titanium wall around their house!
Believe me, this happens, I'm living it right now! When my brother was 1 year old some guy invaded our house and this scared him, he started crying so the guy pointed a gun to his head and told my mom that if she didn't make him stop crying he would SHOOT HIM! He robbed us of everything we had including our car and 34 year old pet parrot, you know what happened to him? Nothing.
This is your future if you let the government take your only defense away. And don't believe them if they say it's only a "temporary" thing, we've been trying to get our right to own a gun back for 10+ years, they won't give it back.