Own weapons for personal use is prohibited in my country. The discussion here is if it would be good for us, since the violence rate is ridiculous high here in South America.
I come from a redneck area, so taking guns away is never going to happen. Banning the stock thing he used? Congrats people still will make them. We, as an American society, are too far gone to save in that regard.
So what's left to do? Tougher gun laws? Been there, done that. This guy bought 30+ guns in the matter of months and no one caught onto that. If the system really worked, then why was nothing flagged? Private sales can have quick criminal checks but what's that going to stop? Sure, the person selling is still liable if the buyer commits crime with the gun/is a convicted felon, but that still does not stop the violence from happening.
GIANT METEOR 2017
Own weapons for personal use is prohibited in my country. The discussion here is if it would be good for us, since the violence rate is ridiculous high here in South America.
Since we're here, let's talk about the Lawbreaker Paradox, since it always comes up:
1. Law-abiding citizens obey the law
2. Criminals are lawbreakers, and thus do not obey the law
3. Laws impose restrictions on the behavior of only those that follow them
4. Laws restrict and, therefore, only hurt law-abiding citizens
This literally applies to 100% of laws. It's true for the same reason that it's totally useless in discussing a proper course of action--it's a redundant, self-reinforcing pretense of truth by necessity of its definition (ie. "lawbreakers").
So instead of over-politicizing the crap out of the issue to satisfy our lame tribal tendencies and clinging to pointless arguments like the Lawbreaker Paradox to make our point (BOTH sides are guilty of oversimplification and logical fallacies, btw, that just happened to be a convenient example), let's agree that the 2nd amendment is here to stay, but people are dying a lot and we can do more than just *shrug*. We're smarter and better than that.
Here's some basic suggestions to get started:
1. Increase funding for research on gun violence, safety, and laws. Good research informs good, sensible policy, and our is kinda pathetic. Let's re-evaluate the Dickey Amendment while we're at it, because the idea that you can research an issue, but not use that research to inform or shape policy, is just idiotic. Considering the financial burden gun violence costs us in addition to loss of lives, we can afford to step it up to at least a level of concern consistent with its mortality rate.
2. Improve resources necessary to actually enforce the law. Even though no laws are 100% effective, they're a lot less effective when we can't enforce them, wouldn't you say? Quit hamstringing agencies like the ATF by cutting funding and imposing restrictions that undermine their ability to properly enforce the laws we already have.
Misha (10-12-2017)
I'm an Aussie, admittedly I haven't lived abroad, but I do honestly prefer a scenario where automatic and semi-automatic weapons restricted or not allowed at all.
There have been shootings since, but none to the extent of say Port Arthur, the worst recorded massacre in Australian history.
I'll also leave this several year old but still highly-relevant/accurate comedy piece here for everyone, just for good measure, produced by American's:
(you need an account to see links)
Banning guns will make it harder for the random civilian to stop a shooting if it happens. Think about what would have happened in that church in texas if the two dudes didn't have a gun?
I think some extra regulations are in order. We could do without automatic weapons, certainly. I don't think banning all together would solve the issue by any means. Unfortunately this is just like drugs, the people you want to keep this away from will always find a way. In places where they've banned many times the gun problems are all the worse. There is no perfect solution. /:
Guns should most certainly not be banned. There is plenty of evidence out there that shows gun-free zones do not work.
In a lot of instances of mass shootings, it can be argued that if people with guns (as well as trained in the safe use of guns) were present, they could have stopped the shooter before they could kill unimpeded or at least stop the shooter from doing as much damage as they do.
Strict gun laws will not stop criminals from getting their hands on guns. Criminals illegally acquire various things they should not have by illegal means. Making new laws telling them they can't have guns isn't going to stop a criminal from breaking the law and getting guns anyway. In my opinion, the solution should be to get guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens and training more people in the safe-handling of guns.
Having a gun is deterrent, and it makes people think twice about commiting a crime around someone with a gun. No one (at least I don't think anyone is) is suggesting everyone takes their guns and starts shooting criminals like vigilantes. People have guns because it's a deterrent. If a shoplifter, a mugger, or even a mass shooter knew that people were going to be armed and were able to defend themselves. They wouldn't commit the crime, because they know they will be stopped.
TL;DR: More guns and gun safety training for law-abiding citizens.
Arabelle (02-14-2018)
To be frank the only way gun dependency and frequent gun violence will diminish is in the change of mindset of those living in it. There is a shift becoming more and more abundant towards the "guns are not needed" category but it has a ways to go. In order for it to go the current thinkers and teachers of this dependency will have to die off. That is the bitter pill to swallow truth. If violence is to decrease the mindset of violence is required needs go be gone. Teach current generation kids that you do not need to fight those you disagree with, flashing a weapon in a disagreement is not necessary, crime is bad, be a good person, respect others and so forth. Teach kids now to be good and maybe just may be society as a whole can come up to current speed as has happened in so so many other Countries so far regarding gun laws.