Coming a little late to the party here, but this is something I have been thinking about a lot lately given the recent happening.
IMO, I have no issue with hunting rifles, shotguns and certain hand guns. Many people hunt and target shoot. There is nothing wrong with those activities and people should be allowed to own the tools to practice those activities. But, you will see I am ok with guns for activities. They are a tool/instrument to conduct those activities/hobbies. Not unlike downhill skis. It is a part of the sport.
What I don't agree with is the perception that a gun is needed for protection. You don't need a gun to protect yourself. You need common sense. If you do need a gun for protection, you are likely doing something wrong. Wrong as in - criminal activity, living in a crappy neighbourhood and should spend the money on moving instead of a gun, be a complete moron by thinking it would be a great idea to walk down that dark alley at night, and that group of guys on the corner by the pay phone look like upstanding citizens.
IMO, people who are insecure need a gun for protection. And if I was ok with a gun for protection, I would lean to agreeing it for the house. And then the most effective thing is probably a shotgun, given that it is a close range, wide spread weapon. If you have a hand gun for target practice would also work. I currently live in a pretty shady neighbourhood (waiting for my house to be built). Even though it isn't that nice, and there was a murder around the corner (literally), I would never think I need a gun on to walk the streets at night. If I go out, I use my head and common sense.
Guns with large magazines and high caliber were made for 1 reason. To kill people. Civilians shouldn't need a gun thats sole use is to kill another person. There is no need to have a gun that holds 30 rounds. If you are that bad a shot that you need 30 rounds, everyone around you is likely in danger.
The NRA's position that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun is rediculous. Yeah, lets turn our malls/public areas into the OK Coral. Lets see how many die in the crossfire between said good buy and bad guy, and lets hold the good guy to the same punishment should they miss bad guy and take out an innocent just trying to get out of there.
I also don't agree with the argument of "well, if you ban guns you may as well ban baseball bats, cars, knives, rocks etc". That argument is rediculous:
First and foremost, the reason those things exist is for another purpose. Guns designed to kill people only exist to kill people.
Second is efficiency. It is inefficient to try and go on a rampage with a knife/bat. The perp could be easily overwhelmed by civilians and stopped with either of those. Civilians can also run away easier, thus diminishing the perps ability to do actual damage to a large number of people. With a gun, well.... you can't out run a bullet. It is easy for a perp to walk into a room and stray and get fatalities, vs walking into a room with a knife and get the same result.
Third is fatalities. There was a stabbing at a school in China not so long ago. From what I recall, some guy went nuts and stabbed a bunch of kids. But the difference is, and this is from recollection (and Chinese media, maybe not so unbiased) that there were no fatalities. Compare that to Sandy Hook, and you see that having a gun made a large difference.
I have a fair amount of family that own guns. They hunt. The guns are a tool, as they should be.
IMO, I have no issue with hunting rifles, shotguns and certain hand guns. Many people hunt and target shoot. There is nothing wrong with those activities and people should be allowed to own the tools to practice those activities. But, you will see I am ok with guns for activities. They are a tool/instrument to conduct those activities/hobbies. Not unlike downhill skis. It is a part of the sport.
What I don't agree with is the perception that a gun is needed for protection. You don't need a gun to protect yourself. You need common sense. If you do need a gun for protection, you are likely doing something wrong. Wrong as in - criminal activity, living in a crappy neighbourhood and should spend the money on moving instead of a gun, be a complete moron by thinking it would be a great idea to walk down that dark alley at night, and that group of guys on the corner by the pay phone look like upstanding citizens.
IMO, people who are insecure need a gun for protection. And if I was ok with a gun for protection, I would lean to agreeing it for the house. And then the most effective thing is probably a shotgun, given that it is a close range, wide spread weapon. If you have a hand gun for target practice would also work. I currently live in a pretty shady neighbourhood (waiting for my house to be built). Even though it isn't that nice, and there was a murder around the corner (literally), I would never think I need a gun on to walk the streets at night. If I go out, I use my head and common sense.
Guns with large magazines and high caliber were made for 1 reason. To kill people. Civilians shouldn't need a gun thats sole use is to kill another person. There is no need to have a gun that holds 30 rounds. If you are that bad a shot that you need 30 rounds, everyone around you is likely in danger.
The NRA's position that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is with a good guy with a gun is rediculous. Yeah, lets turn our malls/public areas into the OK Coral. Lets see how many die in the crossfire between said good buy and bad guy, and lets hold the good guy to the same punishment should they miss bad guy and take out an innocent just trying to get out of there.
I also don't agree with the argument of "well, if you ban guns you may as well ban baseball bats, cars, knives, rocks etc". That argument is rediculous:
First and foremost, the reason those things exist is for another purpose. Guns designed to kill people only exist to kill people.
Second is efficiency. It is inefficient to try and go on a rampage with a knife/bat. The perp could be easily overwhelmed by civilians and stopped with either of those. Civilians can also run away easier, thus diminishing the perps ability to do actual damage to a large number of people. With a gun, well.... you can't out run a bullet. It is easy for a perp to walk into a room and stray and get fatalities, vs walking into a room with a knife and get the same result.
Third is fatalities. There was a stabbing at a school in China not so long ago. From what I recall, some guy went nuts and stabbed a bunch of kids. But the difference is, and this is from recollection (and Chinese media, maybe not so unbiased) that there were no fatalities. Compare that to Sandy Hook, and you see that having a gun made a large difference.
I have a fair amount of family that own guns. They hunt. The guns are a tool, as they should be.
I'd be worried to have a gun in the house though b/c I have had episodes in the past of sleep-walking (!!) - and I'm a little fearful of that b/c it's amazing what one can do while asleep. Anyway, that's another topic lol. I'm definitely not kidding though.