Open Carry Of Firearms: Yea Or Nay?

I think the main difference between guns andcars is that cars are intended for another purpose and while use can be dangerous if done incorrectly were not made for the purpose of ending someones life. Guns on the other hand are made for that exact purpose. They are made knowing they will be used as a deterrent (ideally), to injure or to kill.

Don't get me wrong though I'm for the right to bear arms just responsible ownership.

It was mentioned before but people from different countries are often different in many ways. Heck, you can break up various crime rates from one part of the US that have the same basic regulations and compare it to another and see a huge difference.

Banning guns in one state or country might have a positive impact while banning them in another might have a grossly negative impact. You see a correlation and assume causation and are allowing yourself to be blind to other factors. You cannot assume that applying GB or Norway's laws to the US will result in the same crime rates or even a reduced rate and thus you cannot assume that the availability of guns is what causes higher crime rates.

I'm no expert and all points are up for debate but the U.S. has a promise to it's citizens that they can be armed for their own protection and there are a great many who would not be terribly happy with loosing yet another right.

Ever heard of half-truths, or sarcasm?

Also, where was there an argument?

No there is no difference. By accident and when misused, vehicles cause a ton of injuries and fatalities. If we want to be safer, we need to get rid of them.

You do understand that you are making an argument against yourself right? Or are you just being beligerant because some people want guns to go away because they are percieved as dangerous and now you are taking the stance that "well if its dangerous we should just get rid of it cuz well yeah its dangerous"

I also have to disagree with you on the fact that theere is no difference between the two.

Hard to tell on the net and I usually don't joke about going out and killing people so maybe I'm just not exposed to that humor. When I said making an argument against yourself I meant that people will read that and it will solidify their beliefs in that firearms should be illegal. Even Jokingly speaking about going out and killing someone can make people think that someone might say that for real.

It really comes down to, who are you? And why are you carrying a gun?

If you're a gang member living in Newark, then probably not a good idea for society. If you live in the Alaska wilderness, it's probably a good idea. Some will argue that based on the 2nd amendment in the US, that all US citizens have the right to carry in the US. But I will argue, does that right belong to all citizens? It is not an easy question with an easy answer.

When the 2nd Amendment was written, most of the US was more dangerous than the Alaskan Wilderness is today (Bears, Indians, etc). Not that the Indians didn't have a right to be pissed off, but I'll just drop the Indian thing going forward. Don't forget, guns used to facilitate the ease of gathering meat for the dinner table too back then. It wasn't just about protection, but about eating too.

Yea, love me some Top Shot.

I was raised near farmland, so having a gun was just part of growing up. Keeps the deer off the field and gives you venison for a while.

I love that show!

I liked season 1. After that, it became "all about teh dramaz", instead of just who is the best all-round marksman. That's usually how all reality shows go then. You could put Survivor in Orange County and nobody would tell the difference.

Anyway, actual thoughts on this:


I think a bigger barrier against a frontiers-time armament policy isn't so much the law, it's that we have become so soft as a society that having such a huge responsibility is just too intimidating. And the thought that someone else could have that same level is far worse.

They don't sell deer meat in stores.

And I think buying the Ammo helps the economy more.

Depends on the area and the people. When I lived in Arizona, everyone and their mother had at least 2 guns on them at any point in time. People there are much more laid back, and generally don't own guns to shoot people, they own them to shoot things in the middle of the desert, be it inanimate objects like microwaves or tv, or for hunting purposes. Now, if you gave everyone in New Jersey multiple fire arms...........

I really have no aspirations of pleading to the judgement of those on the internet.

The point of hunting is to control over population. That, and the food.

ok.......

and correct me if im wrong, but the reason deer meat isnt sold in stores is due to lack of usda regulation yes?

correct, that and there is only a handful of processing operations that actually do venison not destined for a proprietary consumer, and those mostly sell only to elite restaurants or a couple of 'higher end' grocers

I haven't read all 9 pages, so forgive me if I repeat what others have said. I love my guns so I feel the need to chime in.

Being from California, it is nearly impossible for me to get a CCW permit. To be honest, I don't even want to conceal my firearm. Because I am a woman, I know that I am at a greater risk for being a victim. I also know that potential rapists/murderers/thieves are most likely not going to *** with me when they see my sidearm. My guns are my hobby and the bonus to them is for self-defense. I would much rather deter an intruder in my home with the sound of my shotgun pump than have to kill them. I feel safer with my guns. I used to be terrified of guns, but after shooting them and subsequently (legally) buying, the paralyzing fear has turned into a healthy respect for the capability that guns have.

Taking away my second amendment right to bear arms is only going to create a bigger black market than what already exists. Black markets create more crime, so explain to me how that solves any problem. I can guarantee 99% of criminals with guns didn't get them by any legal means. Gun laws exist to keep the honest people honest. Did Prohibition stop people from drinking? Instead of outlawing guns, America should put that energy into taking a long look at our society. Canada has pretty lax gun laws, yet they have an exceedingly lower crime rate than America. The problem isn't guns or gun laws - it's us.

Great example Tarin. Prohibition did nothing but make the alcohol trade even more risky and dangerous. I feel outlawing guns would do the same. Prohibition was repealed, just in case anyone was wondering. ; )

well said

@Daemun Are you a moron or just trying to start crap? Seriously you are comparing cars to guns? Ok, well for one people drive around in cars every second of the day so of course you are going to have more deaths from car accidents, the key word is accidents. Not some idiot or gangsta pulling a gun to shoot someone just cause they can.

Secondly of course having less guns would mean less gun deaths. The reason your criminals have so many illegal guns is because they can steal them from any store it seems because you can buy them anywhere in the US. If your stores didnt sell them, your criminals wouldnt have them. Which in turn means you dont need to have one on you to defend yourself. Seriously look at any other country in the world, no one has the same problems the US has. You say the UK is so different then the US so its unfair to compare them. Then compare Canada to the US, we are exactly the same as you and we have next to 0 gun deaths compared to the US, I think in the amount of time i wrote this post there were more gun deaths in the US then in my entire province for a year.

Criminals will ALWAYS have guns, the only way to prevent them from having any guns is to make all guns illegal, which is a pretty stupid idea to advocate for. Banning the sale of guns for personal use wouldn't prevent guns from being obtained by criminals as they would eventually be obtained from police forces / military forces etc.

There would be no need to defend yourself with a gun if the criminal didn't have one? Can anyone really be that thick?

The comparison between guns and cars is completely valid. Personal firearms are not sold with the intend to kill people, neither are cars. They are sold as hunting weapons, for sport, and for self defense which if you deem to exclusively mean "shooting/killing another human being", you're pretty naive. Cars are not sold with the intent to kill other people, it is usually an unintended consequence much like accidental gun deaths.

Just like because our stores don't sell crack, druggies can't get them right?

best response ever

Having less cars would mean less vehicle related deaths, and a greater decrease in deaths overall than gun deaths. You've made no point here.

Also, the illegal weapons are not being procured by robbing the stores that sell weapons. So many regulations and restrictions go into stores that sell firearms that it would nigh be impossible to steal a weapon from there and manage to keep it more than a day. The guns are being stolen from residences and people or bought off the black market.

EDIT: Obviously no one made the connection with what I was saying about the guns/cars thing. We shouldn't ban something just because it 'could' be used illegitimately when there are several good uses for it. My fire poker can be a wonderfully deadly weapon when used as such, but they aren't outlawed because people use them to move around wood in a fireplace. FYI those have been confirmed weapons used in numerous brutal murders.

I double dog dare you to steal a gun from a gunshop.

Hey Brakiss, could you explain the difference between the death of a bystander during an armed robbery, and the death of a bystander during a drunk driving accident? Or texting while driving? Speeding in a school zone? How dead are they?

How about this hypothetical: I am in my car. I have a gun. I am going to kill someone today, and I want it to be efficient. Would it be easier to A. Hit them with a 2000lb, 8ft wide car and kill them, or, B. Hit them with a .452inch wide, 0.55ounce bullet?

But that doesn't even matter - the fact is, while yeah, it happens, a lot more than we'd like, this isn't the Wild West or some gangsta movie. And consider this, too: Would someone who is predisposed to feeling tougher by shooting someone also feel tougher by stabbing them? Clubbing them? Running them down with a car?

It's absolutely fair to talk about cars - and other things - when talking about violence and death caused by guns. Why? Because mostly, a lot of them are tragic and unnecessary, and because nature abhors a vacuum - remove guns, something (or several things) will fill the hole.

It's like what Tarin said, "The problem isn't guns or gun laws - it's us."

I can think of several cases in the last few years of stores that sell guns being broken into and robbed. The most notable in Collectors Firearms in Houston, the perps drove a small truck in through the front of the store and grabbed what they could.

We're overlooking something very important in this argument...