Furry-Within

No. It seems that a fairly significant portion of Canadians have guns, too. Then again, the documentary I saw was mainly investigating around Montreal and Quebec (if I recall correctly), so maybe it's a regional thing? I'm afraid I'm not much of an expert on the country.

Besides, not having a gun doesn't stop a violent person from harming or killing. They could just build one. Or a bomb. Or use a knife, or set fire to a building, or so many other things.

I was specifically referring to concealed weapons (such as handguns0, lots of Canadians have guns because a lot of people like to hunt.  You can't say "no" so definitively either as no such experiments have been held to test that theory.

Quote from: Cheeky Stoat on October 06, 2010, 05:24:23 PM
Could that be due to the lack of guns?

I'm not so sure there are a "lack" of guns, necessarily. Even in places that have strict gun restrictions, there are still a good percentage of violent incidents involving firearms.

But if you can't buy the guns legally, how are they getting into the hands of criminals?

Well, quite simply there will always be ways for criminals to get weapons. After all, drugs are illegal in the U.S, but our hospitals are dealing with countless overdose patients, and police officers nationwide are fighting a never-ending drug war with gangs and international substance traffickers.

It is my humble opinion that more restrictive gun legislation only takes the guns out of the hands of the typical law-abiding citizen.

I'm not disputing that at all.  What I am suggesting is that crimes don't have a correlation to whether or not you are allowed to carry a gun.  I think that thinking that you need a gun to protect yourself is naive.  If you are caught with a guy who has a gun pointed at you, do you really think they'll let you reach into your pocket to grab it in the first place?

So really I see no point to owning a gun except to get people feeling cooler about themselves as if they're a real man (or woman) because they obviously aren't without the gun, right?

On a personal opinion level, I just don't like guns and I'd rather if less people had them because I do see them as pointless and unnecessary.

Quote from: Cheeky Stoat on October 12, 2010, 01:37:54 AM
I'm not disputing that at all.  What I am suggesting is that crimes don't have a correlation to whether or not you are allowed to carry a gun.  I think that thinking that you need a gun to protect yourself is naive.  If you are caught with a guy who has a gun pointed at you, do you really think they'll let you reach into your pocket to grab it in the first place?

True, and in fact if you do have a gun pulled on you, going for your own piece would most likely result in your death (unless you're Wyatt Fuckin' Earp).

Buuuuut, the main point is to get the gun out before you are put in danger. If a shady fellow approaches you at an ATM in the middle of the night, for instance, you can already put yourself on high alert with the knowledge that you would have the drop on him. And the object is NOT to kill your attacker, you really want to ward them off with a threat. Killing someone isn't a load of fun in real life, and anything you can do to protect yourself AND preserve life, is a win-win.

But what would you do?  Pull your gun out and wave it at him as a warning not to come closer?  You could probably get arrested for that.

Quote from: Cheeky Stoat on October 16, 2010, 10:07:55 PM
But what would you do?  Pull your gun out and wave it at him as a warning not to come closer?  You could probably get arrested for that.

Could be, it does depend on where you're from. It also is a big help when dealing with home invasions, mainly because if an intruder turns the corner to see the barrel of a .45 in his face, he's more likely to leave the premises than if you waved a baseball bat menacingly at him.

This goes along with varying degrees of proficiency, of course. A gun in the hands of an unskilled shooter is definitely an extreme hazard.

Having guns in the home is a bit different that being able to carry concealed weapons around town so where I agree with your point here, I'm arguing against concealed weapons.

Most of the people who want guns shouldn't have them. Most of the people who need guns don't want them.

Quote from: Cheeky Stoat on October 18, 2010, 10:44:29 PM
Having guns in the home is a bit different that being able to carry concealed weapons around town so where I agree with your point here, I'm arguing against concealed weapons.

That's actually an area where I tend to differ with my fellow gun-owners. Considering the fact that even trained professionals can make mistakes, I REALLY think there should be more training involved with a concealed carry license. At least make it a week-long course instead of a day of "Death by Powerpoint" followed by a few hours of range time. Of course, that's just in good ol' Tejas, some places don't even require classes.

There, I'm glad we have come to an agreement.  ^^

I'm originally from Michigan. Nearly every household there has at least one gun, typically for sport.

Now, for sport I mean they are more often than not gun that cannot be carried casually upon one's person. In addition, there are very strict regulations regarding the transport and usage of those firearms. Laws which are enforced with very high fines and long jail times.

Also, many areas of the U.S. that have more loose laws regarding gun control, actually have less armed crimes due to the underlying idea that a criminal would have no idea who is packing, and who is not. Corpus Christi, TX has almost no crime since nearly everyone there has a gun. The thing that makes that place so special though is the fact that the law there states if you have a gun on you, you must have it visible.

Although places, like China for instance, have a zero tolerance for firearms and maintain a rather low violent crime rate are good examples of removing the x-factor of allowing guns in society. However, the laws here regarding violent crimes are incredibly strict. There are few jails since most crimes are either punished with death or slave labor. In other words, very few people are willing to take the risk.

I'm not giving my own personal opinion, just some food for thought.

It is this Lutrine Canine's  opinion and perspective that it is not just gun sales that need more control, but instead, ammunition sales. If you can buy a gun, you shouldn't be able to buy the ammunition the same day. There should also be no ammunition kept on store shelves, out in the open. Instead, it should be at least a three hour waiting period between the time you say you want ammo to the time you get it (I'd be a horrible game designer. )

Anyways, that's my two cents worth. Politicking and I don't go together.

Quote from: Ookamisuke on December 07, 2010, 02:41:33 AM
There should also be no ammunition kept on store shelves, out in the open. Instead, it should be at least a three hour waiting period between the time you say you want ammo to the time you get it

What would the sporting goods stores do with all that empty shelving space if they took away all the ammo? Fill it with deer plushies? ^_^

>_> I have nothing to say except this- Take my gun away and I will hurt you. <_>