November 22, 2011
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Do guns help improve the safety of society?

Do guns help improve the safety of society?
Does an individual have a “right” to gun ownership? Who would you say can not own a gun?

Do guns help improve the safety of society?
Does an individual have a “right” to gun ownership? Who would you say can not own a gun?
Comments (14)
Not at all, at least in my country after 36 years of civil war I know too well what guns do to a society.
Guns in the hands of the good guys improves public safety. Guns in the hands of the bad guys is dangerous. It’s interesting that after the Civil War, black people weren’t considered to be truly free until they had the right to own a gun.
it certainly helps improve the safety of my home
I think people need personality and psychological assessments before they can be licensed to buy a gun. And if they are found mentally safe, with no precursors for sociopathy, psycopathy, narcissism and downright insanity, they must endure a long course about gun safety, cleaning, and proper gun use and storage.
It really shocks me that these things aren’t common and set in stone. It shouldn’t be a “constitutional right” to have drunk redneck hicks waving around rifles at anyone who comes on their property. I thought we’d evolved far past that.
In the hands of law abiding citizens, yes they do improve the safety of society. And yes, an individual has the right to protect themselves…to bear arms. My dad is in law enforcement and he always tells me, “Get a gun, because by law the police are not required to protect you.”
No, and Yes. (CORRECTION)
No, and no. Not just anybody, no way!
The last time I checked, 100% of gun violence was caused by guns.
It depends. Gun ownership in the United States prevented full-scale invasions. I don’t feel safer with my guns but it’s nice to know I have them if I need them.
Absolutely. However, they are a source of violence in the wrong hands. Most felons cannot own guns legally, but that doesn’t stop felons from trading illegally or illegally trading in guns to potential felons.
Do guns help improve the safety of society?: That one is difficult to answer. One side says that if everyone has a gun, the lawless will think twice before doing anything. (That assumes rationality on the side of the lawless.) The other side says that with no guns no one would be able to use guns. (In a perfect world that is correct.) The other side counters that if you take guns away from people, then you’re only taking them away from the honest people. (Not a totally invalid point.) In the end I doubt anyone knows if it would be safer than it is now.
Does an individual have a “right” to gun ownership?: That depends on who and what you recognize as granting authority and rights.
Who would you say can not own a gun?: I personally am completely neutral on the subject. Twice in my life I’ve had a gun pointed at me, and I survived both times. I also injured the individuals who meant to kill me. A gun is only as effective as the moron who wields it, divided by the expertise of who they mean to attack with it.
PS: In case you are interested, I do not own a fire-arm of any kind, nor do I feel that I need to own one to keep myself and my ward safe. If anyone feels the need to test that presumption, they may do so at their own convenience.
PPS: I just thought of a third time that I have a gun pointed at me. Didn’t think of it before, because it didn’t end so violently as the other two times I mentioned.
PPPS: I wonder how many posts one can script before it gets annoying.
Awesome blog! Now In anticipation of a follow-up ….
Anthony