General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsYou want a gun to protect you from someone else, who is going to protect you from yourself?
We live in a nation where twice as many kill themselves than are killed by other people.
Don't believe me? Spend five seconds on Google and look it up yourself, so you know I'm not distorting the numbers.
I rest my case.
LARED
(11,735 posts)my knife. Yesterday it attacked me when doing some work in the bathroom.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)Blowing the back of one's own skull off however is a tradition here.
originalpckelly
(24,382 posts)versus hacking yourself.
Yeah, seems equal in "easiness."
LARED
(11,735 posts)The question is will we protect knife owners and gun owners equally from themselves?
Iggy
(1,418 posts)just off the top of my head, in the news lately: a guy leaving a gun shop accidentally shoots his son dead as they are walking to their car (why is his handgun loaded?). a guy shoots his son dead outside their home at night; he thought he was a robber.
and how many times have we heard this one: six year old Billy shoots neighbor friend Tommy dead while playing with his dad's loaded handgun-- which his dad stupidly left lying around the house, where the kids could easily get to it.
the NRA smashed some state's efforts to increase the penalties (should be prison time) for the ignorant, irresponsible parents who allow their kids access to loaded weapons-- which end up causing the deaths of numerous children every year.
marions ghost
(19,841 posts)a teenager, good student who was depressed, killed himself with his father's handgun. The father has never gotten over it. His HS friends had to have counseling.
Support stiff sentences--serious jail time--for anyone whose gun is used in the shooting death of another.
DUH.
This would go a long way towards preventing the gun violence we are being made to put up with by the NRA and their lobbies.
and how many times has this sad scenario occured in our nation by now? Thousands of times? I have a good friend whose little brother committed suicide with a handgun, merely over a break-up with his girlfriend. had this kid had a week or two to get over the break up, he would still be alive today.
I know specifically of what happened in Indiana around 15 years ago, when I lived in Indianapolis. state congresspeople finally got fed up with the multiple killings of children- by other children using their parent's loaded handgun stupidly left lying around the house. they started working on legislation to increase the punishment of the gun owning parent.
the NRA got wind of this, and spread some bribes, errrrr, I mean campaign contributions to a few of the congresspeople-- and the legislation was stopped.
The NRA is a complete farce. they are aiding and abetting the total irresponsible use of guns in our nation.
union_maid
(3,502 posts)There really isn't much we can do to ban guns in light of SCOTUS decisions. Repealing the 2nd amendment is just not going to happen in the foreseeable future. But the opposition to any reasonable limitations, safeguards and/or imposing real legal responsibility on gun owners (starting with the manufacturers and going on through the life of the gun) is absolutely immoral. It is why it is true that they have blood on their hands.
Iggy
(1,418 posts)did they not start as a credible, gun safety organization?
Here's what happened: MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING...as the old adage goes.
and money especially changed everything in congress.
I don't think most of us advocate repeal of the 2nd amendment-- but as you state, a responsible and humane people certainly have the right to demand common sense limitations and responsible gun ownership and use.
Leaving loaded handguns lying carelessly around one's home when children are present is about as ignorant and irresponsible as it gets-- yet the NRA and the congresspeople kissing their arse think it's all OK.
Weak.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)marions ghost
(19,841 posts)--in some families guns are not welcome heirlooms.