The debate on Guns - your views?

[dragontamer363]

I was just surfing around when I came across this art made from guns:

Quote:

After the 1998 war ended in Cambodia, the country’s government worked with officials from the European Union to destroy 125,000 weapons. A group called Draft, founded in 2003 by two Brits, got their hands on thousands of these weapons and started Peace Art Project Cambodia (PAPC) to turn these arms into art. The resulting sculptures feature AK barrels and handles, among other gun parts, and they are currently sold through The Art House gallery in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Prices start at around $600 for a basic Christmas tree shape and run over $10,000 for more complex works.

It got me thinking about the debate as to whether we should bear arms and be allowed guns.
I know it's a mixed bag in many countries, so I wondered - what are your various opinions?

Personally, England doesn't allow guns unless they're licensed for hunting (which is naturally rare) or farming, so I equate them with really terrifying crime. Sure, we have uproars about knife crime and a lot of people argue that that's just as bad as guns, but to be frank I think a lot less people die form accidents or even stabbings than if you have guns to shoot people.
The idea of someone storing a gun in their own home where anyone can get hold of them in an argument, by accident, or when invading your house is horrifying to me. I couldn't live in the same house as a gun ><
that said, my grandad used to have a shotgun, but it was locked away in the loft, but even that is iffy.
And when they go on about 'defending your property' with guns, to me that just seems to be giving people an excuse to kill one another.
Guns are a long range weapon that require aim etc - surely it's often premeditated murder, at least in that you take a few moments to decide 'yeah i'm killing the b*****d'.
If I had a burglar I wouldn't shoot 'em. If you're being attacked you grab a kitchen knife or something i guess. I don't' worry about it. And if any criminals do get guns, but the banning of them mean that the police can crackdown on them very hard, as they should do.
The majority of humankind are idiots - why arm them?

That said, historically speaking i can understand why some countries insist on keeping guns. For example, colonies needed to protect themselves form natives and to defend their newly acquired territory. but why in modern times they feel the need to keep this right I have no idea.
The same for war-torn countries of course.

Certainly one of the only thing that keeps people I know away from America (or reluctant to go there) is the gun ownership. My mum refuses to go because of it
sweatdrop


that#s my 2 cents anyways.


opinions?  

[0Moon_Maiden0]

That's a toughie for me.....

I know guns are dangerous-especially in the wrong hands....but they do offer a sense of safety for some.

Although I think knifes can be just as dangerous......no need for ammo and doesn't require knowledge to use it (although I'm not sure how much knowledge one needs for a gun either).

I think I would be more likely to just keep an unload gun just for a stronger threat against intruders and attackers maybe. Although I'll probably never actually buy one.....I'm more likely to buy a squirt gun and spray paint it black.  

[Zizzykitty]

This is a tough one.
There's pros and cons to each side.

Moon brought up a good point with safety but if no one had guns then what would there be to fear?
We'd all be on a relatively even played field when it came to weapons.
But then those people with better knife fighting skills would come out on top.

The right to bear arms is in the bill or rights but I think it's a tad outdated.
Really, who's going to invade your land in a hostile takeover anymore, your neighbor?
I think it should be for hunting only.
(Though I don't know if I can say anything since my step-dad has two high power hunting rifles in his closet and that doesn't bother me.)
I was anxious about it when I first found them but he gave up hunting years ago, he just still has them I think because he doesn't know what else to do with them .  

[SeductiveKitty]

II think we should be able to have guns just cause we have the right to but I dont think they should allow just anyone.I think people should be psychologically checked out before being able to have a gun and i think guns should only be used for like self defense and not to kill someone on purpose  

[Super Mega Nope]

hummm . . . .

Violent people will be violent no matter what. They'll will find anything to hurt others with, I firmly believe this, taking gun away won't stop them from picking up a knife.
And if you make it illegal, it makes it all the more tempting for them.

But how will the innocent defend themselves if they needs it. Words don't work in every conflict . . . there are moments that a gun is needed.

sweatdrop

 

[dragontamer363]

the problem is that legalising it makes it easier. you can't prosecute people who own a gun. if it's harder to get one it lowers the chance of coming into contact with one.
The same as why knife laws are so tight over here too.
Hell you can't even buy a pair of proper scissors or knives until you're 16/18

{btw i love your av. but i can't see your equipped list sad What's that background from?}  

[Super Mega Nope]

dragontamer363

the problem is that legalising it makes it easier. you can't prosecute people who own a gun. if it's harder to get one it lowers the chance of coming into contact with one.
The same as why knife laws are so tight over here too.
Hell you can't even buy a pair of proper scissors or knives until you're 16/18

{btw i love your av. but i can't see your equipped list sad What's that background from?}

Wow, really? I have like six knives I don't even tough, my dad likes that stuff so he thinks they make great gifts. sweatdrop


Oh, the background is part of George's Pipe

 

[Zizzykitty]

dragontamer363

the problem is that legalising it makes it easier. you can't prosecute people who own a gun. if it's harder to get one it lowers the chance of coming into contact with one.
The same as why knife laws are so tight over here too.
Hell you can't even buy a pair of proper scissors or knives until you're 16/18

{btw i love your av. but i can't see your equipped list sad What's that background from?}

Knife laws are really that tight over there?
I could go buy an Exacto knife or a bow cutter right now without a problem.

It's really easy to get a hold of knifes here.  

[Trtltot]

hmm... guns should only be used for self defense and hunting. plus one really should be checked out in the head before being allowed a serious weapon, of any sort.  

[dragontamer363]

Zizzykitty

dragontamer363

the problem is that legalising it makes it easier. you can't prosecute people who own a gun. if it's harder to get one it lowers the chance of coming into contact with one.
The same as why knife laws are so tight over here too.
Hell you can't even buy a pair of proper scissors or knives until you're 16/18

{btw i love your av. but i can't see your equipped list sad What's that background from?}

Knife laws are really that tight over there?
I could go buy an Exacto knife or a bow cutter right now without a problem.

It's really easy to get a hold of knifes here.

With the ASBO things a few years ago they really tightened up since there were so many stabbings with teenagers and gangs and stuff. Things have slackened off a bit now I think, but you still can't carry anything more than 3 inches i believe, and even little knives are viewed as bad - depends on the situation i suppose.
there are still age restrictions on buying knives of any kind and even cigarette lighters if i'm right (i had trouble buying a lighter - but then again the guy at poundland was retarded -haha)
Also there are laws against having fake guns i believe - like ones made to look like real guns. There was a lot of that popping up in the news when i was at secondary school.
I've no ideas of teh laws per se but i think that's about right.  

[Super Mega Nope]

dragontamer363

With the ASBO things a few years ago they really tightened up since there were so many stabbings with teenagers and gangs and stuff. Things have slackened off a bit now I think, but you still can't carry anything more than 3 inches i believe, and even little knives are viewed as bad - depends on the situation i suppose.
there are still age restrictions on buying knives of any kind and even cigarette lighters if i'm right (i had trouble buying a lighter - but then again the guy at poundland was retarded -haha)
Also there are laws against having fake guns i believe - like ones made to look like real guns. There was a lot of that popping up in the news when i was at secondary school.
I've no ideas of teh laws per se but i think that's about right.

Fake guns? Why would kids do that? I only see that leading to trouble.

 

[dragontamer363]

exactly -haha

mainly to intimidate each other i guess  

[Zizzykitty]

MonkeyFen

dragontamer363

With the ASBO things a few years ago they really tightened up since there were so many stabbings with teenagers and gangs and stuff. Things have slackened off a bit now I think, but you still can't carry anything more than 3 inches i believe, and even little knives are viewed as bad - depends on the situation i suppose.
there are still age restrictions on buying knives of any kind and even cigarette lighters if i'm right (i had trouble buying a lighter - but then again the guy at poundland was retarded -haha)
Also there are laws against having fake guns i believe - like ones made to look like real guns. There was a lot of that popping up in the news when i was at secondary school.
I've no ideas of teh laws per se but i think that's about right.

Fake guns? Why would kids do that? I only see that leading to trouble.

I think she's talking about Airsoft Guns
They're kind of like pellet guns on crack.
Ex shot me with one once, it stung and left a nice red mark but it was a low powered one so it wasn't bad at all.
High powered ones can break the skin and do damage, though I doubt they're fatal.

I know those aren't allowed at schools here.
It's illegal to paint over the orange tip, which indicates it's not real, so that it looks really real.

You hear a story every once in a while about someone holding up a convenience store with a water gun?
What about people who paint these things to look real then doing it?
Anyone can buy them since they aren't deadly, you just have to be over 18.  

[Arch Angel Neko]

SERIOUSLY/.. i dont like the idea of people being trusted with guns.. cause not all men/women/children has the right mind to not use it or know when to use it.. there was this kiddo who went haywire and started going killing spree in america right? damn that was crazy.. anyway.. i think giving people the "opportunity to use a gun is bad" -- go for gun ban  

[Wyvern683]

The way I see it is that if they got rid of guns altogether, people would just find something else to use as a weapon. Besides, it isn't the weapon that kills, it's the one who wields it.