Should They Be Banned?

[Insomniac]

I agree that they shuldn't be banned, but there has to be a test similar to that of getting a gun lisence, teaching gun safety and whatnot. Airsoft guns, because at a glance look like real guns, should only be shot on private proplerty or at an airsoft fields. Actually, ALL guns should only be shot on private property or a rifle range. The reason everything gets banned is because the source of the problem is too hard to completely remedy, but banning guns is easy. The problem is that there will always be dumasses that abuse weapons, and stopping that is near impossible. The only reason sharp objects are legal is that we need knives to prepare food. It is easy for government to ban guns because, apart from farmers, not that many people NEED guns, we just like using them for recreation. If all guns were banned, the sale of bows and arrows would go through the roof. The only reason murders arn't made with bows and arrows is because a much better weapon, in the form of guns, is available. Take away a manic's best weapon, he'll use the next best thing. People have killed each other for as long as the human race has lived. Guns arn't the problem, it's misuse of guns that is a problem. Why doesn't the govenment just use better guns that the general population, ie submachine guns, and the rest of the people can use .22 rifles? We don't need smgs to go target shooting, so why do they want to ban the 'inferior' weapons that arn't good weapons anyway??

Wow, that was a long rant.

[judgment_arms]

Yes I see what your saying but…criminals don’t by their guns legally, they don’t go to the pawn shop or Wal-Mart they get them from the black market because last time I checked China-mart doesn’t carry Uzis. All that banning guns will do is prevent the law abiding citizens from having guns to defend them self with. Also read my signature (since someday I’ll change my signature I’m going to put it here)
"A well-Regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."
Liberals must have their head so far up their butt that they can’t read!

[beebs111]

gun control is stupid. first of all it is easier/cheaper to get any kind of gun off of the black market, and if someone wants to get a gun, a ban on the legal sales of handguns and rifles wouldn't stop them. lets just stop and think about this for a second, if i was going to kill someone, i wouldn't walk down to my local gun shop and buy a colt .45 for $1,000, which the bullets that i shot could be traced back to the gun and eventually me, and lets just pretend that my name wasn't on file with the gun, i wouldn't ditch a $1,000 gun, i would just swap out the barrrel . but really, my name would be on file, and they would trace the gun back to me, and i would probably be convicted of murder in the 1st, and get life. lets go down the other path, i buy a 9mm from ricky for $250, which was stolen from a local gunshop during a nighttime heist, commit murder, and 10 minutes later the gun would be at the bottom of a river corroding and turning into rust. i would be out $250 and would be free to commit more crimes before the law eventually caught up with me.

also, if any kind of gun was easier to get, not only would criminals have their illegal, untraceable guns, ordinary civillians would be able to carry regulated, legal firearms, and use them for self defense, and it would drive the demand for illegal unregulated firearms through the floor, so it would be much easier to track who has what gun.

i hope you enjoyed MY rant

[heavymetalsarge]

I agree with all of you guys.

If the government does ban the legal sale of firearms, the criminals would be forced to procure their weapons else wear. they will most likely get them over the border smuggle 'em in, use them toss them and repeat the process over and over until the government completely slams the border shut. but you know what, they will some how find away to continue their crimes.

As for banning airsoft/bb/pellet/pb guns, it is extremely stupid. the government might as well go off and ban anthing that looks remotely like a gun, and while their at it ban other weapons or even better ban lobby groups that even thought of this idea. na that would just be the most logical way to go about it and i am forgetting that it is the government we are talking about


But I personally think that it is the shop owners responsiblity to make sure that the individual that is willing to purchase these devices is responsible enough. Or do what we have done in canada and prohibit the sale of these devices to anyone under the age of 18 without a parent.



My very first rant
i am so happy

[zeigs spud]

hell NO if you ban those ban slingshots! they can do just as much damage if not more!

[iknowmy3tables]

the kids you see who get arrested by the police are usually not stupid, the ones who get shot often are, but what really annoys me is when stupid dysfunctional misbehaved kids get bb guns and for their parent who let them get it, did they really expect that their child -that they know is dumb- would use it for target shooting, and be extra safe and use gun safety (I’m not referring to airsoft guns) come on of course their going to be stupid and shoot people. Heck most of the time when a minor robs someone at gun point he’s using a bb gun. I don’t mean to offend any of you responsible guys with bb guns, (especially the responsible kids who aren’t allowed to have your own gun) but who the hell gave the stupid kids their guns

[jrrdw]

the kids you see who get arrested by the police are usually not stupid, the ones who get shot often are, but what really annoys me is when stupid dysfunctional misbehaved kids get bb guns and for their parent who let them get it, did they really expect that their child -that they know is dumb- would use it for target shooting, and be extra safe and use gun safety (I’m not referring to airsoft guns) come on of course their going to be stupid and shoot people. Heck most of the time when a minor robs someone at gun point he’s using a bb gun. I don’t mean to offend any of you responsible guys with bb guns, (especially the responsible kids who aren’t allowed to have your own gun) but who the hell gave the stupid kids their guns

Hell, half these kids don't have parents, or the lights are on and nobodys home! Drunk/doped up all the time.

[Insomniac]

I know, it pisses me off that we need to deal with dumbasses.
Banning guns won't stop organised crimminals, but it will stop accidents caused by stupid kids who don't give a crap about gun safety. The ideal law would be that air rifles and bb guns were legal if you only used them on your property. And normal guns were legal so long as you only used them at the gun range or on your own property (If you lived on a farm, or out of town)

[Pete Zaria]

the kids you see who get arrested by the police are usually not stupid, the ones who get shot often are, but what really annoys me is when stupid dysfunctional misbehaved kids get bb guns and for their parent who let them get it, did they really expect that their child -that they know is dumb- would use it for target shooting, and be extra safe and use gun safety (I’m not referring to airsoft guns) come on of course their going to be stupid and shoot people. Heck most of the time when a minor robs someone at gun point he’s using a bb gun. I don’t mean to offend any of you responsible guys with bb guns, (especially the responsible kids who aren’t allowed to have your own gun) but who the hell gave the stupid kids their guns

Basically what you're saying is, we should base "who can get a bb/pellet/airsoft/paintball/spud gun" on maturity and intelligence, not age. Unfortunately there is no easy and/or standardized test for such a thing, otherwise I'd agree 100%.

However, maturity, and not age, is precisely the problem. For example, I've had pellet guns and .22s since I was 13. I've never even pointed a weapon at someone jokingly or threateningly. I know better than that, and always have.
Many kids (you see these ones on TV daily) have not been raised or educated to such a level, regardless of age. I fault the parents and our public education system (or lack thereof) on this issue.
If our governments allow us to own weapons, shouldn't our (government-run) public education systems be teaching children the very basics of gun safety and - God forbid - safe weapon handling procedures? I think this would be a quantum leap forward towards stopping gun violence, not blocking the sale of toy guns and bb/pellet/airsoft guns to minors.

On this same issue, if our public schools are going to educate minors about safe sex - why not make condoms available? Why does the "religious right" (as conservative Christian republicans are called) fight this kind of thing so diligently?

Hey, here's an idea. We're spending a few billion dollars a day on this war in Iraq. I won't go into why this is a bad idea, but my point is, why not spend those few billion dollars a day on instead EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN! Most high school graduates don't know how to balance a checkbook. Or cook. Or how to write a resume and interview for a job. Or think outside the box. But they do know the state capitals, basic calculus, history, etc... Does this make sense to you? Maybe if we were educating our children, they wouldn't go on shooting sprees and we wouldn't have to contemplate outlawing toy guns and bb/pellet/airsoft guns.

Just my thoughts.

Peace,
Pete Zaria.