In the case of guns, the claim "does not harm others" is laughable. Guns are designed as a weapon to kill people (with great efficiency and ease).
You can't put guns up on the same shelf as say gay rights, or women's reproductive rights, which really do not effect other people but the person in question.
And is this hedge still needed or use full?It was specific language invented for political purposes by people trying to solve a practical problem while living in a much different time. To adhere to it as if it was divine wisdom is idiotic.QuoteWould our free state be less secure without it?Free state? I'm not sure what free state you're talking about. Do you mean:
The Land Of The Free (Condiments), Home of the Brave (Gun Owners)?
The 'gun ownership as freedom' pap which is fed to young children growing up in the US as part of the illusion that the country is not only the birthplace of freedom, but the most free nation on the planet, is rather humorous for anyone living some place with much more freedom.
Wrong.
No
but I'm going to put them on the same shelf as the automobiles which kill and maim so very many more people every year.
The petrol used in them is legal, too, and arson claims many more deaths than firearms every year in this country.
Shall I bring up alcohol, too? I drink responsibly. Many others don't, and it costs more lives than firearms.
Well as old fashioned and humorous as it may seem I do believe the constitution was inspired
Well as old fashioned and humorous as it may seem I do believe the constitution was inspired and the us is a great country. Blessed to be quite free.
Well as old fashioned and humorous as it may seem I do believe the constitution was inspired
Please explain why it had to be amended no less than 27 times
Dave.
Well as old fashioned and humorous as it may seem I do believe the constitution was inspired and the us is a great country. Blessed to be quite free.
Tell me, how do you judge those freedoms that you possess? I mean, how do you know how 'free' you are, comparatively? Have you ever lived in another country for any extended period of time?
Or do you judge the freedom you have based on quality of life issues? Such as the free healthcare you get - or the 6 weeks of free paid vacation from your work?
Or do you judge them based on the statistics of your free country? Such as 6 million American citizens in prison (more than any country in history) - that's about 760 per 100,000 citizens. Are they blessed to be quite free?
Keep trying, you won't win the argument.
Guns affect the whole community, and if the community decides they want strict laws in relation to guns, they have every right to have those laws enacted.
Wow your idea of freedom is getting free health care and time off?
Wow your idea of freedom is getting free health care and time off?
Of course it's part of your freedom - if one illness can devastate you financially, what kind of freedom is that? The freedom to file bankruptcy? Freedom is about having choices - affordable health care, affordable university - these things - and many others - affect your available choices in life.
As a fellow American, I can tell you what special freedoms you possess by living there that I no longer do:
Free condiments at the fast food joints.
Freedom to easily own a gun.
Freedom to buy a bunch of crap (mostly from China) at a lower price than I do.
And I'm afraid that's the extent of it.
On the other hand, I have some freedoms which you don't have - which are SLIGHTLY more important in life than those listed above.
Debates like this (guns) will never be won by anyone.
There will always be many pros and cons from all sides.
Anyway, we (in Australia) seem to be having much more of a problem/issues related to younger generation.
Car abuse http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/one-stupid-decision-three-teens-dead-in-midnight-road-carnage-20121108-28z91.html,
Alcohol abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, disrespect, etc. etc. I wonder how much of this due to our so called "Progress/Political Correctness" in relation to government "regulated" upbringing, education? Maybe I have gone off topic and opened another can of worms?
Free condiments? Really? I Think you're confused about the difference between free as in beer and free as in speech. When I talk about freedom it has nothing with people giving me stuff.
Debates like this (guns) will never be won by anyone.
There will always be many pros and cons from all sides.
The stigma attached to firearms was manufactured and stapled onto a pair of tragic incidents. Incidents I could recreate right now with a kitchen knife.
So It's a hedge against federal power?
Fuck no, you couldn't. Try to kill (not that I recommend or endorse it), 30 of your coworkers or school pupils and wound 20 more with a kitchen knife, all in five minutes.
I'm really not sure you're having the same argument I am. Let me just ask: Do you have any problem with me or any other sane, rational person owning a firearm because we find it enjoyable and interesting?
Limiting freedoms which do not harm others is not progress.
And why all these stupid semantics and apologies over guns? OF COURSE the Constitution says guns being necessary to preserving a free society.
"A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State" So this is the justification.
And why all these stupid semantics and apologies over guns? OF COURSE the Constitution says guns being necessary to preserving a free society. It doesn't say "all farmers have the right to shoot coyotes" or "all shooters have the right to target practice." It says YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO GUNS BECAUSE YOU CAN KILL THE MOTHERFUCKERS WHO OPPRESS YOU.
Know why we're the most powerful nation on earth? Because no one will fuck with us. Because they know if they try to invade, screw the army and the air force and the marines, we have enough guns to arm every man, woman and child in the nation and enough ammo to kill every other motherfucker on the face of the earth. So leave us alone.
So you were saying that having your gun does not affect others. You are wrong, it does, and if you were in Oz it would affect me, gives me a position at the table to ague about this right of yours.
You are setting up a straw man argument with the latest question. There is lot more to the issue than simply agreeing with whether or not you as a responsible person should be allowed to own a gun for interest sake or other reason. A lot more.
I like our current tough gun laws in Oz, and I like our lack of a gun culture in our society.
What right? I never claimed any right, owning a firearm (outside the US, at any rate) is a privilege, not a right.
No, I'm attempting to determine if it's even worth attempting to discuss the subject of firearms with you. It is, apparently, not.
I do not like our current insufficiently tough (there are many better ways to handle firearm ownership) but overly restrictive (again, there's a discussion there you refuse to even see) laws here
and there is no gun culture to speak of and never was. Beyond our essential invention of the shooting sports which we're now slowly but surely killing off without having any effect on criminal use of firearms, that is.