Dear Old Geezer,
--"violence breeds violence"--
The alternative is to passively allow the violent to do what they please. (shades of Neville Chamberlain) Then violence doesn't breed violence. It breeds an endless stream of victims and atrocities. Violence is, regrettably, sometimes the only effective means of preventing it from being inflicted on the defenseless. By disarming the law-abiding (since criminals don't follow the law), you render the law-abiding incapable of protecting or defending themselves against the violence of criminals.
--"your own quotes have confirmed how the constitution has been perverted from from protection of Govt taking rights away to all people carry guns.--
Hardly. The quotes I provided show that the founders of America intended that its citizens to own firearms as a MEANS of ensuring the government would not be able to take away their rights. In other words, you have it completely backward.
--"I do not and never will condone the carrying of guns they are useless in irresponsiable hands."
...and who is to determine which hands are "responsible"? The government? The founders of America anticipated that governments could become corrupt, or reigns of power fall into the hands of evil men. They saw an armed citizenry as the single best defense against that happening. A century or so later, the sad events of 1930s Germany proved them correct. A new leader was democratically elected and the rest, as they say, was history. He, too, understood the overwhelming importance of making sure citizens were disarmed and thereby unable to offer any meaningful resistance.
--"The media only reports the facts"--
...except when it doesn't, or it chooses to ignore certain facts in favor of others. That's why a crazy shooting people is big news but a woman chasing off a bunch of would-be rapists by waving a gun at them (no shots fired) sometimes never gets reported at all.
--"yes some crimes are prevented by guns, but how many result in death or serious injury."--
How very good of you to concede the point that "some" crimes are prevented by the legal, responsible ownership and use of firearms. How many result in death or serious injury? How many... what, exactly?
How many legitimate uses result in death or injury? If it's the death or serious injury of the criminal, I don't care.
--"Yes there is a rise in crime in England, but the common copper still does not carry guns..."--
How very good of you also to concede the point that there is a rise in crime in England IN SPITE OF England outlawing nearly every possible form of legitimate gun ownership. Please explain how, then, gun control is effective in REDUCING crime. The UK proves otherwise. Why should we in America follow England's example when, by your own admission, crime increases anyway? Perhaps even as a direct cause of more gun control (because criminals feel safer, even if law-abiding people don't). I'm sure the UK police must be thrilled at being unarmed against violent criminals.
--"it is far easier to pull a trigger then lunge with a knife."--
If you're trying to imply that it's easier to kill with a firearm instead of a knife, I suppose from a technical point that's correct. However, as you've already conceded, now that firearms ARE outlawed, violent crime has continued to GO UP. Therefore, criminals are finding it just as easy to "lunge with a knife" annnnnd are doing so more often now that they are certain their victims are disarmed thanks to the efforts of people like yourself.
--"I'm sorry but I do feel sorry that people feel the need to use violence, at times such incidents are unavoidable but the gun is to easy to use."--
Yes, guns ARE easier to use. They're easier to use by women and the elderly when faced by larger, stronger, younger, more powerful attackers who prey on the weak. People like you would deprive people like me of the ability to offer any form of real resistance. Thanks for nothing.
--"I fear the world is heading further down the line of rule by fear and not by consensus and it hurts."--
...and as bitter as you may find this, people like you are the reason that is happening. You want to know what "rule by fear" is? It's criminals terrorizing UK's elderly into hiding.
http://www.4ni.co.uk/news.asp?id=16635
It's UK streets and parks that are empty because nobody wants to be a victim.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/fear-of-crime-keeping-people-out-of-parks-651918.html
It's England fulfilling Orwell's most pessimistic visions in a failed effort to "make things safe".
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20040426/ai_n12782157
In light of your country's monumental failure in stopping (much less lowering) crime, as an American I see absolutely NO reason to for my country to adopt the same failed policies YOURS has.
You made your bed, you sleep in it. Yes, the world news media goes crazy when some US killer mis-uses a gun. What the media almost NEVER talks about are all the other times law-abiding Americans with guns stop those killers.
http://freestudents.spotteddog.com/2007/04/when-mass-killers-meet-armed-resistance.html
Guns can be used for evil and for good. I'd rather have the opportunity to make that choice for myself, instead of having an evil government, a crazed killer, or a social reformer like you making it for me.
BaldGrrrl!
beerfarts 14:18:11 02/14/2008 (105)
beerfarts 16:18:29 02/14/2008