Quote:
Originally posted by confucy@Sep 13 2003, 12:18 AM
If there were absolutely no guns, I would feel free to take my nightly runs on the beach. I would feel safe going into Hollywood and downtown LA at any time of the day.
I'm not being an idealist. I just want to live in a safe world. I don't want to have to take my shoes off at airports or have to undress for body searches because I fit some kind of profile. I want a little love in this world. Take the damn guns and weapons of mass destruction, and stop the madness! 
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Confucy, sorry to hear about your friend. His being beaten and robbed is fucked up, whether the thugs had guns or not.
God knows I'd prefer a peaceful world where people weren't killing each other, but the reality is they do. And for some of the stupidest reasons: a little bit of cash, a piece of jewelry, or most ridiculous of all, in a frenzy of "my God's better than your God."
Banning guns is not a viable answer, and in fact, I'm inclined to go to the other extreme and wish that anyone who wants a gun and qualifies should be issued a concealed carry permit. Why should the criminals be secure in the knowledge that they're the only ones who're armed? They'd think twice about committing crimes if there was a good chance their intended victims were ready, willing and able to blow a hole in their ass before the thug could rob them. I think that having law-abiding citizens be unarmed while criminals remain free to keep an illegal arsenal would just be wrong.
As an American I have the right to defend my life, liberty and property. Should any of those be in peril, I'd be justified in sticking a knife in whomever posed the threat, or beating them with a stick... but I'd much rather have a firearm at my disposal since it overcomes the disadvantage of being smaller and/or weaker than any attacker; not to mention being a threat that might be taken far more seriously when it's stuck in a criminal's face. Chances are they'd still try to wrestle a club or knife out of my hand, but facing the barrel of a gun changes things altogether -- as your unfortunate big, strong friend knows firsthand.
I'd like to feel safe, too, but I much prefer to take the responsibility upon myself than to count on the government to do the job. They've proven they're not up to the task -- more so in the past two years than ever. I don't know about you, but I feel less safe today than I did on September 10, 2001; and I most definitely feel less FREE.