Gun control: One man's stand

[GW in Ohio]

After the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and the Columbine massacre.....after many, many online conversations with people on both sides of the issue, I've finally crystallized my own position on the gun control issue. It is as follows....

1. Ban all handguns in the United States. There is no reason for anyone to own a handgun, except to kill other people. Give gun owners a 5-year window to turn in their handguns to the police. In exchange, they can either get a tax break of $1,000 or a check from the government for the value of the gun. It will cost the federal government $millions to compensate gun owners, but it's money well spent. (We piss away federal money on many, many less worthwhile programs.) As for the handgun manufacturers, they've gotten rich for years and years selling their weapons. It's time for them to find another line of work or retire. The NRA and the gun lobby? Two words: Tough shit. Go suck an egg.

2. I don't propose repealing the 2nd Amendment. Rifles and shotguns that are used for hunting and home defense are permitted and always will be. But no assault weapons or automatic or semi-automatic weapons are permitted. These have no purpose except to kill other people.

3. If you're caught with a handgun in your possession after the 5-year grace period, the gun is confiscated and you are assessed a $1,000 fine. If you're caught with a handgun a second time, you go to prison. If you're caught with an assault rifle or an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, you go to prison the very first time you're caught. No exceptions.

That's my stand on the issue; that's what I want to see the next president and the next Congress do. I will write my current representatives and the candidates in the coming elections and tell them that's what I want them to do.

Comments?

[Joe Steel]

After the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and the Columbine massacre.....after many, many online conversations with people on both sides of the issue, I've finally crystallized my own position on the gun control issue. It is as follows....

1. Ban all handguns in the United States. There is no reason for anyone to own a handgun, except to kill other people. Give gun owners a 5-year window to turn in their handguns to the police. In exchange, they can either get a tax break of $1,000 or a check from the government for the value of the gun. It will cost the federal government $millions to compensate gun owners, but it's money well spent. (We piss away federal money on many, many less worthwhile programs.) As for the handgun manufacturers, they've gotten rich for years and years selling their weapons. It's time for them to find another line of work or retire. The NRA and the gun lobby? Two words: Tough shit. Go suck an egg.

2. I don't propose repealing the 2nd Amendment. Rifles and shotguns that are used for hunting and home defense are permitted and always will be. But no assault weapons or automatic or semi-automatic weapons are permitted. These have no purpose except to kill other people.

3. If you're caught with a handgun in your possession after the 5-year grace period, the gun is confiscated and you are assessed a $1,000 fine. If you're caught with a handgun a second time, you go to prison. If you're caught with an assault rifle or an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, you go to prison the very first time you're caught. No exceptions.

That's my stand on the issue; that's what I want to see the next president and the next Congress do. I will write my current representatives and the candidates in the coming elections and tell them that's what I want them to do.

Comments?

A bit lenient.

Here's an alternative:

Gun Recovery And Ban

1. Recovery: Within 30 days of this procedure's implementation, all handguns in private possession will be delivered to a law enforcement agency.

2. Prosecution: Persons found to be in possession of a handgun after the expiration of the 30 day Recovery period will be guilty of a Class A felony and will be prosecuted.

3. Reeducation: Convicted offenders found to be in possession of a handgun will be transported to a reeducation camp for instruction in the community's expectations.

4. Perfection: Persons found to be in possession of a handgun after reeducation will be made harmless.

[Hobbit]

Or here's a thought, we could actually follow the Constitution and retain everybody's right to keep and bear arms, arms being tools specifically designed to kill people.

[GW in Ohio]

Or here's a thought, we could actually follow the Constitution and retain everybody's right to keep and bear arms, arms being tools specifically designed to kill people.

As we progress toward a more enlightened society, we may have to take your little gun toys away.

Sorry. Those are not nice toys for little boys and girls to be playing with.

But you can have a nice shotgun (not sawed off) and a hunting rifle. You can kill people with those, if you like. Or, you can go out and shoot Bambi. That should make you happy.

If you feel yourself going into handgun withdrawal, try pulling the wings off flies. I think it worked for Jeffrey Dahmer in a pinch.

[Monkeybone]

what about those of us that use handguns to hunt? how is that fair? they should just make more extensive background checks is all. even as far to include references.

[GW in Ohio]

what about those of us that use handguns to hunt? how is that fair? they should just make more extensive background checks is all. even as far to include references.

You're going to have to give up something here. Why would you use a handgun to hunt, anyway? Do you go out in the woods with your Glock and pretend you're Dirty Harry as you confront squirrel felons and chipmunk perpetrators?

[Monkeybone]

lol. glocks are for wanna bes. and using a handgun is the same as using a shot gun or rifle. the way you are talking we might as well ban knives, since they are just as concealable as guns. liscensed specialists can cut your stuff the way you want it.

[darin]

After the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and the Columbine massacre.....after many, many online conversations with people on both sides of the issue, I've finally crystallized my own position on the gun control issue. It is as follows....

1. Ban all handguns in the United States. There is no reason for anyone to own a handgun, except to kill other people. Give gun owners a 5-year window to turn in their handguns to the police. In exchange, they can either get a tax break of $1,000 or a check from the government for the value of the gun. It will cost the federal government $millions to compensate gun owners, but it's money well spent. (We piss away federal money on many, many less worthwhile programs.) As for the handgun manufacturers, they've gotten rich for years and years selling their weapons. It's time for them to find another line of work or retire. The NRA and the gun lobby? Two words: Tough shit. Go suck an egg.

2. I don't propose repealing the 2nd Amendment. Rifles and shotguns that are used for hunting and home defense are permitted and always will be. But no assault weapons or automatic or semi-automatic weapons are permitted. These have no purpose except to kill other people.

3. If you're caught with a handgun in your possession after the 5-year grace period, the gun is confiscated and you are assessed a $1,000 fine. If you're caught with a handgun a second time, you go to prison. If you're caught with an assault rifle or an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, you go to prison the very first time you're caught. No exceptions.

That's my stand on the issue; that's what I want to see the next president and the next Congress do. I will write my current representatives and the candidates in the coming elections and tell them that's what I want them to do.

Comments?


I'd support this legislation ONLY after Automobiles were banned, and Cancer was banned. Oh yeah - Also, we'd need legislation which means the first person you have sex with is the ONLY person you have sex with for the rest of your lives. That'd do WONDERS to stop the spread of STDs. All three of those things kill more people than honest people with uzis. To the person who's first sexual encounter is with their molester-of-a-uncle? Go suck and egg.

[Hobbit]

As we progress toward a more enlightened society, we may have to take your little gun toys away.

Sorry. Those are not nice toys for little boys and girls to be playing with.

But you can have a nice shotgun (not sawed off) and a hunting rifle. You can kill people with those, if you like. Or, you can go out and shoot Bambi. That should make you happy.

If you feel yourself going into handgun withdrawal, try pulling the wings off flies. I think it worked for Jeffrey Dahmer in a pinch.

A 'more enlightened' society is a myth and a pipe dream. No matter how 'enlightened' we think we become, there will always be people who try to kill you and take your stuff and politicians who would oppress millions for their own pleasure. For those reasons, "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Your obsession with removing the right of people to defend themselves is just as dumb as those school policies where the aggressor and the victim in a fight are equally punished.

I also note that you might have a different view on gun control were you caught in a dark alley by somebody with a knife or who *gasp* went through the black market for an illegal gun. In that instance, your inane gun control laws would give that poor citizen a choice between being a victim or a criminal.

[darin]

A 'more enlightened' society is a myth and a pipe dream. No matter how 'enlightened' we think we become, there will always be people who try to kill you and take your stuff and politicians who would oppress millions for their own pleasure. For those reasons, "The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."

Your obsession with removing the right of people to defend themselves is just as dumb as those school policies where the aggressor and the victim in a fight are equally punished.

I also note that you might have a different view on gun control were you caught in a dark alley by somebody with a knife or who *gasp* went through the black market for an illegal gun. In that instance, your inane gun control laws would give that poor citizen a choice between being a victim or a criminal.

Libs hate people. The only freedoms Libs wish to protect are freedom for criminals.

[GW in Ohio]

Libs hate people. The only freedoms Libs wish to protect are freedom for criminals.

Dump: If you want to join the discussion, you have to behave in some semblance of adult fashion.

Mouthing caricatures of Rush Limbaugh slogans won't get you a seat at the table.

At least some of your conservative colleagues bring reasoned arguments to the table.

They're completely wrong reasoned arguments, but nevertheless.....

[Mr. P]

As we progress toward a more enlightened society, we may have to take your little gun toys away.

Sorry. Those are not nice toys for little boys and girls to be playing with.

....

See my sig line...it says it all.

BTW semi-automatic rifles,shotguns and pistols are used by hunters, and they have been for many, many, years.

How do you propose the criminal be persuaded to turn in their "ILLEGAL" guns.

I would propose this; a mandatory 20 year to life/ death sentence, for anyone committing a crime with a firearm (manufactured or home made), no parole.

[darin]

Dump: If you want to join the discussion, you have to behave in some semblance of adult fashion.

Mouthing caricatures of Rush Limbaugh slogans won't get you a seat at the table.

At least some of your conservative colleagues bring reasoned arguments to the table.

They're completely wrong reasoned arguments, but nevertheless.....

OOOHH!! LOOKIT YOU!!! FUNNY GUY! Can make FUNNY INSULTS using Board Members NAMES!! how CUTE! LOOK! EVERYONE!! Look how WITTY that guy is!! You see what he DID? My screen name is dmp, and he added a 'u' to make it DUMP! WOW!! He's a regular Magician!!

How about you answer my first reply in this thread, or simply post up a series of REASONABLE and NOT-STUPID policies about Gun Control? Based on your OP, you would support giving Criminals the FREEDOM to shoot and kill ANYONE they want, because all the 'good' citizens would be unable to defend themselves. Thus, my statement stands, based on your OP as evidence.

[Monkeybone]

See my sig line...it says it all.

BTW semi-automatic rifles,shotguns and pistols are used by hunters, and they have been for many, many, years.

How do you propose the criminal be persuaded to turn in their "ILLEGAL" guns.

I would propose this; a mandatory 20 year to life/ death sentence, for anyone committing a crime with a firearm (manufactured or home made), no parole.

i agree with that, too much pussy footing aorund ppl that do anything wrong now-a-days. like they are afraid to punish ppl

[GW in Ohio]

OOOHH!! LOOKIT YOU!!! FUNNY GUY! Can make FUNNY INSULTS using Board Members NAMES!! how CUTE! LOOK! EVERYONE!! Look how WITTY that guy is!! You see what he DID? My screen name is dmp, and he added a 'u' to make it DUMP! WOW!! He's a regular Magician!!

How about you answer my first reply in this thread, or simply post up a series of REASONABLE and NOT-STUPID policies about Gun Control? Based on your OP, you would support giving Criminals the FREEDOM to shoot and kill ANYONE they want, because all the 'good' citizens would be unable to defend themselves. Thus, my statement stands, based on your OP as evidence.

dmp: I apologize. That was a cheap shot.

I'll try to address your earlier reply.

[5stringJeff]

GW:

No way should handguns be banned. Absoultely no way. A handgun ban will increase the number of violent crimes committed against innocent people. Why? Because handguns allow people to remain armed outside of their homes (via concealed carry permits). You state "[t]here is no reason for anyone to own a handgun, except to kill other people." There is another reason people own handguns: self-defense. According to the NRA (who get their stats from scholars and the government), 2.5 million crimes are averted every year because the potential victim has a handgun. That's over 200,000 crimes a month, or 6,850 a day - almost 5 every minute.

Now, if you would like to take steps to avoid another VT-like incident, I would propose two actions to take:

1. Tighten laws regarding the ability of people with mental health issues to own guns. Specifically, if someone is 1) permanently mentally retarded, 2) diagnosed by a doctor with a significant mental illness, 3) involuntarily confined/committed to a mental health facility, or 4) deemed by a doctor to be mentally unfit to use a firearm, that person's right to bear arms should be removed, until the person can prove (i.e. get a doctor's opinion) that his condition has passed.

2. Remove gun-free zone legislation. Allow people with CCLs to carry on school property. "Gun-free zones" only disarm victims, not criminals, as we saw at VT.

[Hobbit]

Suppose for a second that you're a criminal. Actually, I'll go all the way and we'll say you're a currently law-abiding citizen looking to become a criminal. Would you rather:

a) Acquire a gun with relative ease, but have to be extremely careful picking your first victim to avoid getting the wrong end of a .44 mag in your face.

b) Go through a moderately difficult procedure to acquire an illegal gun, but know that your victim is almost guaranteed to be unarmed and helpless.

[MtnBiker]

2. Remove gun-free zone legislation. Allow people with CCLs to carry on school property. "Gun-free zones" only disarm victims, not criminals, as we saw at VT.

You beat me to it Jeff. The common element in the VT and Columbine shootings were, they were both gun free zones.

[tim_duncan2000]

Is this serious? This won't stop violent criminals who won't care about the law and it will just make it tougher for law-abiding citizens to get guns for protection.

[Sitarro]

After the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and the Columbine massacre.....after many, many online conversations with people on both sides of the issue, I've finally crystallized my own position on the gun control issue. It is as follows....

1. Ban all handguns in the United States. There is no reason for anyone to own a handgun, except to kill other people. Give gun owners a 5-year window to turn in their handguns to the police. In exchange, they can either get a tax break of $1,000 or a check from the government for the value of the gun. It will cost the federal government $millions to compensate gun owners, but it's money well spent. (We piss away federal money on many, many less worthwhile programs.) As for the handgun manufacturers, they've gotten rich for years and years selling their weapons. It's time for them to find another line of work or retire. The NRA and the gun lobby? Two words: Tough shit. Go suck an egg.

2. I don't propose repealing the 2nd Amendment. Rifles and shotguns that are used for hunting and home defense are permitted and always will be. But no assault weapons or automatic or semi-automatic weapons are permitted. These have no purpose except to kill other people.

3. If you're caught with a handgun in your possession after the 5-year grace period, the gun is confiscated and you are assessed a $1,000 fine. If you're caught with a handgun a second time, you go to prison. If you're caught with an assault rifle or an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, you go to prison the very first time you're caught. No exceptions.

That's my stand on the issue; that's what I want to see the next president and the next Congress do. I will write my current representatives and the candidates in the coming elections and tell them that's what I want them to do.

Comments?

What exactly are you trying to accomplish? You certainly can't be so naive that you would actually believe that these simplistic, emotional ideas would make any positive difference in our world. Check out the stats of all of gun free cities in this country, especially Washington, D.C., at least try to get it...... and they say that only girls are emotional basket cases......you prove otherwise.

While shocking and hard to believe these murders aren't a common happening and hundreds of thousands of people die of alcohol or tobacco related deaths inbetween everyone of these occurances. Even more die from heart disease and AIDS, how many different things do you want banned in our free country? In the UK, just as many are killed at soccer matches, should those be banned? Haven't you learned anything from the banning of alcohol, attempted additional control of cigarettes, the failed drug war?

[Pale Rider]

If you tried to outlaw hand guns, and demanded a voluntary turn in, the only, and I repeat, the ONLY people that would turn them in, would be the law abiding citizens that had those guns legaly registered.

That probably leaves MILLIONS of "unregistered" hand guns in the hands of criminals. My God they'll be dancing in the streets knowing that they can now accost, mug, beat, rape and kill people on the streets because not a one of them can carry. It's proven over and over and over. Take the guns away, crime goes up.

When will the liberals learn. Maybe instead of trying so hard to disarm America they should just move to somewhere where all firearms are outlawed, like china, or russia, yeah, they'd no doubt like it there.

[Gaffer]

The police respond to crimes that "have already been commited". They come in and pick up the pieces when it's over most of the time. They rarely are able to get to the scene in time to take action against the criminal.

If you get shot by a criminal with a gun, the police will hunt him down and catch him and prosecute him and lock him up. But you will still be dead. At least if you have a gun the criminal may not attempt to harm you or at the least you can fight back.

Taking the guns from the population is one of the first steps of totalitarianism. But then, that's what liberalism is all about.

[Gunny]

After the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and the Columbine massacre.....after many, many online conversations with people on both sides of the issue, I've finally crystallized my own position on the gun control issue. It is as follows....

1. Ban all handguns in the United States. There is no reason for anyone to own a handgun, except to kill other people. Give gun owners a 5-year window to turn in their handguns to the police. In exchange, they can either get a tax break of $1,000 or a check from the government for the value of the gun. It will cost the federal government $millions to compensate gun owners, but it's money well spent. (We piss away federal money on many, many less worthwhile programs.) As for the handgun manufacturers, they've gotten rich for years and years selling their weapons. It's time for them to find another line of work or retire. The NRA and the gun lobby? Two words: Tough shit. Go suck an egg.

2. I don't propose repealing the 2nd Amendment. Rifles and shotguns that are used for hunting and home defense are permitted and always will be. But no assault weapons or automatic or semi-automatic weapons are permitted. These have no purpose except to kill other people.

3. If you're caught with a handgun in your possession after the 5-year grace period, the gun is confiscated and you are assessed a $1,000 fine. If you're caught with a handgun a second time, you go to prison. If you're caught with an assault rifle or an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, you go to prison the very first time you're caught. No exceptions.

That's my stand on the issue; that's what I want to see the next president and the next Congress do. I will write my current representatives and the candidates in the coming elections and tell them that's what I want them to do.

Comments?

I have a better idea ..

FUCK NO.

I think we should take away the right to vote of anyone proposing to take away my right to keep and bear arms. Tit-for-tat.

[Kathianne]

After the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, and the Columbine massacre.....after many, many online conversations with people on both sides of the issue, I've finally crystallized my own position on the gun control issue. It is as follows....

1. Ban all handguns in the United States. There is no reason for anyone to own a handgun, except to kill other people. Give gun owners a 5-year window to turn in their handguns to the police. In exchange, they can either get a tax break of $1,000 or a check from the government for the value of the gun. It will cost the federal government $millions to compensate gun owners, but it's money well spent. (We piss away federal money on many, many less worthwhile programs.) As for the handgun manufacturers, they've gotten rich for years and years selling their weapons. It's time for them to find another line of work or retire. The NRA and the gun lobby? Two words: Tough shit. Go suck an egg. Great, most law abiding people, at least in cities will disarm. Most non-law abiding, won't. :lame2:


2. I don't propose repealing the 2nd Amendment. Rifles and shotguns that are used for hunting and home defense are permitted and always will be. But no assault weapons or automatic or semi-automatic weapons are permitted. These have no purpose except to kill other people. Want to bet that most registered handguns are used for home defense?

I haven't a clue to automatic or semi-automatic, but if they are registered, what are the rates of being used illegally?


3. If you're caught with a handgun in your possession after the 5-year grace period, the gun is confiscated and you are assessed a $1,000 fine. If you're caught with a handgun a second time, you go to prison. If you're caught with an assault rifle or an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, you go to prison the very first time you're caught. No exceptions.

That's my stand on the issue; that's what I want to see the next president and the next Congress do. I will write my current representatives and the candidates in the coming elections and tell them that's what I want them to do.

Comments?

I think I did the commenting above.