Will gun control really help lower crime?

[moneywealth]

I thought I would take a poll and see what people think of this issue!

 

[Brandon]

As you might be able to tell from my editorials, I favor gun ownership for multiple reasons. Not only does it remove a large part of the black market but it allows citizens a way to defend themselves against criminals and the state if it ever becomes tyrannical.

 

[Canadachick]

I am a strong advocate for gun control. Doing so removes firearms from the general public, hence lowering gun crimes.

 

[Brandon]

Canadachick,

removing guns from citizens does not lower gun ownership within the country, it transfers it from the law abiding to the criminals.

 

[w.harbaugh]

Only the police and store owners and other people with legitimate needs for weapons should own them. The police should always carry guns, in Ireland the police can't do anythign except (stop or I'll say stop again)

 

[daria564]

it's also a good idea to remember that "gun control" doesn't always equal "private citizens can't own guns" - and in the sense that gun control means that we don't just sell guns to anyone or everyone who comes looking for one, i do think it's a good thing. however, there are people who need guns for purposes other than self-defense (hunters, for example) - and those people shouldn't have to have their weapons taken away.

in general, within reason, i really do want the government to keep its nose out of my business. if i pass various background checks, am informed about safety, and am otherwise willing to be a responsible gun owner, it seems to me as though i ought to be allowed to possess a gun if i feel it's necessary.

i personally don't ever want to own a gun and would be almost afraid to do so. but if gun ownership makes another responsible citizen feel safe, then i think they should have that right.

 

[capitalist_junkie]

There are times when I've thought about buying a gun for my own protection, especially because I'm about to go to grad school in a city that has a bit of a crime problem. I've done things like take self-defense courses, but sometimes wonder if I'd feel safe with a gun. Honestly, I don't really want to have to use one. But it's more the psychological feeling of security. If I had a gun, even if I was in a dangerous situation, I wouldn't want to use it. It's almost more of a confidence thing.

 

[vicki2]

I believe in gun control only to the extent that it can help weed out criminal use and ownership of guns. It isn't the average gun owner, who has a gun for hunting or target shooting, it's the hand gun owner who has no intention of registering it because the purpose for owning it is criminal to begin with.

 

[capitalist_junkie]

You make a good point. I'm all for legalized weapon ownership. We just need to crack down on illegal gun ownership. There are so many facets to high crime rates, and illegal gun use is one of them.

 

[daria564]

It isn't the average gun owner, who has a gun for hunting or target shooting, it's the hand gun owner who has no intention of registering it because the purpose for owning it is criminal to begin with.

absolutely. gun owners whose weapons are legal really don't strike me as the source of the problem.

 

[Word2Action]

The funny thing is, Canada has more weapons than the US and their crime rate is way lower by gunfire that is. We need to figure out what Canada is doing right and what the US is doing wrong.

 

[daria564]

The funny thing is, Canada has more weapons than the US and their crime rate is way lower by gunfire that is. We need to figure out what Canada is doing right and what the US is doing wrong.

i'm not up on this - what sort of gun control does canada have in place?

 

[Word2Action]

I don't remember the exact laws but I remember watching a documentary about gun control which compared the US to Canada and remembering that the numbers were startling.

 

[Brandon]

Are you talking about Bowling for Columbine?

 

[Word2Action]

I was actually thinking about this documentary but didn't want to say it in case I was wrong. But this should be the one I was talking about.

p.s. Michael Moore is a totally different subject. I still don't know if I find him to be a hypocrite or a saint.