1 umm gun control….handguns and assault weapons? any useful purpose? maybe the 2 year in Jewett City last week, that blew his head off with a 44 cal handgun that his parents kept under their pillow for “protection” would be playing and laughing today..

This sounds like a classic case of poor parenting and a failure to secure firearms. The parents should be tried for criminal negligence and manslaughter. A properly secured firearm, in a locked nightstand, safe, or gun cabinet, can be accessed in seconds–even when you are roused from a deep slumber. Responsible gun ownership dictates not just security, but familiarity. Drills should be conducted to make sure that you can adequately obtain your defensive weapon and that the weapon is secure.

As to firearms having a useful purpose, I find Kate’s unattributed Heinlein quote to be fascinating: “An armed society is a polite society.”

Imagine a world where a rapist wouldn’t dare contemplate stealing a woman’s virtue…because he knows that there are men and women who possess the will and the means to stop him with deadly force. Imagine a congested freeway, where every man and woman is aware that driving irresponsibly could result in having defend their selfish actions with their lives. There are obvious pros and cons to either scenario, but the bottom line(s) are these:

1. An armed population is an insurance policy against tyranny.
2. In a disarmed society, only the criminals have firearms, leaving them free to do as they will in the absence of police.
3. A armed population reduces the need for police protection, freeing up tax dollars that can be better spent elsewhere.

One of my favorite sayings is that “Guns don’t kill people.” The reason for this is that a gun, just like a hammer, a butcher knife, or a candlestick (in the library, no less) can be a weapon in the right hands. Would you have us outlaw butcher knives? If so, how will you cut your vegetables and meat? Your immediate argument will be “Guns have no purpose aside from killing.” I would argue that most firearms are not built for the express purpose of killing. Instead, they are built for defense and deterrence.

I would extend the above phrase a little bit.

“Guns don’t kill people…liberals who outlaw concealed carry permits kill people.”

Also, Obama is not going to ban your guns, just leave licensing restrictions in place. Nor will he insist on teaching evolution in schools nor put a book-banning mentality in the person of Sarah Palin into power.

He’s not my favoritest candidate ever or anything, but I’m just sayin’

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/UploadedPDF/411693_CandidateTaxPlans.pdf

I found it originally thanks to factcheck.org but it is probably the current decider on why I’m leaning towards voting Obama since I don’t agree with 50% of Obama’s social issues and definitely not a huge fan of his lack of foreign knowlege as shown by comments involving Russia v. Georgia and various comments about Iraq. His tax plan tilts things back in his favor in my mind even though I am more than a little concern what his effect on businesses will be considering there already is a bad problem with layoffs and hiring rates currently.

I think government should exist to do for us what we can’t do as individuals, cities and states. Defense, clearly, is in the national interest. Infrastructure is in the national interest. Exploration (on Earth and in Space) is in the national interest. Foreign relations and trade are in the national interest. And while I think that Health Care could be handled better at a state level, some states wouldn’t have the resources of others. Since we are a United States of America, I don’t have a problem with the concept of New York and California having to kick in their share to see that Infant Mortality is brought down in Mississippi.

I’ve fired a gun exactly one time in my life (an Uzi on full automatic while living on a kibbutz in 1978). I can imagine the circumstances that would make me decide I should own a weapon, but the chances of a Zombie attack really happening are kinda slim. Gun violence is not a problem brought about by by the fact that Americans can legally own firearms. For the most part it’s associated with illegal weapons purchases and by weapons dealers who flout the rules that are already in place. And yeah to what Kate said about dumbasses who are criminally…dumb.

Things government does not need to do, because I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself, are:
-decide who I should sleep with, marry or choose to love.
-protect me from “the terrorists” to the point of annulling the Constitution in order to do it.
-tax capital gains to the point where you’re forced to spend your income quickly or have to give it up to the Feds. (that last one just pisses me off even though it might not fit the category.)

Kate, It’s fine to be on the fence, especially if you’re talking about the parties and not just the candidates. Regardless of the fact that I’ve decided on Obama, I have no doubt that the party will force concessions from him. We’ve all seen evidence of that already. The problem as I see it, is that the parties lie about who they claim to be. The Democratic Party is not the warm, loving, paternal, entity it claims to be. The Republicans are not about providing opportunity to everyone to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. Both parties are about power and about alternative means of gaining it.

Oooh. Now I’m sounding mighty cynical.

I’ll stop now.

Chris,

Thanks for crossing over to post your thoughts! I’ll have to scrutinize both tax plans carefully and then add that to my ever-growing list as to why I’m still fence sitting!

As far as the gun control issue, Obama did support an Illinois gun ban, and while he suggests he supports the second amendment to the Constituation, he believes it’s okay to ban guns on a local level.

It’s that sort of flip-flop that makes me queasy. You can’t support something as large as the second Amendment when you are president, only to turn around and say, ‘Well, if CT decides they don’t want guns anymore, I guess that’s okay’ — effectively leaving all those people unable to defend themselves while criminals run free and rob at will.

Biden also supports an assault weapons ban, btw and was given an F by the NRA for anti-gun legislation.

——

Jim,

Well, I should probably take out ‘only’ in the stance. It’s greatly important to make sure anyone who is sentenced to death for the murder of anyone, rape/sexual abuse or murder of a child is entitled to due process and a trial in front of a judge and their peers. However, if it found they are guilty without DNA evidence, I would be for sending them to prison without the possibility of parole. Compound it with DNA evidence and it would be the death penalty.

—-

Ellen/Mom:

Any dumbass who leaves a loaded deadly weapon under a pillow needs to go to jail. My heart goes out to the family of that 2 year old who shot himself under the neglectful eye of his parents, but you know what? Those people need to go to jail for helping to murder their child. Anyone who is a responsible gun owner, never leaves a loaded weapon where just anyone can reach it, especially when there are children in the house. Common sense would dictate otherwise. Usually, the majority who handle guns and use them for protection keep ammo in a completely different place and locked behind a heavy door or a gun safe.

I for one do not want the government spying on my shoulder making me act responsibly when that is inherently my job.

I’ll discuss other issues with you, in person. Should be an interesting conversation.