thats not me in my avatar pic. LOL i didnt think about that when i started this topic.

i don't own any guns (because my mom won't let me) but I'm with you

Gun control means having good aim.

I've gotta agree with you Johnny. The government will NOT take away my right to own firearms. CHL's require background checks, so does buying a gun. Gun control shouldn't get ANY stricter.

the nuge is a redneck.

while i am not familiar with any recents attempts to ban guns, i am of the understanding that the majority of legislation about gun control is limiting the use of more powerful weapons like the UZI, the AK47 and other related high powered assault rifles and certain hand guns. now i don't believe ted nugent uses an AK to go hunting with as that would be overkill. which is the point of some of this legislation...overkill....now certainly the gov. has tried to limit some guns that probably should NOT be limited and others that should be limited. and of course the krux of the arguement is HOW MUCH limitation there should or shouldn't be. so while i don't necessarily agree with some gun control laws, there are some limitations that i think should be in place. i personally can't say i would ever have any use for an AK47 ro a LAAS rocket loauncher for standard house protection. and i certainly don't think i like the idea of "stupid people" having access to them either. and i seriously doubt the founding father pictured this either.....

I have *very* strong opinions about this topic.

1) I serve in the U.S. Army, and therefore not only have the right but the duty to bear arms. As a soldier, we are required to raise our right hand and swear that we will uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The Constitution guarantees our right to bear arms, and according to the oath I have sworn, I will fight to the end to make sure that people continue to have that right.

2) Our country lives by checks and balances. The founding fathers built this into our system, and they also realized that the ultimate check to an oppressive government was an armed populace. A government cannot rule by fear when the government itself is afraid of its own citizens.

3) The fact that many people in the United States *do* own firearms and regularly use them is a large part of why our armed forces are so good at what they do.

I do however also agree that there should be certain checks on the firearms themselves. Serial numbers and rifling mark databases have made it infinitely easier to solve crimes involving firearms. Proper education on their safe use decreases accidents.

People argue that guns kill. This is true...that is the whole purpose behind a firearm. To kill. However, knives, bows and arrows, spears, sharp sticks, rocks, and any handy object lying around can kill just as easily. It is the person pulling the trigger that actually kills, just like it's the person throwing the spear or wielding the club.

Taking away peoples' firearms will result in a situation much like prohibition in the 1920's and 30's: Make a commodity scarce and illegal, and it becomes far more desirable. Criminals will have just as much access to it, and if they are the only ones with access, it will be that much more dangerous.

Tricky argument here that will go on for years. Yes it is our right to have guns, those who hunt can have guns, those in fear can have guns, those whose macho image of themselves requires they have guns can have guns, those in bars can have guns, those that want to kill themselves can have guns, those who find it a great hobby can have guns, etc etc.
I personally only have two things to say about guns If your intent with a gun is murder/suicide do the suicide first.
I do not own a gun (would rather have another guitar) but if I ever feel the need to own one I'm going to shoot the son of bitch that makes me feel that need.

Living in Colorado is kind of like living in the old west. I don't go into the mountains unarmed. As many people as have been dragged off by mountain lions, or trampled to death by a bull elk, or a cow with a calf, (still talking elk here, not moo cows,) aside from the tweaky folks who live deep in the middle of nowhere, it just feels better to know that you have a better chance, should something happen, to take care of yourself. Concealed permits are WAY too easy to get here and we have one of the country's oldest make my day laws. (The police have asked people to just make it easy on them. If you shoot someone at your front door and he falls outside, please drag him back inside as it means a LOT less paperwork!) Since you don't really know who's carrying here, the stats on personal crime, not related to gangs, druggies and such, has dropped dramtically. Only took a few people getting shot during a robbery for that crap to diminish rapidly. Of course, we did have Columbine, but that's less due to guns than to crazy people and in my view, as long as there's crazy people out there, we should have the choice to carry a gun for protection.

The whole attack on "assault guns" was born out of fear and a lack of understanding. The problem with the AK47's and AR15's is they look scary. They are semi-auto, just like most hunting rifles. And if you're afraid of high power guns, then you should be more scared of a hunting rifle designed to drop a 1,200 lb elk than an AK47 designed to take down a 200 lb man.