Why do Americans feel they have a right to own a gun?

Question

There have been a number of incidents over the years when some interbred nutcase has gone berserk in a school in America. We tightened up our gun laws over here and it seems to have done the trick. Why don't the yanks do likewise and stop these idiots from owning guns?

This is exactly the reponce that I expected from the in breeds....THE CONSTITUTION... That was introduced when the west was still wild. It's a right to own a gun you say? Is it a right to massacre a group of schoolkids because you had a bad hair day? Muppets!!

Answer 1

Well obviously the constitution needs modernising in relation to firearms in the sates. I can understand why it was introduced, living out in the wilderness with no one for miles around you must have been very scary for settlers. However, does this apply now, do Americans need to hide behind the gun for protection, if so then something is sadly lacking in the laws of the land.

However, do you really think that denying Americans the right to own a firearm will be a deterrent, you only have to look at the UK though to a lesser extend, if a nutter wanted to annihilate and kill a few laws will not stop him. Look at Dunfermline and other places in the UK where a madman went berserk and killed innocent children and adults.

Make it harder for them to buy firearms and take them out of the highstreet shops in Amercia this might help.


Thank goodness I live in the UK. Not America, Russia, Brazil etc etc.

Answer 2

Hey, I'm English and I'm no huge fan of American culture but if you ask the question 'Why do Americans feel they have a right to own a gun?', then you can't really blame them for saying 'because it's in our constitution', can you?!?!

What annoys me is when they cite 'the right to bear arms' as one of the reasons they are more 'free' than Europeans. More free to shoot their own faces off or that of their wife, sure!!

I would also disagree that tightening our gun laws has done the trick. If people want a gun, they'll get a gun. If someone is that unhinged that they want to commit another Dunblane, they'll do it. Sad but true. All you have to do is look at the weapons handed in during gun amnesties. It's always some weird ornamental pistol that someone has kept in their lofts for the last 100 years. It's rarely a real handgun from a gang member in South-East London that could be used for harm.

Answer 3

The whole reason for having the right to own guns is to ensure that the people would be ready if they needed to go to battle. Well that was in the late 1700's when they were fighting for independence from England.
This was also to ensure that the government could not be in a total power control position over the people. As the Declaration states, when a government becomes destructive to such means it is the duty of the people to abolish it and start a new government.
Well if the people had no firearms they would not be able to do that.

Answer 4

So it's ok that the criminals have guns but not a responsible person that uses their gun for hunting or protection? And what happens when the government gets too big? Sure the politicians, lawyers and cops would love for everyone to lose their right to own a gun. Then they could declare martial law at any time, holding us as prisoners in our own country, much like the people of North Korea. Our country has imposed the Patriot Act upon us, we get sexually battered going through security just to fly, and we're forced to purchase crap our politicians have stocks in. Sorry, but I like owning a gun for my own protection against criminals, political and other wise.

Answer 5

Why on earth would you equate the right to own a firearm to a right to gun people down?

Let me give you an example of why I have the right to own firearms:

In New Orleans after the hurricane, the mayor ordered police to confiscate firearms from the citizens of NO. Laws and ordnances only work if people obey them. Process of elimination means that the only people that have weapons now are the criminals. What right do you or anyone else have to intrude upon my right to defend myself or my family should my life be placed in jeapardy?

Hollywood Bank shootout, police were grossly outgunned when 2 people wearing body armor decided to arm themselves with automatic weapons and rob a bank (again, law only works on law abiding citizens). If we didn't have the 2nd ammendment, the police would not have been able to borrow more powerful weapons from a nearby gun store to try and outgun the assailants.

I'm by no means saying that everyone should be allowed to own weapons and use them as they personally see fit. A firearm is undeniably a device that requires moral responsibility and those who cannot accept that responsibility have no business owning weapons.

Answer 6

I'm going to assume you are a Brit. I think that you probably have us beaten in the inbred nut cases census. Our inbred nut cases are principly the result of geographical isolation, and are most frequently found in our earlier colonial English immigrant bloodlines. The UK being such a tiny, old, xenophobic and densely populated place; it follows to reason that everyone has married their cousins repeatedly through the miliennium to the point that the nearer in consanguinity you are, the likelier you will end up in the upper strata of society running the place.

Actually our attitude toward personal firearms is a little rabid. But by way of explanation, we are a very young country for who and in some cases, near within living memory it was necessary to have a firearm to protect your person or to get your meat. Your betters of course, allowed that to be the purview of the upper classes. Every other soul so armed was" poaching" or "in arms against lawful authority". I'm being snotty, but gently. It really has to do with cultural difference, some debatable language in the Bill of Rights (prompted, I might add, by the English habit of disarming its less favored subjects at every opportunity)
The Indian wars were not over when my Grandparents were born and it was still common practice to wear a pistol in the rural South Western United States when my Father was born. It simply was just not that long ago. Our mythic cowboy past, while a very short period is only three lifetimes ago. With all the firearms that we have here, it is a wonder that that there is not more of these deaths that figure so prominently in the European imagination. (You don't mind me identifying you as a European I hope) M hope is that this tongue in cheek explanation makes it clearer. There is much more to it than this, its not simple and really does not yield much understanding with smart slogans or righteous indignation.

Answer 7

I am a firm believer in our Bill of Rights that aid in protecting a Democratic society and the citizens that live within a country such as ours. A long time ago our founding fathers had the keen insight to grandfather unto our Constitution a Bill of Rights with amendments to protect us and the voice of many. One of the affirmations that was written happens to be titled the Right to Bear Arms. Thank God our fathers had the gift of hindsight- 20/20 vision in its ultimate finest..
Of course there is opposition, as with any opinion there are always two sides to every belief. There are many who oppose us, they do not support a citizens right to own and carry a legal fire arm. Yes I do understand the viable well put together arguments, and I have respectively listened to the opinions of those who are against me and the millions of others who believe that we should be allowed to hold in possession our weapon of choice.
In the today of things we now have to jump through hoops to obtain a gun. I am in agreement with the demands of background checks etc.as well as the reinforcment of certain character requirements needing to be met by the buyer for the purchase of a firearm to take place. Upon the purchase and registration of a firearm we are reminded that we as citizens will be held accountable for any type of action that our gun could become involved in during the life of ownership, no one is exempt from the bindings of law.
You mentioned above the berzerker who has gone mad and spills the blood of many I understand your horror and the anger you feel, believe me, the Columbine incident is not and will never be forgotten! But these d-mned freaks certainly did not obtain their weapons legally, as with most of the nutcases they will go beyond the limits of the law and do whatever they have to do no matter what or they will pay regardless of cost to obtain weaponry needed to commit their evil. These -astards have a mind set to kill and kill they will.
I am a firm believer the Right to Bear Arms does not enable would be killers, it enables a would be victim a chance to survive an attack. I know this to be true because of a situation I was unwantingly forced into dealing with.
I thank God for the Democratic Society that we exist in. Yes, I am well aware of the imperfect government trying to maintain the chaos amongst the imperfect populous but if we can survive and keep our constitution from being re-written and our bill of rights from being "re-organized" then we'll be okay.
My last but not least thought is that we musn't challenge the Americans need to have the power to defend our loved ones if necessary or compromise a human need to feel safe in our unpredictable world by disarming America.

Answer 8

They all own guns coz just like america they are scared of attack. If they feel threatened at all they will attack another country even though it probably wont affect them - and for the guns if they feel anyone is a threat they feel they have power with a gun even though lots of innocent people - including young children - get killed because of this. Why is it you only really hear about this in america - if innocent people get killed it shows they arent responsible for their weapons or the lives of others and i think its more dangerous for everyone to own a gun. Just think - if all guns were taken away there is a lower chance of deaths and robberies because the people arent as threatening.

Answer 9

Why do you think its right for military to have guns ..same difference to defend our homes and families against idiots like the one you read about..When you take away our guns then only the outlaws and police will have them..with all said and done..its our right..thank God that our forefathers made sure it would stay that way .Our county is becoming more controlled by a few privileged people.Like banning smoking and such..Take our guns NEVER..

Answer 10

It's a mixture of things. One is that many really believe that gun ownership is protection against government overstepping its authority. And they interpret the 2nd amendment as being personally relevant despite the language regarding "a well regulated militia". They somehow fudge that part of the sentence to mean "any dumbazz should be able to own a gun".