In light of today's massacre in Virginia, doesn't the right to bear arms seem sick and pathetic?

Question

Go on, I dare all the insane pro-gun people out there to defend it.

Oh, and for those who accuse me of scoring points off some poor people whose lives were tragically stolen - you're wrong! The right to bear arms is the enabler - it isn't just massacres that I refer to but the fact !!FACT!! that America has the highest death toll from guns i the so-called civilised west. Now that IS pathetic and defending this archaic article of the Declaration of Independence is sad, ignorant or just foolish.

Answer 1

Yes it does seem pathetic but Americans have the mad idea that the general public need to be armed to the teeth for some reason.

Also the gun groups there have great political power so the law will never get changed.

Answer 2

Here, we have no right to have a gun. After the Dunbalne tragedy, the Gov't passed tougher laws against gun-owning. However, what has happened is an increase in knife-crime. The sad thing is, there will always be people who want to harm others and they will use whatever means they can to do this, just look at the number of terrorists in the world.
You are right, guns are the means to the end and the world would be a better place without them.
How can we, however, teach greater tolerance and acceptance such that tragedies like today's become something of history, not currente events?

Answer 3

What I do not understand is how people are unwilling to accept that if more students were carrying guns on campus, this person would not have had such an easy time shooting people. He would soon become a target after his intentions were known. That is why people have the right to own guns, to defend themselves. Not to shoot innocent people. Do people have the right to defend themselves even against a gun toting maniac? Or defend themselves up to but excluding a person using a gun in a crime? How can you justify that? The criminal has the right to use a gun because he is he willing to break the law. You will never take away the ability to break the law. If you could then removing guns from the population would make perfect sense.
I would agree that if we as a country were able to remove all illegal drugs from our country than we would be successful at removing illegal guns also.

Answer 4

The Genie is out of the bottle as far as owning guns is concerned, there are far too many in circulation to stop them now. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to the loved ones of those killed. However, what can be done, is to stop the glorification of gun use and associated violence depicted in many of today's films. Such films are made for profit and it's far easier to take the easy route of sex and violence than to provide a story. It's time the US faced up to the harvest it is sowing in these type of movies. The effect on the less sophisticated minds is seen all the time. If the film industry can't censor itself then perhaps it is time to do so externally. Not a route I would want to go but if it saved one young kid's life, I don't mind depriving others of their kicks.

Answer 5

OK, I will.

1. It is a constitutional right that is the physical guarantee of your right to come to forums like this an express yourself freely, among other things.

2. We do not know if the firearms used in this incident were legally or illegally purchased. Obviously, since it is against the law to carry firearms on the Virginia Tech campus, at least one law was broken by the gunman.

3. Perhaps, if there were firearms allowed on campus, the death toll would have been less due to a response by a legally armed individual.

4. Most of us "insane pro-gun people" stress that carrying firearms is something to be done in accordance with that law, and only by law-abiding citizens. Obviously, this particular incident is not an example of those principles.

Answer 6

Your also forgetting the hundreds of kids who "play" with daddies gun and end up shooting themselves. The awful deaths of all them people is just scratching the surface of what a problem guns are in America.

Answer 7

I'm not pro-gun by any means. I'm all for gun control. I think it should be VERY DIFFICULT to get a gun. I think you should have to jump through all KINDS of hoops to get a gun. Take classes, psychological evaluations, etc.

However, I don't like the idea of average people NOT being allowed to have guns. What might happen if the only people given access to guns would be the people in charge--- i.e. military, police? I don't trust "THE MAN" that much. Do you? What if only Bushies got guns? I think that's scary.

I don't own a gun. I don't want to own a gun. But I don't think there's a simple black and white answer to this problem unfortunately.

Very sad about the Virginia Tech shootings. I wish it could have been prevented.

Answer 8

maybe you should re think. Guns are not bad and cant do anything without a person to pull the trigger. if we take every ones guns away do you really think that the crazy people cant find a way to carry out their crazy killing sprees?
maybe something like make a bomb out of household cleaners and blow up groups of people? like they do in places where you cant have a gun? I don't hunt and haven't shot a gun in many years. I have my great grand fathers shot gun my fathers 45 and my step fathers 22 and you want to take them away from me?why?
my heart and my prayers go out the these people in Va but my having the guns that belonged to my four fathers doesn't have any thing to do with it

Answer 9

The 'guns don't kill people, people do' is the most ridiculous maxim I've ever heard. People wouldn't be able to kill with guns if there were no guns duh! Having said that. I don't think these massacres happen often enough for them to have an impact on the right to bear arms. Very very sad for all the students and families involved.

Answer 10

Pro-Gun People are not insane. It is people who do insane things with guns that is the problem. Today is totally a tragic event. One that could have been prevented if teachers, students of legal age, could obtain and carry a concealed weapon on campus. I am sure Mayor Bloomberg and other Libs will be trying to use this as fodder to get rid of the 2nd ammendment, particularly since VA is one of the most gun loving states in the country (I grew up there), Those of you who believe in the 2nd ammendment had better get ready, the anti-gun types will be coming out of the woodwork on this one!!