Conservatives, I know you want to keep your guns but how can we get rid of all of this gun violence?

Question

Guns are usually used to inflict injury or death on a living creature human or animal. There are many people whose lives are taken by people who pull that trigger. Living in Philadelphia, the murder rate is in the 400s, I know this. There was a police officer shot and killed 2 weeks ago and 2 more just shot last week. Children have also been shot and killed too. It is a national issue, too not just a Philadelphia issue. Can you admit that gun violence is a problem and an issue? There are a few points and I happen to partially agree with all of them. Guns are not the problem, people are. We cannot trust people with guns and if no one had them then there would be fewer deaths. It is my right to have a gun. I agree partially with all of these arguments.There is a problem of legal guns getting into the hands of someone who did not buy it or someone who legally has a gun using it against someone. Please I don't want to take your gun but how do we stop this madness of gun violence?

Answer 1

Guns are a HUGE problem in Philly, I work right outside of the city limits. Massive restrictions are needed, in fact the candidate for mayor, Nutter, is proposing suspension of 4th amendment protections for all individuals in Philly to deal with the problem (the cops can stop and search you anytime, without probable cause, would it surprise you to know he's a Democrat?). Guns for self defense should be restricted to handguns, and rifles for hunting should be allowed, but I am all about restricting or even banning everything else.

Straw purchases are common for Philly gun related crimes, so obviously restrictions won't stop this. Whatever is causing a power vacuum for these criminals to operate must be contained in order to create an atmosphere where less gun violence occurrs.

Answer 2

The flaw in your thesis is that 'gun violence' isn't spread evenly across every part of every city, yet access to firearms and firearm ownership is. Most violence, firearm or non-firearm, is almost always associated with drugs, the drug trade or general criminal behavior. As a rule, certain parts of certain cities are infested with criminal types, gangs and drug users and sellers. Other parts of the same cities have few if any violent criminal types and no gangs. People have suggested that legalizing certain drugs might be a way to slow down the violence, others have opted for longer prison sentences. Some people feel that making firearms illegal is the answer. My feeling is to start with the obvious....make drugs legal.....make gang membership illegal. I simply can't see making firearms illegal for the folks that live in Beverly Hills who rarely if ever murder anyone as a way to keep the folks in E.LA, who shoot each other on a daily basis from doing their drivebys, revenge murders, robberies gone bad and living large behind their 'super-fly' drug dealing culture. Gun violence may be a problem and an issue, but it's a problem and an issue that has nothing to do with the legal ownership of firearms by 95 or more percent of the american public. If 'people' can't be trusted with firearms then the police should be disarmed as well as everyone else. Doctors. lawyers, judges, teachers, preachers and certainly none of our congress critters should be armed because they're 'people' and 'can't be trusted'. I dunno...you're going to need a better thesis, the guns/violence thesis just has too many flaws.

Answer 3

jdt has the best answer so far. By taking away the guns of law abiding people you would just make it easier for criminals to do what they do. We don't need new laws against criminals we need to enforce the ones we have. This country is becoming too "politically correct" and it is hurting us. But this shouldn't be just a Conservative issue, it impacts all of us. But glad you asked as I am proud to be a conservative and I own a couple of guns and have never shot anyone but I did stop a burglar who broke into my house and I was really disappointed that the courts let him off because they said I threatened him with lethal harm which was cruel and exxesive.What would you do if a noise wakes you up at 3AM and you have a wife and kids to protect and you go downstairs with your pistol to find some punk going through your stuff? Yes I yelled on your knees you *##* or I will blow your head off and kept him there until the cops came. And I think I would have been sued if he hadn't been an illigal. I read in the papers a kid with his same name was shot and killed in a gang related fight a few weeks later.I'd rather have seen him change his ways..if it was him Such a waste. So yes we need more police and we need to enforce the laws on illigal aliens as well but thats another subject.

Answer 4

It's not the guns that are violent. It's the violent people who use guns as their weapon. If the government takes our right to bear arms from us, the very ones who are dangerous will have plenty of guns anyway. Then those of us who use guns to hunt for food and to protect our families from dangerous invasions will be even more vulnerable. The root of the problem is not guns. It's thugs with no morals, no conscience, and no regard for the sanctity of life. If our laws put them away for good when they commited a crime using a gun and not patting their little hands and telling them to be good boys, a lot of crimes would slow down. And having parents at home while these kids are growing up to take parenting seriously and teach these kids some decent values in life, it would help too. But I still stand on this: guns are not the problem.

Answer 5

As long as there have been people, there has been violence. Even before the gun, there was a tool for criminals to use. There is no simple answer to your question. England tried to envoke a no gun policy and it worked for the most part. The law abiding surrendered their weapons, but since criminals don't care about the law, didn't turn in their weapons. I don't know what thought process would make politicians think that people who habitually violate laws would all of a sudden obey laws.

For starters, enforcement of existing gun laws and harsher penalties for existing gun law violations. Politicians can pass all the laws they want if no one ever bothers to enforce what is already on the books. It's easy to take guns away from law abiding rightful gun owners. So that's where the focus has been, because politicians know that prohibition doesn't work.

Answer 6

Guns are inanimate objects and cannot be credited with violence. People are not killed BY guns, they're killed WITH guns.

Real gun violence began as an issue when government control over law abiding citizens assured defenseless targets to those who chose NOT to abide by the law.

Just ask yourself why there's never been a car jacking in places like Benson, AZ.

So many people see the 2nd amendment as a cool right to have and don't realize that it SHOULD be seen as a responsibility!

If just 30% of law abiding citizens carried a gun ALWAYS, how many punks would take a chance that YOU are not one of the 70% who will shoot them for attacking you?

If 80% of law abiding citizens carried a gun occasionally, there would be no RANDOM crime.

Murder has been illegal since Cain slew Abel, and yet there have always been murders. Evil exists in the world and there will always be those who prey on societies weaker members.

Rampant and unnecessary "gun violence" is a byproduct of the very type of legislation we're told will stop it.

Gun control only affects law abiding citizens. If a person intends to kill or maim to accomplish a goal, do you believe that person will care if he's violated a law to aquire a gun to do so?

EDIT Had to respond to DAVID R. There has never been a cop killed with a "cop killer" bullet or an "assault weapon". Don't just drink the koolaid dude, look stuff up!

Answer 7

Switzerland requires the population to serve in the Military in one aspect or another. Then all abled body men from the age of 18 to 48 I believe are required to be in a home guard unit. THey are required to have weapons in their homes for instant response. Their society is pretty peaceful.
Japan has strict gun laws. They have gang problems the same as the US.
A town in Arizona had their police department go on strike back in the '70's, leaving the citizens to their own protection. The citizens armed themselves and most crooks left the area for their own safety. It became so peaceful they almost didn't continue the police force.
The possession of weapons for self defense and the proper training to use those weapons can and does create a safer society.
Presently England is going through a very rough time with violent criminal attacks. England for years was the 'poster boy' of the Gun Control society. "Look at England, their police don't even carry guns!" Today we see the local 'bobby' armed with the latest and best SUB-MACHINE GUNS.

The Liberal mantra of Gun control will not solve the violence of any country. When the law abiding citizen surrenders him lawfully owned weapons, it will take several Generations to get the ILLEGAL weapons off the streets. Then the Liberal Cry will be "KNIFE CONTROL"...Then "BALL BAT CONTROL"...THEN "SHOE CONTROL"...THEN "LIMB CONTROL, WE MUST CUT DOWN ALL TREES TO KEEP WEAPONS OUT OF THE HANDS OF CRIMINALS."
One thing we will never hear from the Liberals is CRIMINAL CONTROL, That folks, is too simple.

Answer 8

I like Jeff's answer. Keep criminals in jail!

The actual answer to this question is the one everybody knows is right, but no one acts upon. Gun control starts with good parenting. I grew up using firearms my whole life, target practicing and hunting. I took hunter safety courses as well. However, my father taught the proper uses of those guns. I've never imagined misusing them.

Violence on TV and video games and in music I believe has significant impacts on young minds. Then again, good parenting can overcome those effects.

No government power or enforcement can substitute for ones failure to be a good parent. Good parenting is vital to controlling the vices that plague society.

Answer 9

You will NEVER take my guns! You will have to choose between dying yourself or killing me because I will defend my 2nd ammendment rights til my last breath! All that has to happen is we need to do a better job of enforcing the laws we already have. The trouble is, the laws vary by State. I am for a Federal mandate that allows any American citizen (not illegal or temporary) who has NOT been convicted of any felony within 5 years, to own and carry a firearm anywhere in the United States with proper documentation. Anyone who has ever been convicted of murder, attempted murder, or assault with a deadly weapon should be banned from owning a gun for life.(I would allow this ruling to be overturned by a Federal court only!) Also; No one with a history of potentially violent mental illness. Stop allowing criminals and crazies to own guns! Leave everyone else alone! Oh btw; I am a Democrat!

Answer 10

So, knife violence isn't a big deal? What about people being strangled?

There isn't such a thing as gun violence, there is only violence.

Crime can't be prevented or stopped totally the only thing that may slow it down is start executing more criminals in greater number in greater frequency.