Gun Control Debate #3

Blef said:

I have to disagree. Even if you are defending yourself then your purpose for having a gun is to harm another, to defend your life. Guns are designed and built for that very purpose. I once heard someone (and I can't remember who as it was so long ago) who said "if you own a gun you HAVE to be prepared to use that gun and kill someone if necessary).

I take GREAT exception at you saying it's usually mentally ill people (lumped in with EVIL people, and intoxicated) as statistics from all over the world (some examples below) show that the mentally ill are more at risk of being victims of violence than being perpetrators. Maybe the easy availability of guns is the bigger problem.

http://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/violence-and-mental-health-unpacking-a-complex-issue/

https://news.ncsu.edu/2014/02/wms-desmarais-violence2014/

https://www.sane.org/mental-health-and-illness/facts-and-guides/fvm-mental-illness-and-violence

http://jech.bmj.com/content/70/3/223

Click to expand...

Couple things

When people are saying limit or don't allow people with mental illnesses to own guns, what exactly is the definition of "mental illness." Anyone diagnosed with depression or anxiety? That would exclude a lot of people, including the majority of the teachers I know.


I was always taught you don't consider your gun for self defense unless you are willing to use it to kill. Several years ago, my at-the-time boyfriend inherited a bunch of firearms from his grandfather. Since neither of us had shot any firearms for a long time (not even sure he ever had), we kept the guns as far away from the ammo as possible in our little apartment. We didn't want to be tempted to whip it out in case of an intruder because we knew we weren't confident and would probably end up disarmed and shot with it.

Here is Gun Control Debate New Thread #4.

Thank you Flourish for letting me know what posts you would like brought over to the new thread.

If anyone would like any posts brought over to thread #4 please alert on the post and let me know.

Thank you,
Tricia