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Allllll right.... So I read a buddies post regarding the public sale of the M24 sniper rifle system, and the article in general (not necessarily his post) generated some interesting responses. A number of these replies/comments/posts were of the typical anti-gun, fear based variety that tend to irk the **** out of me, and so I'm opting to address some of this nonsense in public forum. Below are some of the questions (albeit rhetorical in most cases) and/or statements I see most frequently in some form or another, as well as my responses.
1. Why would you buy a gun?
Assuming the question is "Why would one LEGALY buy a gun" my answer is simple. because I can. followed by: why not? Or, because guns are like lawn gnomes, they're awesome, they make my yard (as it relates to the gun- my safe/wall/mantle etc.) look cooler (I associate lawn gnomes with midgets but that's a whole other topic), they may scare off stray dogs or a potential intruder (some people are scared of lawn gnomes, and I know a guy who kept the neighbors dog from defecating on his lawn by putting out various lawn ornaments), and yes because the United States Government says I can. If you don't agree don't buy a lawn gnome. or a gun.
2. Guns increase the risk of violent crime.
Two problems here. One, guns have been available legally in the United States for such a period of time that if outlawed now there would still be a huge surplus available on the black market for individuals to purchase who intended to use them for criminal purposes. Two, guns don't kill people, people kill people. Yes it's a bumper sticker but that doesn't make it untrue. If someone wants to commit a violent act they're going to find a way to do it, gun or not. People that intend on committing a crime that employs the use of a firearm rarely purchase said firearm legally prior to said crime. If one acquires a weapon legally for implementation during a criminal act they deserve to go to jail. forever. because they're an idiot and they probably won't be able to reproduce in jail.
If two people are engaged in an altercation, one with a knife, one with a gun, and neither have training, the person with the gun is A) more likely to be shot with their own weapon than shooting the other person, and B) the individual with the knife is far more likely to stab their opponent to death as opposed to being shot and killed. These are facts. So what's the play here? Should we begin campaigning to outlaw knives? Of coarse not, that would be stupid. If someone breaks into my house I will assume they intend to do me and/or my family harm. I'm going to kill them. If I don't have a gun I'll do it with a knife, a dull one, because I have knives more readily accessable than spoons. Why a spoon? Because getting stabbed to death with a spoon ****ing hurts, and if the attacker doesn't die each stab would be a life lesson. Not to mention in the very unlikely event that the perpetrator got away it would be considerably easier for the police to locate the guy who checked into the hospital in critical condition with 20 spoon wounds. That's some unique ****.
3. Peaceful people, educated people don't need guns.
See lawn gnomes. lots of smart people own lawn gnomes. Also, studies (numerous studies in fact) indicate (within reason, and I realize I'm opening pandora's box here, and I'm perfectly willing to argue whatever fantastical counter argument this instigates- that's your cue Josh Holt) that crime is inversely proportionate to the number of legal guns maintained within a given area; city, state, province, "holler," whatever.
Peaceful people. History is full of peaceful people who were eradicated, overrun, taken prisoner, or otherwise generally ****ed over by bad people with guns. Those who survived these encounters either found a gun or found someone with a gun who knew how to use it.
I don't think everyone should own a gun, but I do think our right to bear arms needs to be protected. If you don't like guns then don't own one. I probably don't like the colors you chose to paint the walls of your house but I'm not going to come in and redecorate. If you think guns are scary educate yourself, you probably wont find them scary anymore. Respect my right to bear arms. If you're one of those who think people need to be protected from themselves through government intervention find another outlet. Find another outlet for the sake of the would be prisoners your willing to pay to incarcerate for the rest of their natural lives; don't make me permanently maim them with a spoon.
I was just about to post this when I read a comment stating (I'm paraphrasing here) selling sniper systems to the general public would give people the ability to hurt others from long distances. Well, so do laser beams. Laser beams are at least as awesome as sniper rifles and equally as unlikely to be commissioned in a crime from long distances. My friends on here who are shooters can explain better and I encourage you to do so. The wayyyy watered down version is that it takes an incredible amount of training and skill to effectively employ a sniper system (or a laser.) This leads to the obvious argument that if someone can "get shots on target" at 1,000M with a sniper system then they could probably get within 300m of their intended target with an over-the-counter piece of **** they bought from Walmart with open sites. If your asking yourself what open sites are, you don't have to worry about being "the one" who buys an M24 for "fun," flips out, and uses it to kill someone. you'll miss. I promise. All things being equal, why the hell would someone spend $4,000 on a system they can't use to hit a target so far away they don't have a snowballs chance in hell at hitting it? They wouldn't. Anymore stupid questions? Focus on the important **** like lawn gnomes. Or midgets. Or both.
1. Why would you buy a gun?
Assuming the question is "Why would one LEGALY buy a gun" my answer is simple. because I can. followed by: why not? Or, because guns are like lawn gnomes, they're awesome, they make my yard (as it relates to the gun- my safe/wall/mantle etc.) look cooler (I associate lawn gnomes with midgets but that's a whole other topic), they may scare off stray dogs or a potential intruder (some people are scared of lawn gnomes, and I know a guy who kept the neighbors dog from defecating on his lawn by putting out various lawn ornaments), and yes because the United States Government says I can. If you don't agree don't buy a lawn gnome. or a gun.
2. Guns increase the risk of violent crime.
Two problems here. One, guns have been available legally in the United States for such a period of time that if outlawed now there would still be a huge surplus available on the black market for individuals to purchase who intended to use them for criminal purposes. Two, guns don't kill people, people kill people. Yes it's a bumper sticker but that doesn't make it untrue. If someone wants to commit a violent act they're going to find a way to do it, gun or not. People that intend on committing a crime that employs the use of a firearm rarely purchase said firearm legally prior to said crime. If one acquires a weapon legally for implementation during a criminal act they deserve to go to jail. forever. because they're an idiot and they probably won't be able to reproduce in jail.
If two people are engaged in an altercation, one with a knife, one with a gun, and neither have training, the person with the gun is A) more likely to be shot with their own weapon than shooting the other person, and B) the individual with the knife is far more likely to stab their opponent to death as opposed to being shot and killed. These are facts. So what's the play here? Should we begin campaigning to outlaw knives? Of coarse not, that would be stupid. If someone breaks into my house I will assume they intend to do me and/or my family harm. I'm going to kill them. If I don't have a gun I'll do it with a knife, a dull one, because I have knives more readily accessable than spoons. Why a spoon? Because getting stabbed to death with a spoon ****ing hurts, and if the attacker doesn't die each stab would be a life lesson. Not to mention in the very unlikely event that the perpetrator got away it would be considerably easier for the police to locate the guy who checked into the hospital in critical condition with 20 spoon wounds. That's some unique ****.
3. Peaceful people, educated people don't need guns.
See lawn gnomes. lots of smart people own lawn gnomes. Also, studies (numerous studies in fact) indicate (within reason, and I realize I'm opening pandora's box here, and I'm perfectly willing to argue whatever fantastical counter argument this instigates- that's your cue Josh Holt) that crime is inversely proportionate to the number of legal guns maintained within a given area; city, state, province, "holler," whatever.
Peaceful people. History is full of peaceful people who were eradicated, overrun, taken prisoner, or otherwise generally ****ed over by bad people with guns. Those who survived these encounters either found a gun or found someone with a gun who knew how to use it.
I don't think everyone should own a gun, but I do think our right to bear arms needs to be protected. If you don't like guns then don't own one. I probably don't like the colors you chose to paint the walls of your house but I'm not going to come in and redecorate. If you think guns are scary educate yourself, you probably wont find them scary anymore. Respect my right to bear arms. If you're one of those who think people need to be protected from themselves through government intervention find another outlet. Find another outlet for the sake of the would be prisoners your willing to pay to incarcerate for the rest of their natural lives; don't make me permanently maim them with a spoon.
I was just about to post this when I read a comment stating (I'm paraphrasing here) selling sniper systems to the general public would give people the ability to hurt others from long distances. Well, so do laser beams. Laser beams are at least as awesome as sniper rifles and equally as unlikely to be commissioned in a crime from long distances. My friends on here who are shooters can explain better and I encourage you to do so. The wayyyy watered down version is that it takes an incredible amount of training and skill to effectively employ a sniper system (or a laser.) This leads to the obvious argument that if someone can "get shots on target" at 1,000M with a sniper system then they could probably get within 300m of their intended target with an over-the-counter piece of **** they bought from Walmart with open sites. If your asking yourself what open sites are, you don't have to worry about being "the one" who buys an M24 for "fun," flips out, and uses it to kill someone. you'll miss. I promise. All things being equal, why the hell would someone spend $4,000 on a system they can't use to hit a target so far away they don't have a snowballs chance in hell at hitting it? They wouldn't. Anymore stupid questions? Focus on the important **** like lawn gnomes. Or midgets. Or both.
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