Quote:
Originally Posted by Negotiator
I'll be the first to say I really dislike guns. I've fired them at a range a couple times, I'm no marksman by any stretch of the imagination. It's just not my thing. Going with my usual skepticism, though, I'd be reluctant to hand everything off to the police and military and say "play nice," not because of any specific distrust towards them but the simple notion that if you give someone all the cards in the deck they're probably going to try using them, given enough time. I'm okay with Joe American owning a gun.
But he damn well better know when and how he should use, store, and respect it.
If you want to have the powers of life and death (mostly death), fine. But I want the government to register the hell out of you and make sure you know exactly what you're doing with it. I want them to be able to trace every gun to their owner. Heck, while I'm at it, make it public knowledge who has what gun. Finally, if you screw up, or if you let it fall into the wrong hands and some kid blows off their friend's face or what have you, it's your ass.
At least, that's how I feel about it.
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As a gun owner, I agree with almost everything there. I don't know if I want the neighbors to be able to just search a registry to see who has a gun in the neighborhood. Some people truly think about as negatively of gun owners as they do sex offenders. There is a stigma that can't be overcome.
I am all proving proficiency with firearms before being allowed to use or purchase them. It could be just like getting a motorcycle endorsement. You have to take classes and/or pass a test. I have a bigger fear of being shot by some yayhoo at the range then I do out and about in public(where I never carry).