comments

Gun Control is not so much about guns as it is about CONTROL.  Criminals don’t follow gun control laws.  So what is having more gun control laws going to do stop or deter crime?  We have enough gun control laws.  What we need are tougher penalties for breaking ALL laws.  If you can’t figure out how to get out of a life of crime by 3 strikes, then you deserve life in prison.  Tough enough.  Let the law abiding citizens, AND citizens who proved they are NOW law abiding(7-10 years since any crime, except convicted felonies), keep ALL their guns.

Posted by Shane on 03.18.2008 at 11:24 pm

Let D.C. ban handguns. At least then when officers see them they’ll know the carrier is breaking the law. Big cities are not the same as semi-rural cities where people still have cabinets full of rifles and shotguns.

If they can’t sell handguns to citizens, they won’t stock more in shops. Criminals would have to start a black market to get them in the city - which would stop the unorganized criminals from grabbing Uncle Joe’s gun and shooting someone.

Posted by Anonymous on 03.19.2008 at 06:42 am

Guns do not kill people. People kill people.
Does gun control work? Sure it does, if Hitler was still alive, you could ask him.

Posted by Smith Wesson on 03.19.2008 at 07:43 am

It bothers me that the powers that be think by taking away guns they can control this.  When they do this all they will be doing is taking them away from law abiding citizens.  The thugs who want them for illegal purposes will always be able to get them black market.  Making stricker laws to get guns is okay because those who want them for protection will not mind the regulations.  This still will not accomplish much as I said, those who want them will always be able to get them.

Posted by Patricia Connolly Harbison on 03.19.2008 at 10:12 am

Why should law abiding citizens be penalized by more gun control laws? Citizens have the right to defend their families and homes..The criminals will always get the guns to come and steal your property. They will use what ever means to break into your house or business..Gun control laws will not keep the guns out of the “bad people’s” hands. Enforce the laws that are on the books already..

Posted by Jane Trivette on 03.19.2008 at 10:37 am

I have to agree with Shane.  The laws we have just need to be enforced.  New controls would not stop thugs from having their guns and would only make the honest citizens, especially single women and the elderly, more vulnerable to criminals breaking into their homes!

Posted by Lee on 03.19.2008 at 10:42 am

I’m a law abiding citizen. I’ll keep my guns. If you think you will take my guns...then you will force me to be a law breaker. We will have guns even if we have to make our own and find places to hide them. Then you won’t know who has them or where they are. At least now you have some idea.

Posted by Anonymous on 03.19.2008 at 10:50 am

No they should not make tougher laws.They need to quit screwing around with OUR RIGHTS.It is bad enough that they’ve taken GOD out of our schools and public buildings.Our Country is going downhill fast as it is, and it’s only going to get worse if Obama or Hillary gets elected to office.Keep screwing around with law abiding,TAX PAYING,and LEGAL citizens and eventually we’re going to get tired and fight back.Quit wasting time on this, grow a set and do something about the Illegals in America,Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.Nuff Said.

Posted by Chuck on 03.19.2008 at 01:12 pm

More lax? You’ve got to be kidding!  If it were more lax, there wouldn’t even need to be a law.
Stricter and more severe penalties for every crime that involved using any type of gun type weapon. Confiscation. Jail time for anyone caught with a gun in their possession that is not suppossed to have one (criminals, illegals, etc). Yes, guns kill people. And criminally minded people will find a way to get them.  That’s where the battle will be won - when government and police can catch and enforce the stricter penalties and punishments.

Posted by Anonymous on 03.19.2008 at 01:50 pm

If ALL handguns were outlawed, except for law enforcement....
If no one could buy them legally.....
If police could melt them as soon as they are brought into the Police station.....
If there was a $1,000. reward for information for retreaving a handgun from anyone.....
Then the street thugs would be making money by turning in information for the Police to pick up handguns and charge the owners.....
Gun collectors should not be excempt because gun collectors can snap and shoot, or their collections can be stolen.
Gun makers in the US must stop making them.
If you disagree with me, then it may be you or your children shot in the next robbery.
Personally, I’d rather take my chances with a knife than a concealed handgun. 
For my children’s sake, America does not need handguns.  They can be concealed, rifles cannot.

Posted by Russell Miller on 03.19.2008 at 02:22 pm

The right to have arms in the conitution,so if our government every become so corrupt the people will have the means to take it back.

Posted by JOHN FOX on 03.19.2008 at 06:08 pm

The Bill of rights should not be changed because of the people who use hand guns or any weapon to kill. No matter what law or laws get passed a person who’s going to comment a crime will find a gun to use. We have to register new guns now but that has not stopped any of the killings that have gone on here in the U.S. I do not own a gun but I have thought about it. Things are so very different from when I was growing up, it’s scary. I hear gun shots more around my neighborhood now, then I did when I was younger. My family has lived in the same neighborhood since I was born, so much has changed and not for the good. I would love to be able to sit outside again and not worry if something will happen.
A honest person should have the right to own a hand gun if they so choose. It’s the dishonest people you have to worry about!!!

Posted by Kathy Fink on 03.19.2008 at 06:09 pm

If the goverment takes all of the guns from law abiding citizens then only the criminals will have guns because they don’t care if they break the law anyway.It looks like our goverment is turning more and more toward a communist county everyday.

Posted by David Cook on 03.19.2008 at 06:09 pm

You people who think guns will protect you are soooooo full of crap!!!  My parents had guns all over their home but some crazy person was still able to come into their home and murder them with a handgun.  I get sooooo sick of people saying no one but the criminals will have guns if we have tougher laws.  Well I HATE GUNS.  I hate people who think they are sooooo wonderful.  Try finding your parents shot to death and then you will see how wonderful you think guns are.  I know only people kill with guns but if there were no guns to begin with maybe my parents would be alive.  How about so many others who have lost dear family members this year by being shot.  Did their right to own a gun save their lives? Do you people really think having a gun would save your life?  You are just kidding yourself.  Make the laws tougher.  Take guns altogether for all I care.

Posted by SMITH on 03.19.2008 at 06:10 pm

Taking away (people’s rights to own) guns aren’t going to keep criminals from having them. No more than making drugs illegal reduces drug use or keeps those who use them illegally from doing so. It’s just one more step in making this once wonderful democracy a fascist society. Why stop with just this one law.....let’s re-write them all!

Posted by Jim Frogge on 03.19.2008 at 06:31 pm

simple as pie. Criminals WILL have guns whether by black market or whatever. If the citizens have no weapons to defend themselves then; criminals win ; citizens lose.Answer, punish the guys using the guns wrongly to the fullest. If they injure or kill; sock it to them.The only way they should leave the cell should be to get the needle.It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out ,and it looks like todays geniuses today absolutly can’t seem to do it.

Posted by Buddy C Baldwin on 03.19.2008 at 09:45 pm

Taking hand guns away from law abiding citizens is not the quick fix for crimes involving firearms that our esteemed government leaders want us to think it is. If the laws we already have were properly enforced there would be far fewer tragic headlines in the news. There are almost always red flags flying around the people who misuse weapons illegally (or commit other serious crimes). The cops are catching these people and “the system” is letting them back out again. Why don’t we as a society fix our problems at the source instead of wishing for yet another band-aid to patch up and pass on our troubles for yet another day? If Einstien had any credibility, he thought the definition of insanity was for one to do the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. The real problem to address is to have our “leaders” stop trying to appease the naive, ignorant, and apparently influential element of our free society with yet another band-aid that will not be enforced any more than all the laws we are ingoring now! In other words, we need a law that prohibits lawmakers from flunking the “stupid” test. Oh, wait, isn’t that what elections are for? Upon further review, I guess it’s entirely my fault because I must have voted for at least a few of these people........I’m sorry about that folks!

Posted by Steve Long on 03.19.2008 at 11:02 pm

Guns are not the problem. Our law makers and enforcement people are the problem. Slap them on the wrist, let them go do it again. Just enforce the the law the way it was written. Give the criminals something to fear.just look at the repeat offenders.Take a look at the countries that took all guns away from the people.The crime rate is higher than before.America has never had a war on our land yet, take all guns away from the public and see who takes America over.

Posted by jeff deal on 03.20.2008 at 05:40 am

if the reasons behind banning handguns is to prevent more deaths; then shouldn’t alcohol be banned? There are far more deaths, injuries, and other damages from the use of alcohol than there are from guns; all of you who so freely advocate taking law abiding citizens’ guns, may we take your alcohol privileges? Or maybe we should ban doctors; there are more people that die each year from misdiagnosis of ailments and being prescribed the wrong drugs than are killed by guns. The only problem with guns is the people who use them to commit crimes. And like the bumper sticker says, “Ted Kennedy’s car has killed far more people than my gun”

Posted by dennis hutchens on 03.20.2008 at 05:47 am

If the so called gun control advocates really want to take guns away from criminals, then work on that problem.  The energy and money used to try and take away the guns of responsible law abidding citizens can be put to better use. Do your research, and stopping illegal gun imports, black markets sales, would be a good place to start. Enforce the laws we have instead of adding more to the books that can’t reasonably be enforced to start with.  Finally, less plea bargins, stiffer penalties, and more judges willing to take a stand on crime would be nice.

Posted by Mike Woodside on 03.20.2008 at 07:44 am

We have all heard that guns don’t kill people, people kill people...but what do they use?  My best friend was shot and killed on New Years Eve by a man who got drunk, picked up a gun, killed her, paralyzed another and killed himself.  Now, every New Years Eve is not a celebration for those of us who lost a loved one or can no longer walk.  When gun violence touches you personally, suddenly your opinion about these life and death issues is challenged. I think there needs to be a sensible approach to gun ownership.  Why do people need assault rifles?  Why do we need to have automatic weapons out there and why are there loop-holes in the laws to let people with criminal backgrounds or documented mental problems buy these weapons at gun shows?

Posted by reality check on 03.20.2008 at 08:19 am

I am a disabled veteran i served in viet nam and served with pride
“ if you take my gun “ you might as well go ahead and shoot me with it

Posted by Dana W. Howard on 03.20.2008 at 05:32 pm

There is no way the goverment could take all the guns off the streets. They might could take the leagaly regesterd guns away from the honest people who have them for selfdefence. To take the guns away from the American people would leave this country vonerable to attack.

Posted by Brian J. Pierce on 03.20.2008 at 06:12 pm

There are already 22,000 federal laws in this country regulating the purchase, sale, ownership and types of firearms individuals may possess.  Instead of insisting on enforcing already existing laws, anti-gun advocates propose new restrictions.  New proposals include “gun free zones,” stamping identifying marks on empty shell casings, limiting people to purchase one firearm per month and banning certain types of firearms based upon how they look.  These ideas, though impractical, give some people a good feeling because they feel they are doing something.  However, the end result is that only law-abiding citizens are going to follow these new laws because criminals by their very nature do not follow the law.  And that sets up an environment where you and I suffer the consequences.
In 2004, the National Academy of Sciences reviewed 253 journal articles, 99 books, and 43 government publications evaluating 80 gun-control measures. The researchers could not identify a single gun-control regulation that reduced violent crime, suicide, or accidents. A year earlier, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on an independent evaluation of firearms and ammunition bans, restrictions on acquisition, waiting periods, registration, licensing, child access prevention laws, and zero tolerance laws. Conclusion: none of the laws had a meaningful impact on gun violence.1
Some argue that the police should be our protection rather than allowing citizens to be armed.  In 1856 the United States Supreme Court ruled that police are responsible for the protection of society at large and not responsible for the protection of individuals [South v. Maryland, 59 U.S. (How.) 396, 15 L.Ed., 433 (856)].  This ruling was upheld as recently as 1989 [Lynch v. N.C.Dept. of Justice, 376 S.E.2nd 247 (N.C.App. 1989)].  The New York Times reported that although crime is down in the city and there are more police on the street, the average response time to a 911 call has increased to over 10 minutes.  Having to wait 10 minutes for the police to arrive may be the difference between life and death.  Ten minutes is average, longer waits are common, and there are accounts of the police never responding at all.
Between 1973 and 2003 firearms ownership doubled in the United States.  During those same years murder rates dropped by one third.  Statistics show that with every 1% increase in legal firearm ownership correlates with a 4.1% decrease in violent crime2.
Other countries can also offer us lessons.  In Australia, the government banned firearms in 1996, after a publicized shooting. Immediately after the ban, armed robberies rose by 73%, unarmed robberies by 28%, kidnappings by 38%, assaults by 17%, and manslaughter by 29%. This was reported on the web site of the Australian Bureau of Statistics in January, 2000.3 After England initiated a ban on handguns a 1998 study by the US Department of Justice found that there were 40% more muggings in England, and burglary rates were almost 100% higher than in the United States. And, counter-intuitively, rates of crimes using handguns is on the rise. In 1999-2000, crimes using handguns were at a seven-year high. Apparently, criminals were easily able to access guns, but law enforcement officers and law-abiding citizens were not allowed.4
So what does have a direct impact upon crime?  Allowing law-abiding citizens to protect themselves.  It’s estimated that legally owned firearms are used over 2 million times a year to protect life and property.  Often simply brandishing the firearm deters the criminal.  Thirty-one states have chosen to loosen gun control laws and allow lawful citizens the right to carry a concealed gun with “shall issue” permits.  The anti-gun crowd predicted minor fender-benders exploding into “wild west shoot outs.” Not only has that not happened, but the opposite has happened.  On average these “shall issue” states have 19% lower murder rate, 39% lower robbery rates and 24% lower violent crime rates that states that forbid their citizens to carry concealed.5
With all of this evidence that more legal firearms in the hands of lawful citizens lowers crime, why do anti-gun advocates push for additional gun control laws? It is easier to blame inanimate objects illegally used as tools than to address core societal motivational factors. 
1.  http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8212 April 28, 2007.  “They Never Learn” by Robert A. Levy.  American Spectator April 25th 2007.
2.  http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=8212 April 28, 2007.  “They Never Learn” by Robert A. Levy.  American Spectator April 25th 2007.
3.  http://www.saf.org/default.asp?p=gunrights_faq Question #10 “What is gun control like in other countries?”
4.  http://www.saf.org/default.asp?p=gunrights_faq Question #10 “What is gun control like in other countries?”
5.  http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=4706 May 13, 2000.  “Gun Control: Myths and Reality” by David Lamp

Posted by Kirk on 03.20.2008 at 09:10 pm

Taking law abiding citizens guns is not the answer.Stricter laws are.Without guns America would not be free today,just like without them we would no longer be.First we took God,now we want to take away guns,next it will be a communist country.

Posted by David on 03.21.2008 at 07:45 am

I will gladly give you my guns if you take away air conditioning, heating, four course meals, and cable t.v. from prisoners and the roads stay clean due to their hard work… and I say that because it is people like prisoners that causes problems with weapons being used for the wrong reasons… Should have thought about what they did and they wouldn’t be in the shape they are in.

Posted by David on 03.21.2008 at 07:49 am

If you want to fix the problem you have to start at the root of the problem.T.V. and lawyers there are alot of accidents but not according to them.SUE SUE SUE.What is the death penalty?Do a crime and get put in prision and in that deal you get a free heated/cooled room meals free cable gym to work out and play basketball.Where is the death in that?Can you say chain gang or an island in the middle of no where with the only meal being what you can catch.It would make a person think before they act. I think there would be less crimes with guns. This would start to help working on the problem with guns.GUNS could be used for what they were intended for HUNTING.There is going to be alot of mad hunters when they have to laso their deer instead of shooting them.Do ya think that make them think where’s that sucker who took my GUN and he lives where? The problem is not the GUN it is the fact that a crimminal lives better and has more rights and better health care than a law abidding AMERICAN citizen.

Posted by Anonymous on 03.21.2008 at 08:37 am

I,m so sick of hearing about taking guns up. Question, why do we have drugs everywhere,ever corner, drug houses everwhere , This is where the killings start. Why can you buy crack pipes in local stores ? Why haven’t we been hearing take up the bad drugs? A person needing a fix, will kill in a second.But remember the drug people will always have guns no matter what happens . Lets don’t talk about that problem. I need my handgun while setting at a red light and a drugie wonts my money,and my car. maybe my life to .....  Wake up................

Posted by Dave on 03.21.2008 at 06:26 pm

All new Gun laws will do is to take away the Guns used by Law Abiding Citizens to protect themselves. Then the only people who will have them will be the Police, Military, and of course the criminals. I applaud the case in Washington DC that is in the Supreme Court right now. No State or Government should be able to take away our right to bear arms. Doing so would give the criminals the upper hand. Or make criminals out of law abiding citizens. I spent 42 years between the Military and DOD defending this Country so also let me defend myself if needed.

Posted by Peter on 04.14.2008 at 02:22 pm

Cocaine is completely banned - Can you still get cocaine?
Crack is completely banned - Can you still get crack?
Meth is completely banned - Can you still get Meth.

I am sorry about the people who have had friends and family killed by guns.  My mother was killed by a drunk driver who had been convicted 5 times and had his license permanently revoked.  Should we just ban cars, alcohol, or just people, that appears to be the common factor here.

I am sorry to say that I don’t have the solution, but gun control is not a realistic answer.

Posted by Michael on 05.06.2008 at 10:46 am

 

All comments are moderated before publication.
For more information, see our terms and conditions.