BREAKING: NEW YORK TIME WRITES COMPLETELY UNBIASED ARTICLE ABOUT GUNS!

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

lol, j/k

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/07/opinion/07fri1.html?hpw

[Elder Iptuous]

NYT has plenty of bias against guns in their regular articles, but this is an editorial.  it's supposed to be the soapbox of the individual writing it, right?
(i doubt NYT would let a gun nut get an editorial in, but, nevertheless....)

[Requia ☣]

I'm more disturbed by the bit where the NYT thinks punishing people on the watch list (which is populated by people with such crimes as protesting the war) is a good idea.

[Jasper]

Okay, just for the sake of argument let's say that even half of the people on the no-fly are dangerous.

Terrorists use bombs and other widescale attacks to commit acts of terror.  Keeping them from illegally owning pistols and rifles is not going to make us safer.

[Shibboleet The Annihilator]

BUT WE NEED MOAR GUN CONTROL!!1
\

[Jasper]

It's natural to see this so soon after Arizona's recent gun law changes.

Haven't you heard?  There aren't any, now.

[Requia ☣]

No, that's Utah.

Arizona has the laws, but isn't going to tell you what they are.   

[Jasper]

Someone was telling me earlier that AZ got rid of it's gun restriction laws.

[Requia ☣]

You don't need a concealed carry permit anymore.  The catch is, the only requirement to get the permit in the past was to take a class teaching you the gun laws (which you can still be arrested for not obeying).

Utah, on the other hand, has declared that the federal government may not enforce federal gun laws on guns made in, and that stay in, the state.  (State restrictions still apply, but there aren't exactly. a lot of them).

Browning keeps its manufacturing plant here 

[Jasper]

Oh shit.  Any word on if I can get me a BMG?

Sig,
Because I would consider moving there.

[Faust]

I don't recall a gun thread on the principia before, I've been meaning to ask about it. The european media portrays ye yanks as casually shooting at each other on a daily basis to pass the time. Now I'd personally be heavily biased against legal gun ownership here for two reasons, I don't like the idea of the stupid being armed and because we have had record of no school shootings and the only gun deaths of the last ten years here have been drug related.
I understand its a basic right over there, what's the appeal, is it mostly a self defence issue?

[Jasper]

"It's not power unless you can abuse it."

To be glib. 

Also, it's really really fun to shoot really big guns.  I'd not lightly forfeit that right.

[Faust]

"It's not power unless you can abuse it."

To be glib. 

Also, it's really really fun to shoot really big guns.  I'd not lightly forfeit that right.

When I was a kid I used to shoot stuff with my grandfather. I don't remember being that into it to be honest but he loved his guns.
I like it better this way. If I wanted a gun I could get one quickly enough, and the legal restrictions mean I am better armed the those around me. But then I've always preferred high powered explosives to give me a necessary advantage more so then guns.

[Jasper]

Harder to get a hold of, at least for non-chemistry educated schlubs like me.

[Precious Moments Zalgo]

I understand its a basic right over there, what's the appeal, is it mostly a self defence issue?

Self-defense is the probably main thing in my opinion.  The police can't be everywhere, and usually by the time they get there the crime has already happened, so ultimate responsibility for your defense falls on you.  Guns are an equalizer -- they allow a little old lady to fend off a 250 lb mugger.

Gun deaths aren't worse than other kinds of deaths.  If someone wants to commit a violent crime, they will do so whether or not they have access to guns, but on the other hand many crime sprees have been cut short because a would-be victim was armed.

That said, there are a lot of things I would like to see tightened up, as in I want to, as much as possible, be sure that the people who own guns are law-abiding and are proficient in the safe operation of a gun.