Why is it that sane, rational people who think we don't need guns have to be labeled "leftists" or "liberals" or whatever other dismissive name comes to mind?
Why can't we just realize there are people without an agenda who understand that guns, while neat & fun & safe in the right hands, don't really have a place in a civilized society?
I understand I'm late to this party.
Yes they do. They have a place in civilized society because not everyone is civilized. Like it or not, that's a fact.
The gun is the great equalizer. It puts a 70 yr old man on equal footing with a 19 yr old gang banger. It puts a 120 lb woman on equal footing with a 200 lb rapist. I have a concealed handgun permit and I don't step outside my front door w/o packing heat. Why? Because there is evil in this world and the national average response time to a 911 call is something like 23 minutes. On top of that the police are not required to protect any of us. I choose to carry to protect my wife and daughters. It would be extremely distasteful to have to pull my weapon and use it on another human being but I refuse to let my family or myself be helpless victims.
Solid points. But how would your desire and ability to protect your family be taken away by any of the following, assuming you are able to pass a background check?
-Limit on rounds fired per second
-Limits on magazine capacity
-Background checks for every gun purchase
I enjoy shooting. I don't ever want people unable to protect their families, including my own. But there are some simple things that can be done that won't restrict our rights, and if they save only ONE life, they would be worth it.
