Why are guns so violently defended?

1. 85

   M. T. Dremerposted 11 years ago

   Why are guns so violently defended?
   
   I know why gun manufacturers defend guns (it's their business) but why do gun owners defend it more vehemently than any other topic? People that are completely silent on other hot button issues suddenly pull out their megaphone to defend guns after another shooting. I understand that gun ownership is in the U.S. constitution, but I doubt the founders meant total lawless gun distribution. I just can't understand why people will stick up for guns to such an extreme that every form of discussion is off the table. An inflation of guns is just as slippery a slope as regulation.

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   Jack Burtonposted 11 years ago

   Why do gun owners defend guns? It's because we are constantly faced with people who know absolutely nothing about guns and yet write nonsense such as "total lawless gun distribution" in the face of over 20,000 gun laws.
   
   Ninety percent of our time "defending" guns is nothing more than trying to correct the mis-information that those who don't bother to do basic research spew out.
   
   You would be surprised at just how much "room is at the table" for those willing to be a reasonable, educated adult about the subject. Those that operate solely off from emotion and post what makes them ffffeeellll ggggooooddd wind up getting their nose out of joint after every one who actualy knows better finishes laughing at them.
   
   Your choice as the direction you want to go.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I wasn't implying we had lawless gun distribution now, I was implying that the argument about gun laws not working (a frequent point for gun owners) suggests we shouldn't have gun laws at all.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      We have a "gun law". It is called the 2nd Amendment. And why pass a gun law you know will not work? Can u possibly justify that with any kind of logic or common sense?That's like lowering the speed limit to prevent speeding. Just arrest the speeders

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      How can we know the gun laws wont work if we haven't tried them? There are examples in the world where gun control has worked. And the second amendment wasn't written with today's weapons in mind.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The 1st A wasn't written with radio, TV and the "net in mind also. You want to make that argument? And a bad law is a bad law... we don't need to "pass it" to find out it's a bad law. Yes, the Soviet Union had gun laws that "worked". A good model.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The first amendment does need help because bills like CISPA are threatening internet privacy. And I was referring to Australia as a positive example for gun control.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You mean the uber-violent Australia that is dangerous to even live in?
      
      http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/prev … /vt01.html
      
      Since the 'net was not invented in the 1780s what difference does it make what restrictions are put on it?

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   7. 85

      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe you could cite an article from after the gun control laws were enacted: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/05/gun-co … australia/

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You mean one such as this...
      
      http://tinyurl.com/cbgsxdv
      
      Which shows with the other article that the "gun ban" has done nothing to reduce the violence in a nation. Nothing.  Violent before... violent 20 years after. And this is "reasonable" eh?

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   9. 78

      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Great Jack. The only statistic mentioning historical changes in violent crime is that homicides have dropped 12% since 2006. Yet you use this to somehow establish that violence hasn't been reduced. Brilliant.

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   10. 85

       M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       The article you cited also confirms that Australian crime rates and gun deaths are down overall. What happened to those people is tragic, but nothing will ever prevent crime 100%. Gun control is about preventing as many deaths as possible.

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   11. 78

       Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       No, gun control is about controlling people. 99.999 percent of gun owners do no harm to anyone. Using the 0.0001 who do harm as an excuse to put a burden on gun owners is the same as monitoring all Muslims for the actions of a few terrorists.

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       M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       If you're going to buy into wild conspiracy theories then we're done here.

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       Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       So far the only one who has mentioned the concept of "wild conspiracy theories" is YOU.

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3. 71

   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   Because guns are for protection. It is so easy to illegally get guns. But if someone knows that I have a gun, you are less likely to have invaders in your home. You take my gun, you take my security system. They are my right, my weapons, I have all the licenses, take each class that is necessary, and am always careful. There is lawful gun distribution, but not to the extent it could be. I would like for gun purchases at gun shows be entirely required for there to be background checks. And there is a bill that will be judged in Texas for it. However, if you take my guns legally, I'll just get them illegally for protection of my family. It's like alcohol. You make it illegal, it will get so much worse.

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   1. 85

      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think responsible gun ownership, like you mention for yourself, is all gun control advocates are asking for.

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      Jack Burtonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Dremer, here is a lengthy article laying it out in detail exactly why educated and thoughtful gun owners simply don't trust those who call themselves "gun control advocates"
      
      http://tinyurl.com/ccsf63j

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   3. 71

      lburmasterposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Gun control advocates usually desire to ban all guns. Which is extremely frightening. Most of them have never been in the situation where they needed a gun but didn't have one. For that, I feel sorry for them because they won't have one when needed.

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   peeplesposted 11 years ago

   I don't know if I go to extreme measures, but I defend it because it is my right and I have known people who would have lost their lives without a gun. A close friend of mine killed her uncle when she was 15. He had raped her daily for years. She had told, no one did anything. She got to a point where she was scared. She stole a gun from him and hid it under her pillow. Less than a week later he started to go way too far. As she was being choked she shot him. Without that gun she could have been dead.
   Personally I am in a line of work that puts me at risk all the time. Without a gun I'd be at much more risk than I am without my gun.
   I defend my right because it IS my right.
   I do not defend the need for unlimited clips or being lose on background checks. I simply defend my right.
   On top of that, when have laws ever stopped bad people?

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   1. 85

      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think the frustration comes when measures like limited gun clips and tighter background checks are thrown out because they're interpreted as an attack on the right to own a gun.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Because we know that these "limited measures" will do NOTHING to stop people, and therefore when the next incident happens you'll be back wanting MORE, and then MORE again, and then MORE again as each proves a failure. We are tired of it.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You imply that pro-gun-control advocates have an end game of a total gun ban. I've never met one that wanted to do away with guns entirely.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Open your ears then, because they are all around. Obama supported the total gun ban in Chicago and Washington DC. Did you know that? Did you know that Ted Kenndy proposed a total gun ban? There are many, many more examples for those who actually look

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5. 66

   LandmarkWealthposted 11 years ago

   Gun are so vigorously defended because they are vital part of our freedom.  The second amendment exists to protect the people from the gov't, and not the other way around.  That was the express purpose of why the founders drafted the second amendment.  Unfortunately, too many people are greatly naive to the history of global political tyranny, and the origins of why we have this as a right.  The founders understood that without the ability for the citizens to defend the constitution and their personal freedoms, the whole of the constitution is worthless.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Except the government has tanks, jets and nuclear bombs. Even if we stock pile pistols and assault weapons, we still wouldn't stand much of a chance.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Would YOU drop a nuke on your fellow citizens. Then why do you believe anyone in the military would? And just who do you think sits in those tanks and jets? People just like me an you. It only takes a few dissidents in the ranks to neuter an army.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Then why do we need guns if we trust our military not to turn on us?

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You have it exactly backwards. We trust our military not to turn on us BECAUSE we have guns.
      
      http://jack-burton.hubpages.com/hub/Prophylactic

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   5. 66

      LandmarkWealthposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The soviets had tanks jets and helicopters and were beaten by the Afghan people on horseback with rifles and no formal training.  All throughout history poorly armed opressed people have defeated more advanced armies.

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      Borsiaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      We are losing a war in Afghanistan just as we did in Vietnam to lightly armed resistance. A powerful mechanized military only works against the same type of force.

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      Abby Campbellposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      LMAO on this conversation. "Why do we have guns?" This has got to be a joke... right? Re-read LandmarkWealth's answer again. But, then there are other reasons such as hunting, sport, protection, etc.

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6. 57

   taburkettposted 11 years ago

   My right's as a law abiding citizen gun owner should never be restricted due to the irrational and illegal actions of others.  Weapons do not kill people - people kill people.  Every law abiding citizen should recognize that if the government is capable of removing my right to protect myself and my family, then that same government can remove all my rights because i will not be able to defend myself against those who would attempt such attrocities.  The government has already removed my right to display, act, and identify my religious preferences on the walls of the very buildings that I am required to protect.  This nation was created as a freedom supporting republic built to protect the rights of individuals, not remove them.  As the government by the people, gun ownership by the individuals is actually government ownership of weapons to protect the nation.  As a patriot, I will protect your right to think that weapons should be restricted.  However, I will never agree that this should be done.

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   1. 85

      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      It's true that guns don't kill people. But can you agree that they were designed to kill and they are exponentially more efficient at killing large amounts of people than say, a knife or a rope.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Would you agree that sometimes innocent, law abiding citizens have a legitimate need for a tool that is exponentially more efficient at killing people than say, a knife or a rope?

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      So long as those citizens submit to a background check and classes, then I have no problem with them owning a tool that is exponentially more efficient at killing people. Like we don't trust just anyone to drive a tank.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      What other constitutional freedoms do you want people to have to submit to a background check and licenses? The freedom of religion? Speech? And you really don't know that it is perfectly legal for citizens to own and drive tanks, do you.

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      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I see tanks driving on the road almost every single day.

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      Abby Campbellposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I agree, taburkett! And, amen, Jack! People are the killers, not the guns. If our gun rights are taken away, what will be next? Knives? Sledgehammers? Hammers? Trophies?

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7. 78

   junksellerposted 11 years ago

   Emotional dependance. The belief that this thing takes away their fear, defends them from evil, or puts them on the front lines of some patriotic war they imagine is taking place. All ridiculous, of course, but then irrational attachments to mythologies is 99% of history and life, it seems. Religion and nationalism are the same thing. Safety blankets for childish minds. Lord of the Flies on a grand scale.

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   1. 78

      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      http://www.rationalityrebooted.com/ has thousands of stories of everyday people defending themseves from "evil" with their firearms. This outright denial of reality is the reason the public doesn't trust the gun bigots and why they get no traction.

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      georgepjrposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have had to discgarge my weapon once, why because this so called "evil" broke into my house and was holding a knife to my wife trying to rape her, if not for my weapon she could be dead or scared for the rest of her life.

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      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      georgepjr, you are not one of those people for whom all discussion is off the table (e.g. your hub saying banning large mags would be ok). Rationally valuing and utilizing a tool is different than worshiping that tool. I was addressing the latter.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      No, junk, you were giving your typical bogus information. It didn't take much to show that to the Dear Readers, eh.

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      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      No what? No I wasn't addressing the latter? I think I know what I was doing. Thanks as always though for your low brain-power efforts. The "here is what so-and-so actually meant" argument is astonishingly stupid. Try an adult argument once in awhile.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The readers are quite capable of seeing for themselves your inability to post the truth if they have the correct info. Which my link provided. And you can't dispute. So which is the "adult"? You, who constantly provide bogus into? I don't think so...

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      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      The adult is the one who will offer their opinion and discuss it, not the one who comes in as a name-calling attack dog. You claim I deny a reality that I said nothing about, offer bogus info when I did no such thing...

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      One of us posted about the imagination of guns protecting from evil. It wasn't me who did it.

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      junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, guns protecting us from evil is imaginary, hence not reality, hence not an issue of me denying reality.

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       Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Well, here's another one of the "imaginary" stories that the media just made up...
       
       http://tinyurl.com/7esn2o4
       
       And poor ol' junk actually wonders why he gets no respect on hubpages.
       
       :-)

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       junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       The imaginary part isn't the use of a gun in self-defense it is the characterization of that being defense against evil. You're the only one I know of who gives me no respect, and believe me, I don't wonder or care at all about that.

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       Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       There ya go, Dear Readers. Those stories about social deviants at the earlier link were really about people who had "love" in their hearts and were only trying to "help innocent people" through preying on them.  And this is "reasonable" to believe, e

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       junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I don't define evil the same as you, nor do I have to. Mock it if it makes you feel better. I Wouldn't expect more from you.

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       Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

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       junksellerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Fine then, I don't categorize evil the same as you. Does that satisfy your pedantry?

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       Borsiaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       JS when that imagined evil is standing in front of you armed and ready to crush your life, as it has stood before me on several occasions, you will suddenly know the difference between imagination and criminals.
       Fortunately my gun wasn't imaginary.

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       junksellerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Borsia, I do live in this world. I'm not out on some remote desolate island. I know what a criminal is, I just don't call it evil.

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   georgepjrposted 11 years ago

   There is a whole list of reasons but my biggest point is now this attack in Boston, who was to blame for the deaths of those people?  Not the bomb but the user, now the attack in the school, who did we blame? The gun not the user, it's wrong, the gun is why we are here today and why you can ask that question, the gun didn't go crazy and start shooting people some crazy being decided to go kill people now let me ask everyone, in all of the gun attack cases what was not allowed in the building, and a law abiding citizen would follow.  No guns allowed....Further more you are aware that history repeats itself time after time, my self I stand for my right because WWII guns were taken from the people, after a few years people could no longer stand for themselves and started being exterminated for race religion ect.  Not only that our country is so full of hate because though we are civilized there we still have the highest crime rate in the world.  Now if you had to weapon to defend yourself your spouse, and your child, someone breaks into your house for whatever reason with a gun what are you going to do, call the police, it may take them 5 minutes or 30 to respond by then you are laying in a pool of blood because what.  I will give up my firearm when our justice system locks up every corrupt government official, crook, "gangbanger" and so on.  I don't need a 50 round mag I don't want anyone to be able to walk in and be able to buy a firearm, But until we are not longer in threat by our own people I would like to keep ALL of my firearms.  Not all discussion is thrown off the table but a lot is because it involves the word ban, you can ban all you want it won't keep the enemy from obtaining a firearm.

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   1. 85

      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I believe a lot of frustration comes when gun advocates argue against a gun ban, when no gun ban is presented. I'm not saying that gun bans weren't proposed, but why can't we pass non-ban related measures?

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Because we don't trust you. The gun banners demonize gun owners in every possible way then turn around and say, "trust us, we are going to be satisfied with ~this~ law and no further." Until the next tragedy that is, then they want more and more.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You say gun control advocates keep asking for more and yet gun laws are expiring and nothing is passing. It's easier than ever to get and use a gun and you suggest we're asking for too much? Why should we trust a man with a gun in his hand?

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Isn't it great that the gun control advocates are failing. But they keep trying. And you really don't know about the legal history of buying and selling guns but you comment anyway. If you can't trust your fellow citizen then insist he be locked up.

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      Abby Campbellposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Well said, George.

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      georgepjrposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Really the only thing is history likes to repeat itself, so if we give our 20 round magazines up, then the anti-gun activist will push it further until we have nothing left.  That's my only complaint

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   Borsiaposted 11 years ago

   Once your gun has saved you from criminal assault, robbery and quite possibly death you will have a very different frame of reference.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      True, but there are many responsible gun owners who also support gun control.

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      Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Lot's of folk in history who have always been willing to hand the hangman the rope.

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      M. T. Dremerposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Demonize the people who want to compromise; that's productive.

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      Borsiaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I do believe in a certain amount of gun control. It is contained in the thousands of laws already on the books.

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      Abby Campbellposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      No government will ever get their hands on the hundreds of guns many Carolinians own. That's right! Hundreds to one owner. We got the south!

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      Jack Burtonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Dremer is making the huge leap in logic that "compromise" is automatically a good thing.

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    Boom-anposted 11 years ago

    I defend guns because if the United States were to be invaded. By us citizens having guns we then become an army ourselves.

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       Abby Campbellposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       So true, Boom-an.

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    Sychophantasticposted 11 years ago

    People who own guns tend to be paranoid about something. Otherwise, why own one.
    
    That being said, those in favor of gun control need to be very clear with lawful gun owners that we have no interest in taking their guns away. We just want to limit a crazy person's access to a gun. Background checks seem a pretty reasonable thing. You need a license to drive a car, right? And one guy with a shoe bomb gets on a plane and suddenly we're all taking off our shoes, but a whole bunch of mass shootings and we do nothing.

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       Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       99.999% of gun owners hurt no one... I think we can tell who is 'paranoid" and who isn't.. and it starts with those who accuse lawabiding citizens of being "paranoid." And when your background checks don't work.... we know you will want more and more

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       Sychophantasticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Yes, we can definitely tell who is paranoid and who isn't.

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       Jack Burtonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Yeppers... those that fear the law abiding 99.999 percent because of the actions of the criminal 0.0001 percent certainly fall into that category. I am glad you gave me a chance to emphasis that again.

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       Sychophantasticposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I presume that would apply to Muslims and terrorism too?

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       Jack Burtonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       When you see hordes of people demanding that mosques be closed and Islam outlawed then get back to me with that question.

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       Borsiaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       The difference between paranoia and reason tends to be experience. It is paranoia until you experience it first hand.

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       Abby Campbellposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       Many gun owners are not paranoid. LOL. Some of us actually like them for sport, but they can also be useful for protection if the time should arise. Background checks are already the law in most states. Crime will always happen by idiots.

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    grumpiornotposted 10 years ago

    I don't think it is guns themselves that are being defended, or even the US constitution necessarily. It is freedom of choice that excites emotions.

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    anticonformistposted 10 years ago

    For the same reason they defend spanking to the point of throwing tantrums and F bombs to anyone that disagrees or suggests an alternative.
    
    What's your point mister? you may ask.
    
    Self centeredness. That's my point.

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       Jack Burtonposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       There ya go, dear readers. The exact reason why those who wish to "control" guns cannot be trusted. The very best he can do is come on and hurl meaningless, base insults with no concept of reality behind them. And we are to "trust" him, eh

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