Bob Locke
Member
All of the Above
Why do Americans own guns?
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Monte Harrison
Member
Yep, since gun control laws are ineffective at best and counterproductive at worst, what the gubmint really needs is a good PR campaign.
JohnBT
Member
Why? Because you have to have the right tool for the job.
John
John
Frohickey
Member
Hmm... increasing trust in government.
Sounds like to do that, government should start abolishing the various gun control laws that are on the books.
A government that trusts me with guns, is a government that I would trust.
Ed N.
Member
Quote:
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"If a policy goal of the federal government is to decrease gun
ownership among the general population, then our results
suggest that increasing trust in government ought to be an
equally important goal," Jiobu and Curry wrote.
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That statement seems oxymoronic. Why would I trust a government that has disarming me as a policy goal? Governments that seek to disarm the people usually get around to some form of genocide, eventually.
I own guns for many reasons: hunting, target shooting, self defense, etc. The ONE reason that trumps all others, though, is the realization that the founders of this country once faced the necessity of removing, by armed force, an oppressive government.
God forbid that the need should ever arise again, but God forbid that we find ourselves unarmed if and when it does.
===============================
"If a policy goal of the federal government is to decrease gun
ownership among the general population, then our results
suggest that increasing trust in government ought to be an
equally important goal," Jiobu and Curry wrote.
===============================
That statement seems oxymoronic. Why would I trust a government that has disarming me as a policy goal? Governments that seek to disarm the people usually get around to some form of genocide, eventually.
I own guns for many reasons: hunting, target shooting, self defense, etc. The ONE reason that trumps all others, though, is the realization that the founders of this country once faced the necessity of removing, by armed force, an oppressive government.
God forbid that the need should ever arise again, but God forbid that we find ourselves unarmed if and when it does.
10-Ring
Member
I do because I can!
Kaylee
Member
self-reinforcing cycle to -- not only are those less inclined to trust the gov't more likely to get armed, those who arm for other reasons will quickly see just how untrustworthy the government can be. ("what, did we say that SKS you registered last year was legal?... our mistake... turn it in or go to jail..") :banghead:
Speaking just for myself, I had significantly more faith in our government before I got to experience the joy of being painted continually as a psychopath-to-be by my own CongressCritters.
-K
Speaking just for myself, I had significantly more faith in our government before I got to experience the joy of being painted continually as a psychopath-to-be by my own CongressCritters.
-K
Sam Adams
Member
"To mandate decreased gun ownership through gun control legislation may only encourage those people who have little faith in the government to stockpile weapons,"
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How about the fact that the very act of discussing, let alone passing, gun control legislation encourages people to have little faith in government? Stockpiling weapons is a great American tradition for those that distrust government, but it sometimes takes more than the mere existence of government to cause such distrust. The clearest overt action that would cause (or exacerbate, as the case may be) such distrust is the passage of gun control legislation.
As for me, I bought my first gun after Gov. Flim-Flam Florio of NJ rammed his "Assault Rifle" ban through the NJ legislature. This was an actual ban - not just a prohibition on future purchases, and was combined with another outright ban - on any magazine of more than 15-round capacity. I first bought only in NJ (not knowing any better), but later stopped all purchases of long guns in NJ - I bought them in NY and PA in order to avoid tracing to NJ. I also acquired LOTS of "illegal" magazines outside of the state. Later yet (only 2 years ago), I got smart and removed myself from NJ altogether. Now I'm in TX, where I can buy pretty much anything I want (except where Fedgov violates the Constitution).
Oh, and every time that Clinton talked about or rammed through another gun law, I bought more weapons and/or ammunition. He sure must've liked the gun industry, because I (and everyone I spoke to) bought a load of stuff while he was in office.
As an aside, when passing over the Delaware Memorial Bridge on the way out of NJ, I remarked to my wife, "Now you won't have to bail me out of jail." As I expected, she looked at me with real wide eyes, like I was a Martian or something. A couple of seconds later came the inevitable "Why?," to which I responded, "Well, I've got enough large capacity magazines in the back of the car to have sent me to prison for at least 150 years in NJ" (at 5 years a pop). More wide eyes, followed by shaking of the head and unintelligible muttering. Next question: "What are 'large capacity magazines,' and why are they illegal in NJ?" (she wasn't a gun person, even though she tolerated them. I'm working on changing this, apparently successfully - now she wants her own). I explained the history and politics of the matter to her. Then she asked, "Why aren't they illegal now?" To which I responded that most states didn't outlaw metal boxes with springs inside, no matter how large they were. The final response from my wife was: "Now I'm really glad that we're leaving Jersey." Amen!
________________________________
How about the fact that the very act of discussing, let alone passing, gun control legislation encourages people to have little faith in government? Stockpiling weapons is a great American tradition for those that distrust government, but it sometimes takes more than the mere existence of government to cause such distrust. The clearest overt action that would cause (or exacerbate, as the case may be) such distrust is the passage of gun control legislation.
As for me, I bought my first gun after Gov. Flim-Flam Florio of NJ rammed his "Assault Rifle" ban through the NJ legislature. This was an actual ban - not just a prohibition on future purchases, and was combined with another outright ban - on any magazine of more than 15-round capacity. I first bought only in NJ (not knowing any better), but later stopped all purchases of long guns in NJ - I bought them in NY and PA in order to avoid tracing to NJ. I also acquired LOTS of "illegal" magazines outside of the state. Later yet (only 2 years ago), I got smart and removed myself from NJ altogether. Now I'm in TX, where I can buy pretty much anything I want (except where Fedgov violates the Constitution).
Oh, and every time that Clinton talked about or rammed through another gun law, I bought more weapons and/or ammunition. He sure must've liked the gun industry, because I (and everyone I spoke to) bought a load of stuff while he was in office.
As an aside, when passing over the Delaware Memorial Bridge on the way out of NJ, I remarked to my wife, "Now you won't have to bail me out of jail." As I expected, she looked at me with real wide eyes, like I was a Martian or something. A couple of seconds later came the inevitable "Why?," to which I responded, "Well, I've got enough large capacity magazines in the back of the car to have sent me to prison for at least 150 years in NJ" (at 5 years a pop). More wide eyes, followed by shaking of the head and unintelligible muttering. Next question: "What are 'large capacity magazines,' and why are they illegal in NJ?" (she wasn't a gun person, even though she tolerated them. I'm working on changing this, apparently successfully - now she wants her own). I explained the history and politics of the matter to her. Then she asked, "Why aren't they illegal now?" To which I responded that most states didn't outlaw metal boxes with springs inside, no matter how large they were. The final response from my wife was: "Now I'm really glad that we're leaving Jersey." Amen!
"To mandate decreased gun ownership through gun control legislation may only encourage those people who have little faith in the government to stockpile weapons,"
And grows the number of people who have little faith in government...which in turn grows the number of stockpilers.
It's a vicious cycle, therefore all gun control laws must be abolished immediatly in order to reduce the number of guns in this country.
And grows the number of people who have little faith in government...which in turn grows the number of stockpilers.
It's a vicious cycle, therefore all gun control laws must be abolished immediatly in order to reduce the number of guns in this country.
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