Gun Laws

Quoting djiboutici

And i don't if you guys have noticed BUT why is it always in schools/Colleges or Uni's...???What's the fascination...???There's a pattern here...

there are also shootings outside schools/colleges I would think

I have a question (and it is keeping it on topic)...

What do any/all of you propose we (as US citizens) do to change these laws? Notice that I said "laws" as gun control is not one all-encompassing federal regulation. I am not being facetious nor aggressive. It is a serious question I have posed. Before you answer, let me say a few things...

Wouter is somewhat incorrect about the gun law being from 1800, though Virginia laws may have taken effect or been ratified at that time. The basis of our "right to bear arms" stems from the Constitution's second amendment which states: A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Granted, at that time the militia was comprised of any able-bodied male citizen owning and capable of using a firearm for the protection of himself, his family and the population as a whole (which was small at the time).

As the country grew in population and spread out across the wilderness, weaponry was still a necessity. As more and more territories were accepted into the Union as states, they were afforded their own power of governing. This has always included the regulation of firearms. There are generalized Federal regulations concerning guns and ammunition, but each state is responsible for thier own governing laws. You are not looking at one body of government in charge of this issue but fifty governments, all with their own special circumstances. Each time this issue is brought to the Supreme Court, the Court throws it back to the States because there is no one law covering everyone - outside of the second amendment.

In order to ratify the second amendment so it covers stronger gun control or a complete ban is an undertaking in of itself. It requires a 3/4 majority of state legislatures or a constitutional convention. The number of states seeing violent gun-related crime is nowhere near the 3/4s needed. Most gun-related incidences happen in densely-populated areas/major cities. Considering the size of the US, that's a small number of states. Montana is not going to agree just because New York has experienced a killing spree - it just won't happen as they don't experience that type of crime. It may not be fair nor even understandable, but that is how politicians view it.

Also consider that the majority of violent gun-related crime is carried out by those already involved in criminal or gang-related behavior. Placing a complete (100%) ban on guns and ammunition will not stop the violence. Guns are out there (just as Mikey said) so they will be available. Will it stop the likes of Columbine and Virginia Tech - possibly, but those are only two high profile situations because so many were killed in one fell swoop. What about the 2 year old who was killed by a stray bullet while sleeping in their crib? Or the high school basketball star killed on the street because he was mistaken for a gang member and wearing the wrong colored clothing that day?

Again, I ask, how does anyone propose change when you have fifty separate governments, a plethera of firearm lobbyists with megabucks and officials bent on their own agenda? (Please, please, don't say "elect new officials" as it's a weak response and we have (elected new) over and over again.)

Isa - that's 2 seperate questions:

1) What do any/all of you propose we (as US citizens) do to change these laws?

Well, how about banning firearms like those countries that we live in where gun crime is low in comparison?

and:

2) How does anyone propose change when you have fifty separate governments, a plethera of firearm lobbyists with megabucks and officials bent on their own agenda?

Which is a much more difficult question.

Quoting magykal1

Isa - that's 2 seperate questions:

1) What do any/all of you propose we (as US citizens) do to change these laws?

Well, how about banning firearms like those countries that we live in where gun crime is low in comparison?

and:

2) How does anyone propose change when you have fifty separate governments, a plethera of firearm lobbyists with megabucks and officials bent on their own agenda?

Which is a much more difficult question.

So right you are, Rob - they are two separate questions which I didn't mean to happen...

I'll go with question #2 because it is the more difficult one.

As a side note to your first response, I am trying to find a recent report about the differences between Canada and the US. In the report it states there are actually more firearm owners in Canada than in the US but Canada has a lower gun-related crime rate. I will keep looking for the report as it makes for an interesting perspective since Canada does not have a ban on firearms. (None that I have found info on anyway.)

Try Michael Moores site. He definitely referred to the fact that Canada has more firearms in 'Bowling for Columbine'.

Ans seeing you asked 2 questions Isa. I'll ask 1.

Is an Americans constitutional right to bear arms more important than Americans right to life?

Quoting Fun Bobby

Try Michael Moores site. He definitely referred to the fact that Canada has more firearms in 'Bowling for Columbine'.

Although Moore's site contains quite a lot of information, it does not contain references nor links to the report I am searching for now - mainly because the publication is more recent than Bowling for Columbine. (Thank you for the suggestion though and I visit Moore's site on a somewhat regular basis.)

Ans seeing you asked 2 questions Isa. I'll ask 1.

Is an Americans constitutional right to bear arms more important than Americans right to life?

It all depends on who you ask. If you are asking me personally, my answer is no.