Wanting gun control, in and of itself, doesn't make you un-American. Disagreeing with the right-wing doesn't make you un-American. You can be patriotic, love America, and not love war.
The dismal failure in these arguments lies in the fact that there is already more gun control than necessary. The lengths that we as gun owners go through to buy and legelly use our guns are ridiculous. Furthermore the regulation and unfair taxation that is placed on ammunition, accessories, and hunting are extreme. Crimes are not commited by people who purchase guns legally as a rule, Anyone can buy an illegal firearm on the street, and the really frustrating part, is that a criminal can get a gun quicker easier and cheaper than I can. There are more than enough laws to encompass all of these transactions and put all of these people in jail. However when someone is caught trading in illegal weapons the are typically released (rehabilitated) so they can get back in buisiness quikly and not lose their illegal income. There is no industry in America with more regulation than the firearms industry, the areas with the highest crime rates are the areas with the least armed citizens, the lowest prosecution rates, and the most gun laws. It is as plain as day. There is more gun control than the law enforcement of this country can handle, and the only people the laws hurt are the law abiding citizens who would like to own a gun for whatever reason. The same liberals who want the gun crime reduced are always the first to stand up and clamor about rehabilitation, and prisoners rights ( I'm not advocating cruelty here). If we prosecuted criminals and actually punished them, they would be less apt to commit crime after crime after crime. If we enforced federal minimum sentences (even in the luxury prisons of today) we would see less crime on the streets.
The second ammendment as it reads, was set aside in the '30's, and hasn't existed purely since. our government doesn't care about the constitution or the bill of rights, only about apeasing the mobs. We have the Supreme Court interpreting and even trying to make Laws which is unconstitutional ( see checks and balances from High school government class) We have civil suits persecuting those who couldn't be prosecuted ( gee how does someone found not guilty suddenly have to defend themselves from court enacted theivery) We have activist groups on every front doing anything they can right or wrong to get their way. And we have Legislators who are attempting to further regulate firearms without even giving us the courtesy of understanding what they are and how they work. And Lastly we have people who don't know the difference between automatic weapons, assault weapons (if there somehow is really such a thing) and a single shot .22 Trying to create more laws to govern manufacture sale and use of firearms. People claim that we don't have Gun control?
I don't think its part and parcel of American culture and I won't leave just because someone says it is.
Two things on this comment.
#1. and most important, I re-read my comments and very simply, I did not mean for them to sound quite the way they did. I was not suggesting that you leave our country, only that more people should view that as a viable option rather than staying here and assisting with the ruination of this country. I firmly believe that those who went to foriegn countries to avoid the draft should have been allowed to do so, they should not be allowed to come back and enjoy the freedoms they weren't willing to fight for, in a country that they abandoned when they were called to service. True freedom is the power to make ones own decesions, and live with the consequences of their decesions.
#2. Our freedoms were won with guns and the blood of many good men, guns and the refusal to relinquish them is a very deeply ingrained part of our culture. The men who founded our current system of government created the bill of rights for a reason, and they fully understood the importance of basic human rights, and the fact that these rights can only be protected by the people.
You can be patriotic, love America, and not love war.
I can't imagine that anyone ( sane or stable) has a love of war, Patton did but sanity was questionable in his case
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There is a far cry of difference between loving war and having the courage and decency to stand up for what is right and do what needs to be done. I find it very insulting that anyonecould imply that the right wing or its supporters Love war. In case you forgot, we were attacked and by and large the american people decided we needed to prevent that in the future, Did someone mis-understnad that we would actually have to fight some people to stop terrorism? I think we should finish the war in Iraq, and I also beleive we should have whoever is hiding Ben Laden produce him and finish that issue. Then I think we need to bring our young people home. If no one else needs our help we should keep them home. The primary differnce btween the right wing and the left on this issue is that the right wing is intellegent enough to realise the people we are fighting won't stop until they are dead, and the left wing thinks we can play patty cakes with them and everything will get better. Everyone seems to be far more concerned about not offending our enemies, than they are about protecting our freedoms. Up untill your love war comments, I was enjoying this debate. That pretty much tells me what type of person I am dealing with and makes me very sad anyone could think so poorly of other humans being without at least being decent enough know who they are talking about. I usually avoid GCC because of the rediculous things said here, and I guess I'd better get out of here now and stay away for a few more months. See you on the fishy boards. Have fun with whatever future insults you want to dish out, and don't worry when your freedom needs to be defended, I'm sure someone else will do it for you, and do it gladly because they are an American.
Dave
how helpful.