Originally Posted by
FriboRage
I personally dont understand what all this carrying on is about. Nobody said anything about "taking away our guns", it's another case of a few media outlets blew it all out of proportion, misrepresented some facts, and then it got carried by the wind and a lot of people now regard it as fact. Like almost anything remotely controversial that happens in the world these days.
Look, I grew up around guns, I live in semi-rural Pennsylvania... we have more guns than people I think. My dad introduced me to his pistols when I was like 7 and he taught me safety and respect for the weapon. We went to target practice when I was a kid more times than I can count and I got good with semi-automatic pistols as as well as a few revolvers. I have 10 pistols and 3 rifles in my house at the moment. So trust me, I fully believe in our right to possess fire arms.
The legislation that's currently being worked on will focus on a ban of assault rifles, as well as high volume magazines. Seriously, wtf do you need an AR-15 for? For giggles? Is that worth getting all preachy and activist about? Nobody in the general public needs to have an automatic assault rifle in their gun closet at home. And no sporting goods outlet needs to carry them. And sure as hell nobody needs a high volume magazine. Another part of the bill is going to be a crack down on things like waiting periods, background checks, and I think most importantly of all mental health screenings.
It's far too easy for someone who has led a clean life to snap one day and pass background checks with ease, then go fetch a few different machine guns and in a few days be going to town at the local mall or school.
And people will cry, "This wont solve the issue!" No, but it will help leaps and bounds, it's a start. Steps have to be taken about this, and compromise will be the only avenue to get us to a place where we're all a little safer, and still have our liberties. Part of this is going to be on parents locking up and keeping an eye on their weapons better. Part of this is going to be on kids watching each other at school.
This whole thing about "dey takin r guns!!!" is just crazy, do you really think that anyone in government actually believes they could get away with a full on ban on fire arms or anything even close to it? It wont happen in this country, and everyone with half a brain knows it, 75-90% of this country has a strong romance with anything that goes bang. It's a panic that those who have something to lose in this (NRA, Big gun retailers) to try to create a backlash against any kind of meaningful reform. Look back in the past, every time some high profile shooting happens, the NRA, etc stands up and says, "WE MUST DO SOMETHING!" then a discussion starts to take place, and then the same groups stand up and say "THEY'RE GUNNA TAKE OUR GUNS!!! DONT LET EM!!!" and then the whole discussion gets shut down until the next lunatic kills some school children or innocent people in a public place, and it all repeats. Every. Time.
You're not going to lose anything unless you plan on buying assault rifles, or you plan on getting a gun while you're mentally unstable or if for some crazy reason you want to carry a gun with 2,000 rounds in it at once. The Gestapo isnt coming to your house to confiscate your right to defend yourself, you probably wont even lose anything you already owned, you'll be grandfathered in.