I completely understand where you're coming from and empathize with how you feel.
Unfortunately, the gun "cat" is out of the bag. As long as humanity knows how to make one, the only way to completely defend against one is to have one (hence those special armed response teams).
A gun is an object; it has no will or intent. It cannot pull its own trigger. A human hand is what makes it lethal. Until then, it only has the potential to be dangerous.
Humanity puts much of its creative power into devising new ways to kill one another. You get rid of guns, people find other ways to kill. I've read studies that show just that. Apparently the UK is now starting to add restrictions on knives to try to reduce the uptick in knife crimes now that it's so hard to get guns.
We're all a sick and twisted lot. I figure it's better to face my fears, learn to effectively and safely handle the weapon and be able to protect myself in the worst of circumstances. I totally support requiring proof of gun safety training before you can buy a gun (we don't give out driver's licenses without proof of taking driver's ed, do we?).
At the same time, I hope that I never, EVER have to use my guns for anything but practice at a gun range. And taking out the occasional melon or water jug... Hey, they looked shifty!
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Date: 2011-04-22 07:45 pm (UTC)Unfortunately, the gun "cat" is out of the bag. As long as humanity knows how to make one, the only way to completely defend against one is to have one (hence those special armed response teams).
A gun is an object; it has no will or intent. It cannot pull its own trigger. A human hand is what makes it lethal. Until then, it only has the potential to be dangerous.
Humanity puts much of its creative power into devising new ways to kill one another. You get rid of guns, people find other ways to kill. I've read studies that show just that. Apparently the UK is now starting to add restrictions on knives to try to reduce the uptick in knife crimes now that it's so hard to get guns.
We're all a sick and twisted lot. I figure it's better to face my fears, learn to effectively and safely handle the weapon and be able to protect myself in the worst of circumstances. I totally support requiring proof of gun safety training before you can buy a gun (we don't give out driver's licenses without proof of taking driver's ed, do we?).
At the same time, I hope that I never, EVER have to use my guns for anything but practice at a gun range. And taking out the occasional melon or water jug... Hey, they looked shifty!