One Nation, Under Gun | Newsweek Culture

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It's sad, and frightening, that so many of us live in fear of having to protect ourselves and our families with lethal force. This fear is causing us to cling for dear life to an antiquated ideal that was written at a time when this nation was in the midst of its unstable, and often violent, birth. Lest we forget, there were people living here before the Europeans arrived. People who were themselves the very victims of home invasion that we now so fear. Kind of ironic, No? Because of the governmental tyranny the pilgrims were running from, and because life on the frontier was indeed dangerous at times, gun ownership was much more of a necessity for the common citizen back then. But now...? Any rational person should see that it really isn't. And I'm not saying we should ban them. All I'm asking for is a little 21st century common sense in terms of realizing that our Constituion, while beloved, may be in need of some modernizing. It was fashioned using ideals and from a world perspective that simply no longer applies. Gun control doesn't mean the government is just taking away everyone's rights. It's got to be more intricate than that, because it is not a simple Yes/No issue. I support a law-abiding citizen's right to own a gun, and hunt, target shoot, etc. And, God forbid, protect himself. BUT, if anyone thinks that there isn't a huge problem with illegal gun ownership/possession; with well-documented carelessness amongst gun owners; with the general ease of access to guns, etc, etc... that person is fooling themselves. This is the classic double-edged sword. The bottom line is that no one, gun advocates and gun opponents alike, should be comfortable with the current system. And no one should think that this prevailing fear of having to protect oneself is a healthy outlook to have of society.

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Posted By: ECIGuy @ 09/25/2009 12:07:06 PM

It's sad, and frightening, that so many of us live in fear of having to protect ourselves and our families with lethal force. This fear is causing us to cling for dear life to an antiquated ideal that was written at a time when this nation was in the midst of its unstable, and often violent, birth. Lest we forget, there were people living here before the Europeans arrived. People who were themselves the very victims of home invasion that we now so fear. Kind of ironic, No? Because of the governmental tyranny the pilgrims were running from, and because life on the frontier was indeed dangerous at times, gun ownership was much more of a necessity for the common citizen back then. But now...? Any rational person should see that it really isn't. And I'm not saying we should ban them. All I'm asking for is a little 21st century common sense in terms of realizing that our Constituion, while beloved, may be in need of some modernizing. It was fashioned using ideals and from a world perspective that simply no longer applies. Gun control doesn't mean the government is just taking away everyone's rights. It's got to be more intricate than that, because it is not a simple Yes/No issue. I support a law-abiding citizen's right to own a gun, and hunt, target shoot, etc. And, God forbid, protect himself. BUT, if anyone thinks that there isn't a huge problem with illegal gun ownership/possession; with well-documented carelessness amongst gun owners; with the general ease of access to guns, etc, etc... that person is fooling themselves. This is the classic double-edged sword. The bottom line is that no one, gun advocates and gun opponents alike, should be comfortable with the current system. And no one should think that this prevailing fear of having to protect oneself is a healthy outlook to have of society.
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Posted By: gabotech @ 06/27/2009 2:25:38 PM

This is a very dangerous country
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Posted By: bovey1@msn.com @ 02/02/2009 10:55:17 PM

As to gun ownership for protection and hunting is within the constitution, but the lines of miliitary assault weapons is just not right. Admenment 2 and Borlock you probally agree with the shootings in Cullombine and other copy cat killing spree unless it was someone in your family. Purpose for guns is to hunt and protect that is neither liberal or conservative and those words are irrelevent to the topic. You both need re read the Constitution and history behind the matter not just put out loaded words of emotions.