Official Does access to Guns cause Gun Crime Thread

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

I say no- when I was young, Everybody over the age of 16 usually had a gun or two, the usually kept them in their car at school and I can't recall on Gun related crime ever in my home county back then.

However back in those day, most homes had two parents, children getting spanked at school was a daily occurrence, and if the Principal had to call your parents to School it was going to get ugly, and not for the teacher or the principal.

Almost every boy carried a pocket knife. No one ever got cut not once.

15 year old girls were not spitting out government dependent babies as novelty items and the poor in our county truly needed the help they got.

I think the violence is because society has broken down.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

Access to guns themselves? No.

Access to guns in addition to poor environments, poor education, etc? Yes.

I don't think it has anything to do with single parents not spanking their children.

There are plenty of guns in my area. Plenty of single parents, too. Whether they spank their kids, I don't know. But there's also good education, plenty of activities to keep children busy, and a relatively good economy. That can make all the difference. Some people aren't fortunate enough to grow up with options, and end up down the wrong path because of it.

Edited November 30, 2012 by Evylin

[Teddy B 17,252]

As Evylin said, it's all about proper education and environment. I'm all for gun rights. I think every law abiding citizen should be able to own guns. I believe that when ordinary citizens own guns and criminals know this, it works very well as a crime deterrent. Criminals will always have guns, levelling the playing field will make them think long and hard about using them.

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

I say no- when I was young, Everybody over the age of 16 usually had a gun or two, the usually kept them in their car at school and I can't recall on Gun related crime ever in my home county back then.

However back in those day, most homes had two parents, children getting spanked at school was a daily occurrence, and if the Principal had to call your parents to School it was going to get ugly, and not for the teacher or the principal.

Almost every boy carried a pocket knife. No one ever got cut not once.

15 year old girls were not spitting out government dependent babies as novelty items and the poor in our county truly needed the help they got.

I think the violence is because society has broken down.

Sign of the times, back then in my old neighborhood you didn't need a gun, if you had issues, you fought it out one on one and it was done. Carrying a knife was above the norm, but even then you were careful. This new generation is full of people who need to have a weapon to feel safe. I remember my first pocket knife, even when I had it on me, I was weary of some of the dodgy areas on my state, I am not too quick to try and cut someone:)

[decocker 7,198]

i completely believe that citizens should have the right to own guns. i hope i never live in an america where only police and military are afforded this right.

for me personally, i don't like guns. they scare me. i've never held or touched one. my mom made me watch every single afterschool special about kids accidentally blowing their own heads off, i think that's why they scare me still. anyway hunting is huge out this way and when i was in highschool (94-97), boys would have guns on the racks in their trucks parked in the highschool parking lot and no one said anything about it, their presence was inconsequential. shortly after we graduated, columbine happened and guns on the gun racks was no longer ignored. i honestly think that up until columbine, most areas like mine, rarely if ever considered such a scenario happening in small town schools and once it did people pointed the finger at the wrong fault. the majority of people would never think of taking another person's life, armed or not.

[ready4ONE 5,400]

The question is illogical. Gun crime is ONLY possible through ACCESS to guns.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

The question is illogical. Gun crime is ONLY possible through ACCESS to guns.

Right, but simply owning a gun doesn't cause gun crime. Something else has to be in play. The majority of people who own guns won't go shooting up teenagers in an SUV for playing music too loud.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

You can ban or restrict guns all day, as they do in other countries, but somehow the criminals still manage to own them. Where does that leave law abiding citizens who want to protect their families from criminals?

Edited November 30, 2012 by Nola123

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Right, but simply owning a gun doesn't cause gun crime. Something else has to be in play. The majority of people who own guns won't go shooting up teenagers in an SUV for playing music too loud.

True, that's why SYG needs to be revamped, seems like FL is having issues.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

The question is illogical. Gun crime is ONLY possible through ACCESS to guns.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

You can ban or restrict guns all day, as they do in other countries, but somehow the criminals still manage to own them. Where does that leave law abiding citizens who want to protect their families from criminals?

But how would these criminals own those guns if there was no access to guns?

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

But how would these criminals own those guns if there was no access to guns?

They could machine their own? They could smuggle in those $40/gun ones from China?

Edited November 30, 2012 by Nola123

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

They could machine their own? They could smuggle in those $40/gun ones from China?

Could they machine their own? I doubt it. The latter constitutes access.

[N-o-l-a 7,167]

Could they machine their own? I doubt it. The latter constitutes access.

Why not? My ex-husband built most of his own guns... and there are tons of books on it.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Why not? My ex-husband built most of his own guns... and there are tons of books on it.

Yes, home made guns are the problem. Every other act of gun violence is perpetrated with home made guns. Come on, let's try and have this discussion based on reality, okay?