glockman
I hate Jeep trucks
- Location
- Pleasant Grove
That hits the nail on the head.
As gun owners when we refuse to discuss violence and suicide in any meaningful way, it both turns general public opinion away from us and the 2nd Amendment (hard to generate sympathy for our cause when we don't show it publicly when people die) and leaves legislation in the hands of those whose proposals we don't find acceptable.
Join the conversation in a meaningful way and look for steps that may help reduce crime and suicide without limiting the rights of the rest. I will stir the hornets' nest and toss out steps like universal background checks (I will admit to being a little worried when I sell guns privately whose hands they may end up in), raising the age to buy rifles to 21 (two recent mass shootings were 18 year olds who purchased their weapons legally), make juvenile convictions part of a background check up to say 25 years of age, etc.
I will engage in conversation on all proposed measures. The issue i have is when I explain the problem with said measures, the other side doesn't care. They just want to do something, even if you show them data that it does more harm than good. I'll use your two proposals as an example.
How do enforce a universal background check without a registry? Every single registry in history has ended in confiscation. Maybe not absolute confiscation but pistols, semi autos etc. I will die on that hill because a totally neutered 2nd is useless.
How many people would be prevented from defending themselves if you increase the age to buy a rifle to 21? If it's ten, you did more harm than good. Less than 500 people in the US were killed with all rifles in the last cdc data. Without looking st the data I'd bet less than 50 people in the US were killed by a person between 18 and 21 with a rifle. Can you tell me any other public policy we set based on that few casualties nationwide?
In spite of what "common sense " tells you, an ar is a better, safer home defense weapon than a 9mm pistol. It's easier to shoot and penetrates fewer walls than a 9mm. So young people living in apartments should buy an AR instead of a pistol if you really want to prevent accidentally shooting someone through a common wall.