frankj1 wrote:our friendship is built on mutual respect over the years...
but I'll just say again a little differently, Written or implied, all rights are for the living, so that must be assumed first position..
Does one's life give way to other's rights? If yes, then it never enjoys the rights to which it is promised, and further rights are meaningless. This can not be the intent of the framers.
If abuse of the second amendment ends innocent life then it must be tweaked, if we agree that life comes first.
Nerve gas didn't do it for you? How about Victor's beloved yet (missed by most) ironic garage nuke? Where does the right to bear arms end? Does support of the second amendment include Star Wars? Are we not rational people, after all?
There are lines all accept, there are limits all accept, perhaps some movement of the lines and limits to protect some LIFE so Liberty etc. can be enjoyed? Unlimited access to weapons as they are developed was never foreseen.
If the original intent was to ward off oppressive government...that ship has sailed. Bring it into the reality of today and protect individuals rights to Life, Liberty...blah blah blah.
Have guns. Enjoy guns. Feel safer in your home or in public from those who intend harm. We can have that still.
Frank have you ever researched just how many people have been killed with an *assault rifle*? Very, very, very few. SO in the grand scheme of things what does banning them really accomplish?
On average, it they were not available, a very big if, then on average over the last twenty years, perhaps 10 lives would be saved. Is this really worth as much political weight as is given?
edit: yes I mean only 10 or so. Many people shot with these types of rifles were single victim incidents. They could have been shot and killed with anything including a 6 shot revolver with only 1 round in the cylinder.
Most people who have killed multiple people with firearms were proficient with them. Whether they had 1 17 round magazine or 3 seven round magazines, they could have killed as many people. It takes less than 2 seconds for someone who is proficient to eject an empty semi auto handgun magazine, insert a full one and rack back the slide.
It's not that the NRA doesn't value life, it's the fact that they know such legislation will not save a single life.
At some point, there will be dialogue about what actually causes loss of the lives gun control advocates speak of.