The Eggman
New Member
Note: There isn't even a vague reference to the Constitutional Guarantee here.
It's just something that stands up to the plain old common sense test.
Scenario 1:
The worst fear in the hearts of LEGAL gun owners is realized. A landmark Federal Law is passed. All guns of any kind in private hands are banned.
Legal gun owners are required to turn in their guns or face jail. Being law-abiding citizens, they do so.
As a further step, the records seized from the now out-of-business gun dealers are used to locate and confiscate all previously legal firearms in private hands. Citizens who do not cooperate are jailed.
Neighbors turn in neighbors who are suspected of posessing illegal guns. Children, at the urging of the schools, turn in their parents.
Police departments, already stretched thin, must dedicate additional resources to the enforcement of these new laws.
Criminals, drug-dealers, gang members and other previously ILLEGAL gun owners, of course, do not comply with the law, their guns were always illegal.
IOW - The Criminals Still Have Their Guns
As with drug and alcohol prohibition, a huge black market for illegal firearms spawns a new, more sophisticated network of organized crime.
The illegal gun market explodes. Gun smuggling and black-market gun sales are now really big business.
Basement machine shops are set up to make black-market guns. The majority are poorly manufactured and many are unsafe in any hands. Substandard ammunition is also manufactured in basements and garages to feed the black-market needs. Accidental gun deaths rise.
The BATF has the same success in its 'War on Guns' as the DEA has with the drug war -- none.
Illegally armed burglars, muggers, carjackers and other criminals now know they can prey on the unarmed public, with little fear of a meeting a defense or apprehension by the already overtaxed police.
The crime rates go through the roof.
Helpless citizens now hover in fear in their barricaded homes and seldom venture outside.
The military is called up to assist and we now have armed troops on many street-corners.
A small percentage of renegade military and police personnel participate in the crime and corruption.
The news: "Today, a 52 year-old Brooklyn man, father of three, used an illegal war-surplus 45 to kill three armed prison escapees as they crashed through his daughter's bedroom door. Under the new 'zero tolerance' laws he has been jailed for having an illegal gun. When convicted he faces ten years in prison.
People (law abiding citizens) revolt.
People die.
Democracy, America, and society as we know it cease to exist.
Scenario 2:
Any adult citizen without a record as a felon or violent criminal can legally obtain firearms for sport and/or personal protection.
If a person with a felony or criminal background, or who is otherwise interdicted from the possession of a firearm attempts to purchase, or is found in possession of an illegal gun, they go to jail.
Law-abiding citizens who pass a background check for violent crimes are allowed to carry concealed weapons.
Burglars, muggers, robbers and carjackers now know that the person they are approaching may not only have a legal gun, but will be trained in its use.
Violent crime and murder rates drop.
Citizens remain secure in their persons and property against criminals with guns.
Simple Statistics
As the legal guns per-capita in the US has risen, violent crimes against people have dropped.
As soon as Great Britain banned all hand guns, the rate of gun related violent crime began to increase. The same is true for Australia.
All states that have passed concealed carry "must issue" laws have seen greater than the national average drop in gun-related crime. The media inspired fear of 'Highway shootouts' and every city becoming a 'Dodge City' just didn't happen.
No police officer has been shot by a person with a Concealed Carry Permit, but many have been assisted or saved by citizens with legal guns.
Guns are not a big contributor (percantages) to accidental death. Automobiles, swimming pools and electricity, however, are.
Over 100,000 felons and other interdicted persons have been prevented from legally purchasing a gun when their background check disclosed their criminal record.
Fewer than 1% of those criminals, however, were arrested and prosecuted for the additional felony of attempting to buy an illegal gun. This means that failure to enforce existing laws has kept at least 199,000 gun-seeking criminals on the street.
Regardless of the laws, the criminals will always have their guns.
Ask yourself this ... Why do those places with the toughest gun-laws have the highest rates of violent crimes against persons? Conversely, those places that do recognize a law-abiding citizens right to self defense have lower rates of violent crimes against persons.
See Also:
The Eggman's Take on the Second Amendment
and
You Don't Know Me, and I Have a Gun!
It's just something that stands up to the plain old common sense test.
Scenario 1:
The worst fear in the hearts of LEGAL gun owners is realized. A landmark Federal Law is passed. All guns of any kind in private hands are banned.
Legal gun owners are required to turn in their guns or face jail. Being law-abiding citizens, they do so.
As a further step, the records seized from the now out-of-business gun dealers are used to locate and confiscate all previously legal firearms in private hands. Citizens who do not cooperate are jailed.
Neighbors turn in neighbors who are suspected of posessing illegal guns. Children, at the urging of the schools, turn in their parents.
Police departments, already stretched thin, must dedicate additional resources to the enforcement of these new laws.
Criminals, drug-dealers, gang members and other previously ILLEGAL gun owners, of course, do not comply with the law, their guns were always illegal.
IOW - The Criminals Still Have Their Guns
As with drug and alcohol prohibition, a huge black market for illegal firearms spawns a new, more sophisticated network of organized crime.
The illegal gun market explodes. Gun smuggling and black-market gun sales are now really big business.
Basement machine shops are set up to make black-market guns. The majority are poorly manufactured and many are unsafe in any hands. Substandard ammunition is also manufactured in basements and garages to feed the black-market needs. Accidental gun deaths rise.
The BATF has the same success in its 'War on Guns' as the DEA has with the drug war -- none.
Illegally armed burglars, muggers, carjackers and other criminals now know they can prey on the unarmed public, with little fear of a meeting a defense or apprehension by the already overtaxed police.
The crime rates go through the roof.
Helpless citizens now hover in fear in their barricaded homes and seldom venture outside.
The military is called up to assist and we now have armed troops on many street-corners.
A small percentage of renegade military and police personnel participate in the crime and corruption.
The news: "Today, a 52 year-old Brooklyn man, father of three, used an illegal war-surplus 45 to kill three armed prison escapees as they crashed through his daughter's bedroom door. Under the new 'zero tolerance' laws he has been jailed for having an illegal gun. When convicted he faces ten years in prison.
People (law abiding citizens) revolt.
People die.
Democracy, America, and society as we know it cease to exist.
Scenario 2:
Any adult citizen without a record as a felon or violent criminal can legally obtain firearms for sport and/or personal protection.
If a person with a felony or criminal background, or who is otherwise interdicted from the possession of a firearm attempts to purchase, or is found in possession of an illegal gun, they go to jail.
Law-abiding citizens who pass a background check for violent crimes are allowed to carry concealed weapons.
Burglars, muggers, robbers and carjackers now know that the person they are approaching may not only have a legal gun, but will be trained in its use.
Violent crime and murder rates drop.
Citizens remain secure in their persons and property against criminals with guns.
Simple Statistics
As the legal guns per-capita in the US has risen, violent crimes against people have dropped.
As soon as Great Britain banned all hand guns, the rate of gun related violent crime began to increase. The same is true for Australia.
All states that have passed concealed carry "must issue" laws have seen greater than the national average drop in gun-related crime. The media inspired fear of 'Highway shootouts' and every city becoming a 'Dodge City' just didn't happen.
No police officer has been shot by a person with a Concealed Carry Permit, but many have been assisted or saved by citizens with legal guns.
Guns are not a big contributor (percantages) to accidental death. Automobiles, swimming pools and electricity, however, are.
Over 100,000 felons and other interdicted persons have been prevented from legally purchasing a gun when their background check disclosed their criminal record.
Fewer than 1% of those criminals, however, were arrested and prosecuted for the additional felony of attempting to buy an illegal gun. This means that failure to enforce existing laws has kept at least 199,000 gun-seeking criminals on the street.
Regardless of the laws, the criminals will always have their guns.
Ask yourself this ... Why do those places with the toughest gun-laws have the highest rates of violent crimes against persons? Conversely, those places that do recognize a law-abiding citizens right to self defense have lower rates of violent crimes against persons.
See Also:
The Eggman's Take on the Second Amendment
and
You Don't Know Me, and I Have a Gun!
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