Firearms. Yea or Nay?

[momoffuzzyfaces]

So what's the big difference between a rapid fire automatic weapon or a machine gun? Both can kill far faster than you need for hunting deer!!!

One of the biggest arguments for guns is hunting animals not for hunting people. Maybe they should pass a law that you have to eat what you kill???

[Puckstop31]

So what's the big difference between a rapid fire automatic weapon or a machine gun? Both can kill far faster than you need for hunting deer!!!

One of the biggest arguments for guns is hunting animals not for hunting people. Maybe they should pass a law that you have to eat what you kill???

I am not trying to be critical, but I think you really do not have a grasp of this issue. You show me this by saying, "So what's the big difference between a rapid fire automatic weapon or a machine gun?" I mean, is there a SLOW firing, automatic weapon? Or do you mean SEMI-automatic. Do you even know the difference? (Again, not being critical, I just want to try and unsderstand where you are coming from, logically.) Let me help...

SEMI-Automatic = Weapon fires one shot with one pull of the trigger and then reloads a fresh cartridge without any manual action by the user.

Automatic = Weapon fires, reloads and continues to fire on a single trigger pull, until trigger is released.

Machine Gun = Generally speaking, a machine gun is a crew served (meaning it takes at least 2 people to properly operate it.) fully automatic and BELT fed weapon.

Assault Rifle = A weapon where you can be set to fire either in SEMI or FULLY automatic mode. (I.e. select fire. A firearm might LOOK like an assault rifle, but rarely is technically one.)

Perhaps you can help me by explaining your position on gun control? What do you believe should be done and WHY.

What do you mean by "One of the biggest arguments for guns is hunting animals not for hunting people." Where do you get that from?


This issue is obviously a very emotional one for a lot of people. Often simply because people do not understand, or have a false understanding of guns. OR, they suffer from hoplophobia, which is a simple and unreasonable fear of guns themselves.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

My position is get rid of all the darn guns!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of the nicest kids in my high school was killed when he and his best friend were messing around with an "unloaded" gun!!!

I knew a baby whose mother found him chewing on the barrel of a "luger" that his grandfather thought he had put up "where the kid couldn't get it". Luckily, the gun didn't go off.

I don't care about the different classes of guns so thanks for the lecture but it's not needed or wanted. A gun does just what it was made to do, that is KILL!!!

[Lady's Human]

MOFF, for starters, eliminating all guns is an impossible task. (Okay, not impossible, just extremely unrealistic.)

Second, neither of the situations you list should ever have happened. You don't "screw around" with firearms, obviously the teens weren't mature enough to handle them if that is what they were doing, and a firearm should NEVER be where a baby can get it.

Firearms are tools, nothing more. Hammers, knives, axes, all have killing in their roots. A tool cannot be good or evil. It's the user which makes that choice.

[RICHARD]

You don't "screw around" with firearms, obviously the teens weren't mature enough to handle them if that is what they were doing, and a firearm should NEVER be where a baby can get it.

At a local airshow I was standing at a table where there was a display of weapons that you could touch and get the feel of the them.

They had a few M16s and some other stuff on display.

I asked the soldier at the table for permission to pick up a M16/M203 combo-It's a rilfle w/a grenade launcher attached beneath the barrel. While I had it in my hands, a kid no more than 10-12 years old came up beside me on the left, picked up the other M16 from the table and looked over his right shoulder.

As he turned into the soldier and I, he shouldered the rifle, pointed it at his friend behind him and said something stupid like, POW! As I got over my initial shock I watched the stupid kid put the gun down and run off. I looked at the soldier as we both straightened up and went "WTF just happened?"


Both he and I both knew the guns were not loaded but it was just plain reflex that we both ducked/leaned out of the way. I asked him, 'that didn't just happen, did it?' And he nervously laughed and said somehthing like, "you would not believe some of the stuff that I have seen today!"

I thanked him and told him to 'be careful' and went on my way.

That was a prime example of kids not knowing the power of or messing around with guns. They have no respect for them and think that it's all fun and games.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

First, I'm sorry I snapped at all of you. Guns are just a sore subject with me.

The boy that was shot was 17. Around here that's plenty old enough to know about guns. Almost every kid was expected to know about them from a young age. Back then hunting was the "in" thing. Guess not every one attended the class.

The gun that the baby well, toddler I guess he was then, was in the top drawer of a desk. Should have been way out of his reach but somehow he managed. After the incident, the grandfater kept the clip to the gun in his car. Not a great help if someone is breaking down a door trying to get into your house. "wait a second, mr burgler, while I run out and load my gun". Anyway, it got it away from the little one.

Of course, having a gun pointed at my head and the trigger pulled by someone cleaning a "supposidly" unloaded gun myself when I was a youngester, may cloud my opinion on the gun issue.

[carole]

Hey i get where you are coming from on this issue, i agree with you, like i said before even our police are not armed ,and i would hate to see the day when everyone could own a gun for protection,i hope i never see it happen in NZ.

[sparks19]

Unfortunately too many parents try to just hide the guns from their kids rather than TEACH them about guns and gun safety and teach them respect for the weapons. Hannah will be taught gun safety and respect all her life on top of being kept out of her reach when not in use. Education is key. You NEVER point a gun at someone or something unless you intend to USE it ... whether you think the gun is loaded or not. That lesson will be drilled into her constantly.