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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
I am struck at how the more contentious debates (e.g. gun control, deficit budgeting,...) quickly degenerate into all-or-nothing spitting contests.
With the gun control, for example, it seems to me that the question is not whether there should be some gun control, but how much there should be and what it should look like. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I doubt that many of us would want no control--do you want your neighbours to have heavy artillery pointed at the street? And I doubt that many of us would want total abolition of private firearms ownership. So where are the reasonable balances? How can citizens have access to guns for legitimate purposes, while public safety is enhanced? It's much harder to discuss this way, but I believe it's much more productive. John
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-12-20 11:41, Magnus Eisengrim wrote: Behind our neighbo[u]r's house (two doors South) a major street ends at a forced left turn onto a small street. A few years ago the city installed a stop sign, but before that many drivers were going far too fast to make the left turn and ended up running through the neighbo[u]r's back wall (including a rather inebriated police captain from a nearby city who did so by first driving on the wrong side of the street . . . but I digress). As I was a warhead designer at the time, I thought that having an EFP warhead with a combination proximity/speed sensor would be a useful safeguard/deterrant. You might not have wanted me as a neighbo[u]r under those circumstances, without some form of gun control in effect. |
FatHatter Regular user I'm here you're there and that's that. 137 Posts |
Since I don't see the weapon as the problem I'd have no complaint about anything being available.
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NicholasD Inner circle 1458 Posts |
If the weapon isn't available ( I don't mean all weapons ), it's not the problem.
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Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-12-20 12:32, S2000magician wrote: I would be thrilled to have you as my neighbor.
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
S2000magician Inner circle Yorba Linda, CA 3465 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-12-20 12:47, Magnus Eisengrim wrote: Thanks, John! Merry Christmas! |
Woland Special user 680 Posts |
Hi Magnus,
I think there should be some reasonable controls, of which I will offer the following examples: 1) Felons should be prohibited from firearms ownership. There should be some way for a felon to regain the civil rights lost upon his conviction. In some States, after serving his time, he can once again vote. (Some States allow felons in prison to vote.) 2) The dangerously insane should be prohibited from firearms ownership. Of course "dangerously insane" needs to be interpreted, but I would include all patients with schizophrenia and other diagnoses severe enough to require hospitalization. 3) People who have threatened others with violence and who are under court orders regarding the same should be prohibited from firearms ownership. I have no problem with the private ownership of artillery pieces. I think that if you have enough land in which to use them safely, historical pieces of artillery can provide instruction and amusement. I certainly think that it was the intention of the Founders, that private citizens be armed with personal weapons sufficient for them to oppose the standing army of a tyrannical government, foreign or domestic. As Thomas Paine said, Quote:
“The supposed quietude of a good man allures the ruffian; while on the other hand arms, like laws, discourage and keep the invader and plunderer in awe, and preserve order in the world as property. The same balance would be preserved were all the world destitute of arms, for all would be alike; but since some will not, others dare not lay them aside … Horrid mischief would ensue were the law-abiding deprived of the use of them.” I think that one aspect of "gun control" that is sometimes forgotten, is the individual's responsibility to control his own firearm. That is, to be "well regulated," or proficient in its use. To understand how it works, and how to handle it safely and effectively. Our democratic republic means self-government, not no-government. A people whose members are truly able to govern themselves will not require an overbearing government. |
Magnus Eisengrim Inner circle Sulla placed heads on 1053 Posts |
Quote:
On 2012-12-20 12:50, S2000magician wrote: Oh man, they autocorrected by clever typographical pun. I typed "u" and it got unpunned to "you". rats.
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.--Yeats |
David Marcus New user 3,375.97 miles outside of Paris, France. 81 Posts |
I was going to put this up as a little fuuny on the "neighbor" thing. But it kind of gave me tears as I watched it.
Won't you be my neighbor?
“Next to music, beer was best.” - Carson McCullers
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tommy Eternal Order Devil's Island 16544 Posts |
With the gun control, for example, it seems to me that the question is should there be less or more gun control?
If there is a single truth about Magic, it is that nothing on earth so efficiently evades it.
Tommy |
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