wow, for people who think the government is lying to you about the shape of the earth, some of you seem to trust these guys way to much. one of the reasons for the 2nd amendment is to keep the govt. in check. if you don't know what i'm talking about, i believe there is a picture in this thread that refers to this. if the govt takes your guns, what prevents them from taking other RIGHTS that are acknowledged in the bill of rights? who stops the gestapo-like police from kicking your door in and dragging you off because of your belief in the FE theory (example)? do you trust the police and politicians to always do what is best for you? you think if you give up your firearms the criminals will do the same? and if they do, do you think the govt will give up their firearms? and if they do, do you think the enemies (pick your favorite) of the US will give up their firearms? bottomline, fight fire with fire. they have guns, so do we. it just evens the odds a bit.
to those talking about school shootings, most of those firearms are aquired illegally or by irresponsible parents, that aided in an illegal act (allowing the child access to the gun). schools are where mass-shootings most often occur. you want to know another interesting fact about schools? they are also "gun-free" zones. *GASP* how is that so many mass-shootings occur when it is a "gun-free" zone? well children, "gun-free" zones make it ILLEGAL to carry a gun on said property, it does not make it IMPOSSIBLE to carry a gun on said property. so, in this case, potential shooters see that it is a victim-rich enviroment, with little chance of the victims being able to defend themselves against a firearm. well, lets get in the mindset of someone who wants to go on a mass shooting.
first potential target- high school:
PROS:
lots of people
small chance of substantial resistance
take cops a long time to organize enough to properly enter building
take cops a long time to search the building
take cops long time to find out if shooter is student, teacher, staff, stranger
large area to avoid cops
most schools protocol calls for students and staff to cover windows to hallways, lock doors, and hide in corner (easy targets)
CONS:
heavey doors with basic locks (solution; use a gun?)
cameras (solution; use a gun?, or "f**k it, i'm gonna die anyways)
some high schools have cops that patrol school (solution; shoot cop first, take his belt with gun, radio, non-lethal weapons, etc.)
second potential target- grocery store
PROS:
lots of people
large area, can avoid/ambush cops/victims easier
lots of exits to escape from
CONS:
potential for armed citizens
possible silent alarms on/under/near cashiers desk
lots of exits for people to escape
large area to contain before shots are heard
to much ditraction (all that free food!!)
some would say "before guns, no one needed guns to defend themselves." that's not true, for two reasons. 1- before guns, there were no guns to defend against. 2- this is the big one, if someone was getting mugged at knife-point, don't you think a gun for the person being mugged would help? just because something doesn't exist doesn't mean it's not needed, or wanted.
next we have the actual self-defense aspect of this argument. you say that odds are that you'll never need to use that concealed firearm in self-defense. that's (gasp) true, but why is that? well, the answer to this question is pretty simple. if you have a firearm legally on your person, that means that you could be surrounded by people who are doing the same thing, right? not likely, but possible. now, lets say that you're on a bus, and there's a man who wants to mug someone when they get off the bus. how does that man go about determining who has a firearm? well, if the population is legally allowed to carry a concealed firearm, he can't tell who is and isn't, unless he's superman and can see through someone's clothes, in which case a gun won't help much anyway
. that means that picking a target is like ruolette in two ways, 1-it's just a game of chance, 2-you might get a bullet in your skull if you play
.
lastly, "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." that says that we, the people, have the RIGHT to keep and bear arms, and that right SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED. that means the govt can't ban certain guns, ammo, magazines, accesories, etc. that also means that the govt can't ask for a reason why and decide if that's a good reason for owning a firearm.