Private Gun Ownership - Good or Bad?

[peacetraveler22]

Last week, we had another mass shooting in America. A young college student deeply rooted in misogynist mentality, and frustrated by female rejection, decided to take a drive through a California college town and open fire, killing six people and wounding numerous others. As you know, guns are deeply rooted in American culture, and always have been. So why the recent proliferation of school and mass shootings over the last few years? I think in large part these tragedies are not a result of guns, but the sickness of society in general. After all, Americans have always been armed but the proliferation of mass shootings has been rather recent. Twenty years ago, or even ten, we didn't hear about such tragedies on a consistent basis.

People sometimes forget that the right to bear arms is expressly enumerated in the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Private gun ownership is a principle upon which my country was founded. We are the most heavily armed civilian population in the world, with close to 300 million firearms in the hands of civilians, including my family members. I am completely pro gun, and have always been surrounded by firearms. I shoot Rifles, a 9mm glock and .357 Magnum Revolver at the range under the supervision of my father. So, where is the delicate balance between respecting the Constitutional rights of U.S. citizens and preventing mass shootings?

I can't say there are any easy answers, nor do I know the best solution. For instance, in the most recent shooting, the culprit had a long history of mental illness. Police officers had even visited his house after worried calls from State mental health officials. Yet when they arrived, the shooter was completely calm and convincing. Thus, they had no legal grounds upon which to enter the home and search. If they had entered his room, they would have found his guns, his detailed plans for the massacre which he had been cooking for over a year, and other clear signs that something sinister was brewing.

People all over the globe are suffering from depression and other forms of mental illness, and they should not be under constant suspicion for seeking treatment. One simple way to mitigate widespread gun violence is to have tighter and consistent controls. Currently, gun laws drastically vary from State to State, and I don't claim to be an expert in nationwide legislation. Such knowledge is almost impossible. California is known as the strictest State, and Texas and my home State of Virginia are considered two of the most pro-gun locations in the nation. This is not surprising given that the National Rifle Association is headquartered only a 1/2 hour from my apartment. In Virginia, private citizens can openly carry firearms and I've seen it in restaurants, particularly in rural areas. Is it necessary? I don't think so. Only Washington, DC and Hawaii require all firearms to be registered.

Our founding Fathers made certain that private gun ownership will never completely become extinct in America, but this doesn't mean that laws shouldn't be changed. Some of the most strongly advocated solutions include:

(1) Background checks for all firearm owners
(2) Waiting period
(3) Registration of ALL firearms in every State
(4) For schools - allow teachers to carry firearms into the classroom and train them on use

What do you think? Do you wish Russia had more lenient laws for private gun ownership? What should America do to prevent these tragedies? I sometimes wonder if it's really possible to truly prevent a deranged person from committing these acts of violence. Even if tighter gun controls exist, they would likely still be able to obtain firearms on the black market. In the end, we cannot mandate good and evil, though an attempt should at least be made to control evil to the greatest extent possible.

Comments

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

This is a common analogy used by pro-gun activists. What about all the innocent victims killed by drunk drivers each year, yet people don't try to abolish automobile ownership!! It's a good comparison in my view. There's a constant debate in American mass media, especially after a tragedy like this. And, in this instance, one of the victim's fathers made a very passionate and heart wrenching appeal to law makers for tighter regulations. You can find his interview online.

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

"
yet people don't try to abolish automobile ownership!!
"
Yet.

I think some time after Google driverless car enter the market some people would start to talk about banning people from driving cars without AI assistance.

In fact driving cars is totally ridiculous. You cannot distract your attention from the road even for a second.
And hundreds of millions people spend some time of their life in such a way every day moving close to each other at high speed.

Of course ot fun to drive something from time to time as recreational activity.
But on a regular basis I prefer when a train transports me from A to B and I can meditate, recite a mantra, read, etc. :)

And the same for gun control. People should be taken off of any means to be dangerous for each other, even potentially.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Just like guns, Americans will never abandon their cars. :) We are an automobile nation. It's very difficult to draw the line on what is "dangerous to each other." Anything can be dangerous if in the wrong hands. You can slice or kill someone with a knife or ax, yet the majority of the human population uses these items for their intended purpose. In the same way most Americans use guns for sport, hobby or as a collection item.

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

I read several articles saying that even in America the younger generation is not that tied to their cars.
They prefer to live not in suburbs but in more central neighbourhoods where you can walk the streets, sit in cafes, etc.
This is a new trend.

Of course any public transport is not that flexible but if someone introduces driverless taxis it would be an ultimate solution.
Such people will not use their cars for weeks or months even if they own them.

And in general I think that psychology of a city dweller inevitably becomes more "European" comparing to a farmer of someone living in suburbia.

Cars? Why? Guns? For what? Just enjoy life socializing.
Look at Seattle. It's very different from the surrounding State. There people are more interested to discuss weed control than gun control :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I think you have a very imaginative mind to believe that driverless cars and taxis will become commonplace in our lifetime. All of my friends still have cars, but I've read similar articles that suggest this generation is less tied to automobiles. We must wait and see how technology and human behavioral patterns progress. Or digress. :)

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

lenta. ru/news/2014/05/28/googleauto/

100 test cars this year.
2 years to market as Sergey Brin promises.

Remember I theorized about technological changes that really radically change our lifestyle?
This could be one of those.

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

Like this place in Seattle on Capitol Hill

www. google. com/maps/@47.623531,-122.312642,3a,75y,246.75h,79.68t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sTigRbbkZjCSdyWO_wVkI9w!2e0

My dear qigong friend Claire lived nearby

www. facebook. com/claire.g.johnson

and we had seminars and practice sessions in her house.

This neighbourhood is much more dense (a famous gay place BTW) and I parked my car somewhere and if I had time before of in the middle of practice I walked the streets, drank coffee, bought myself some sandwich in Walgreens.
Did not need a car for moving from spot to spot :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

I can walk to a lot of restaurants, bars, drug stores, etc. from my apartment but need a car to drive to Manassas to visit my family on weekends. I couldn't live without one, I would be in panic mode because I like to be in control. Public transport is not always reliable, nor does it fit your timeframe when you simply want to get up and go.

[south-of-broad.livejournal.com]

Wonderful trolling )

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

He's serious. :) We've had this discussion before in other contexts.

[south-of-broad.livejournal.com]

Really? I need the phone of his weed supplier then)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

:))

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

Yes I am serious :)
I do not see any flaws in my logic.
It's just unusual. But the world is changing.

[south-of-broad.livejournal.com]

Sure, there is no flaw in your utopia.Just like there is no flaw in my daughter's believe in pink ponies and Santa.

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

Utopia?
Several years ago a Dynabook-type computer and mobile Internet everywhere were seen as Utopia :)

en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Dynabook

It is not an interstellar spaceship. All necessary technology is already here.
See that article in Lenta-ru with Google video in this thread.