wbarnhill said:
I'm all for concealed weapons permits, given that the person has proper training and background checks done before being issued one. Then perhaps use that as the only way to purchase a handgun? Then you'll have a standing record of handgun purchases and will know where the majority came from if one is used in an attack on someone. Yes, the black market will still exist, but I think this would be a fair compromise to allow maximum safety while also guaranteeing the right of people to bear arms.
That's a nice idea...in theory only. Problem is that is not reality. We live in a society where when you start restricting things like guns and the power that be want them gone for whatever reasons, they will use that power they have to take the next step, then the next, then another minor step, and another little one, then eventually take the guns from the honest people. It's the classic cooking a live frog on the stove experiment by raising the water temp very slowly vs dropping them in boiling water. Now if the hooligans AND the powers-that-be
both obeyed the rules too, the regulation idea would work just fine, but the hooligans/powers-that-be are exempt from the laws that you and I must obey. So they keep their guns and restrictive attitudes that put us honest types at serious life threatening risk.
The REAL problem here has absolutely nothing to do with the weapons. Not even a little bit. Zero, zip, nada, nil, nuthin, no way no how at all, nope. Guns, knives, crossbows, shoestrings, thermonuclear weapons, ziploc baggies, privately owned and unregulated heavily armed F111's making impromptu low level divebomb practice runs in front of the whitehouse on the capitol building, knitting needles, lego's, etc are not the problem here. It's the people who are exempt from the rules and function outside the law and impose that behavior on those of us who obey the rules that are the real problem. Until those people are under control, which is NOT going to happen, it will remain to be the actual problem. Every time THEY violate a rule, WE get another rule and more restrictions applied to US,
NOT THEM. THEY remain exempt every time without fail. Think about it.
As for maximum safety; Let's be blunt here: That involves scared hooligans and the ability to shoot back. If we're subject to summary execution, then so should they. Fair's fair. Anyone that doesn't believe that (totally independent of whether you want/do carry a weapon or not) is a victim in the making. A scared hooligan is a well behaved hooligan. Scared hooligans are pretty good citizens for the most part because they know they have a 50/50 chance of ceasing to exist if they get out of line. I like scared hooligans. Best kind of the species.
This is a LOT closer to how SHOULD BE done:
http://www.packing.org/state/index.jsp/alaska/
"to allow anyone who may legally carry a firearm to also carry it concealed without having to obtain a special permit if 21 years of age or older."
They still have a few resistance free zones and good justifications for not allowing some people to carry, but at least they understand the reality of the situation.
FWIW, and this will set a few of you off bigtime, my apartment lease has a clause: To insure the safety of all residents, NO weapons of any kind are allowed on the property or in the buildings (including private vehicles) except LEO or otherwise approved by management. It goes on to say that unauthorized weapons are an immediate eviction item.
With that rule in effect, I have NO idea how I'm supposed to defend myself from the law exempt hooligan that want's to kill/injure me.
I'm thinking as soon as I can afford the move, I should move to Alaska. What do you guys think?