In fact, I've noticed that whenever anyone who is a gun owner comes out for anything which might be remotely considered to be "reasonable" the gunloons shoot him down (e.g., background checks). I can give you examples of Smith and Wesson's agreement with the Clinton Administration where S & W agreed agreed to were; to sell guns with locks, to build the locks in the weapons within two years, implement smart gun technology, and take ballistic fingerprints of its guns. Or Former Field and Stream Editor, Dick Metcalf Supporting gun control with this statement:
“I bring this up,” he wrote, “because way too many gun owners still believe that any regulation of the right to keep and bear arms is an infringement. The fact is that all Constitutional rights are regulated, always have been, and need to be.”The pro-gun side will call the people who admit the US has a serious problem with firearms all sorts of nasty name: including "sheeple". Bus, isn't the term "sheeple" referring to people who follow and don't think? Isn't it implying a certain amount of intellectual dishonesty?
Anyway, I bet you wouldn't guess that I was once one of the gun rights fold?
Yep, serious gun rights. Maybe on the verge of militia movement. What happened?
I grew up.
First off, I'm probably a LOT better traveled than most of you. And guess what? Lots of other countries have guns! Yeah, they do.
As for the Second Amendment, I actually looked into it and its history. I didn't bother with the books by the pseudo-scholars. Does the term taking things out of context have any meaning to you? trust me, that is what they do. And if you think for yourself, you will see that. For example:
The current gun control debate has resurrected a quote allegedly from George Washington that goes like this: "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” The quote is floating around on Facebook and on various anti-gun control blogs like "Ammunition Depot" and "Famous Second Amendment Quotes." Sometimes the quote has a source, usually the Boston Independent Chronicle, January 14, 1790 but usually is just attributed nakedly to George Washington.
The actual quote comes from Washington's address to Congress on January 8th, 1790 and goes like this: "A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a Uniform and well digested plan is requisite: And their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories, as tend to render them independent others, for essential, particularly for military supplies." Note that the quote has nothing to do with gun rights and is clearly concerns properly equipping the military.That is not a unique example of how the gun rights crowd distort the Second Amendment historical roots.
Anyway,you need to go beyond your own comfort zone here. Because if you really want to believe in the gun rights version of the Second Amendment, because that's the way you want it to read, then you are going to have a serious problem dealing with the truth. But, that's what the gun rights people want you to do--accept lies.
You are going to actually have to read the primary sources and do some historical research on your own.
It requires actually thinking for yourself.
Let's toss in a well meaning home maker who lived near my mother getting murdered. Not really anyone who was close to my family, other than she lived near my mother. Then, there are too many other innocent people who get shot. They may not die, but they drain on the public's resources.
Is my having a gun really that important? Is it rally the best method of home defence?
Anyway, I have really looked into this topic. I have considered most of your arguments and found them to not be valid. Especially if the only reason why you believe in gun rights is that is the way you want it to be.
Life is tough, man, grow up if you just want your guns because...
So, I am not really an "anti-gun bigot". If I were bigoted, I would still be on the "pro-gun" side.
