Originally posted by Jadette
But I learned that guns aren't toys when I was a child. They aren't status symbols, they aren't for fun. They aren't tools to empower. They kill
things. That's their sole purpose.
As a lifelong gun-owner and a better shot than you, I know from your statements that you're full of hot air.
Sure, guns aren't toys. Neither is a circular saw. But guns
are status symbols, guns
are for fun, and
most of all guns
are tools to
empower the user.
Why else would the gubbmint
fear private gun ownership in America? It's because 280 Million privately-owned firearms
tip the scales of
power and
not in the gubbmint's favor.
That's what the entire gun-control movement is
about — removing
power from the people and giving it exclusively to the Executive
branch of government.
I'll tell you this, the campaign to disarm the American population
is not based on gun-related crime or gun-related deaths. Gun-related crime
has been on the decline for over a decade, and gun-related deaths account for only 1% of the fatalities in America annually. By comparison,
automobile accidents account for over 40% of all fatalities. These stats are from the U.S. Census.
Definition of "fatality" — any death other than
natural death. Accidental deaths and homicides are
fatalities. Guns are
instrumental in only 1% of all fatalities.
As for the stale old anti-gunner mantra
"Guns have only one purpose. To KILL," again I can say that you're full of hot air.
Aside from hunting and military applications, the gun's best and most potent purpose is to
instill fear and
deter crime, and this goal
is attained
daily all over America,
without ever firing a shot. If you know anything about law enforcement — and I do — then you
know that just the
presence of a gun does more to deter crime than actually discharging the thing. Every day across this country, police
officers draw their guns in resolving various situations and apprehending suspects, but
very very few officers
ever discharge their
weapons in the line of duty.
More importantly, civilian ownership of firearms empowers the American citizen in deterring crime, which is far more crucial than
police
responding to a situation ten to thirty minutes
after the fact.
The
presence of the gun is enough. The gun carries
power, and the user is empowered in wielding the gun, even
without firing it.
So there goes the old
"Guns have only one purpose" LIE.
— Doc Velocity
[edit on 5/8/2009 by Doc Velocity]