Land of Oz

Bang

Guns seem to be one those things that you're either for or against - rabidly. Similar to abortions, gays and lite beer. I have to admit that I see no problem with gun ownership. It's the gun owners that have problems. We've all heard the argument that guns don't kill people, people do; or that if you want a gun why do you need a 30 round holding semi-automatic rifle?

While I think the guns are just an object argument has been run into the ground, I would like to expand a little on the why do you need a... argument. First, I or you, don't need a fully automatic belt-fed .50 caliber machine gun. However, I see no reason for not having one. Look at vehicles. Why does anyone need a 500 hp, four wheel drive 3 ton pickup or for that matter a 240 mph Ferrari? For that matter, why do you need a Dove chocolate ice cream bar instead of a Tastee Freeze or a filet mignon instead of a Big Mac? Needs and wants are two different things.

Instead of trying to hold the object responsible, how about holding the person responsible? If someone eats 45 Dove ice cream bars a week, they shouldn't sue Dove because they become fat. And there are already laws on the book against using guns for criminal intent. How about toughening the existing ones instead of making new ones. Don't make illegal to own a weapon, but make it a life sentence to use one in a crime. If you go out drunk some night and fire a few rounds into the sky for 4th of July, you need to do some serious prison time. There are no extenuating circumstances. You threaten some one with a gun, even in passing - you're going to jail. If you've got a felony conviction, and you touch a weapon, you're back in the slammer again.

That's just like the three strike law in California (which I don't know if it has been overturned or not). If you haven't learned after two arrests, it's pretty obvious you're not going to change. I don't care if you do steal just a slice of pizza - you stole something after having been twice through the justice system that punished you for stealing!! Which part of your guilty, your guilty didn't you understand?

Leaves the guns and Big Macs and Godiva chocolate manufacturers and their products alone. But bust those who misuse them big time.

2fers: Charles Daly 1911 and Ruger Mark II, Mk 6