Don't get me wrong, I dont think anybody needs a asault weapon, barring the military of course. But that's not what this discussion is about. We are talking about gun laws and the right to keep and bare arms. I have a shotgun, and a handgun. the handgun and the key to the trigger lock on my shotgun are in a safe with a 10 digit combination because I have kids. I don't plan on shooting anyone. But I do enjoy target shooting and believe I have the right to do so. I just don't think it is the gun laws that are the culprit in most cases. More often than not kids are being killed by other kids, with handguns not uzis. We need tighter gang laws, juvenile justice laws, and proper education and better parenting. Do you really think that changing gun laws will effect the gang mentality? Or the violence committed by kids who think it is cool to be a thug? I don't need an autoamtic weapon so don't put me in that category. It is a total lack of responsibilty that puts weapons like those in the hands of kids. I just dont think gun laws are the complete answer, we need to change the mentality of the younger generation. I have noticed a general lack of respect in young people. I blame Jacka**, Youtube, and some pretty violent games that desensitze and glorify this gangsta mentality. I was disrespectful when I was younger but when I got in fights in High school no body whipped out a pistol, and I learnd some good lessons by picking my dumb a** off the ground a couple of times. Problem is these kids aren't willing to lose anymore.
I didn't mean to say we needed more laws. However, it is usually the end result when a society demonstrates the lack of ability to check itself. We need better control and responsibility over our guns - which you have clearly exercised and demonstrated the ability to do so. As you know, I don't own any guns but I have really enjoyed firing your handgun on occasion.
I DO, however, standby the statement that it would be far fetched to find in any other foreign country A) a gun show where "everyone gets to fire an assault weapon" B) a father who wishes for his 8 year old to fire an Uzi and C) a trainer who is willing to put a very violent and extremely powerful Uzi in the hands of an 8 year old. Having had a great opportunity to spend 6 years traveling to various corners of the world I can honestly say that it will be difficult to find a country in which these three bad decisions and circumstances could ever align and result in the death of an 8 year old other than right here.
The whole gun control problem is, in my opinion, not so much about a lack of laws as it is about our culture and personal responsibility as a nation. I also didn't intend to use the phrase "gun control" to mean the same thing as "firearm restrictive legislation" but more in the sense of our own personal responsibility to control our guns and who uses them.
