10/26   Replying to peace-loving caste member who love gun freedom:

                                                \_ I don't buy that having
                                                   guns available would make
                                                   a difference in controlling
                                                   government abuses in a
                                                   established democracy
                                                   like the US, with a
                                                   mature system of checks
                                                   and balances and a free
                                                   press.
                                                   \_ Except the press is bought
                                                      off and biased.  People
                                                      are people.  Nothing
                                                      magical about the press.

                                                   As for carrying out the
                                                   laws and controlling
                                                   crimes, that's what
                                                   governments are for, or
                                                   would you rather have
                                                   mob justice and blood
                                                   revenges like they have
                                                   Azerbajian or some other
                                                   3rd world hell hole?
                                                   \_ Governments don't always
                                                      "get it right".

                                                   As a matter of fact, I do
                                                   not believe in banning
                                                   guns totally in the US.
                                                   I believe that, given the
                                                   wide availability of guns,
                                                   people should have the
                                                   choice to have a gun for
                                                   personal protection.
                                                   \_ "As a matter of fact, I
                                                      do not believe in banning
                                                      murder totally in the US.
                                                      I believe that, given the
                                                      high murder rate, people
                                                      should have the choice to
                                                      murder or not."

                                                   But if you believe that
                                                   having guns available to
                                                   the general populace have
                                                   helped reduce crime or
                                                   helped curb government
                                                   abuses, I think you are
                                                   very much misguided.
                                                   \_ URL, please.  Don't put
                                                      your opinion as fact on
                                                      the motd without a URL
                                                      to back up your statements.
                                                      It only annoys people who
                                                      are intelligent and want
                                                      a discussion rather than
                                                      a rant.

                                                   In short, having a gun
                                                   may be beneficial to
                                                   an individual in
                                                   specific circumstances,
                                                   but the wide spread
                                                   availability of guns
                                                   has been detrimental
                                                   to the US populace in
                                                   general.
                                                   \_ So a good thing for one
                                                      person becomes a bad thing
                                                      when many individuals
                                                      benefit from that same
                                                      thing?  Hello?

                                                   Given the above, I
                                                   think it is right
                                                   to call for tougher
                                                   gun laws, but not to
                                                   ban it altogether.
                                                   \_ Tougher gun laws?  Like?
                                                      This is the phrase a lot
                                                      of the gun ban lobby use
                                                      to cover the writing of
                                                      laws which chip away at
                                                      the 2nd amendment until
                                                      there's isn't one.
                                                      \_
        Registering guns annually (or some reasonable time period).  Penalty
        and responsibility if gun registered under you is stolen or used to
        commit a crime.