The Atlantic - "The Case for More Guns (And More Gun Control)

Joined
Jan 5, 2008
Messages
8,422
Likes
6,298
Location
My forest stronghold
Feedback: 26 / 0 / 0
A well written and balanced article in this month's Atlantic magazine presents a very realistic picture of where we are with gun rights vs. gun control.

I shared—and continue to share—the view that muscular gun-control regulations, ones that put stumbling blocks in front of criminals seeking firearms, are necessary. But I was also seized by the thought that, had I been on the train, I would much rather have been armed than unarmed. I was not, and am not, under the illusion that a handgun would have necessarily provided a definitive solution to the problem posed by Colin Ferguson. But my instinct was that if someone is shooting at you, it is generally better to shoot back than to cower and pray.
 
Nice article, and illustrative of one reason that heavy gun buying is a benefit to those who support gun rights. The sheer number of guns out there is a serious impediment to any attempt to control ownership or use. So while some deride "panic-buying" or the price and demand impact we see on election cycles, we should be pleased to know that this country is awash in weapons, and more so every passing day. For that we can thank the gun control crowd more than anything else. America is far better armed precisely because of those who threaten (and at times succeed) to implement additional gun control.
 
Well balanced? Someone please tell me what the hell good a well balanced article on gun control is. We don't need well balanced. We need the damn truth. And, the damn truth is that gun control does nothing to prevent crime. It is only successful at preventing free men from defending their lives against criminals and tyrants.

Take your well-balanced BS and shove it.

Give me the facts.

I doubt you'd be all happy-go-lucky over a "well balanced" article on the freedom of speech.
 
Last edited:
Mauser expresses disbelief that the number of gun deaths fails to shock. He blames the American attachment to guns on ignorance, and on immaturity. “We’re a pretty new nation,” he told me. “We’re still at the stage of rebellious teenager, and we don’t like it when the government tells us what to do. People don’t trust government to do what’s right. They are very attracted to the idea of a nation of individuals, so they don’t think about what’s good for the collective.”

stopped reading after this, i wouldnt call this article balanced or insightful.
 
The article wasn't written by a libertarian or gun rights absolutist, so don't expect perfection. What it is, however, is a well written article presenting both anti-gun and pro-gun points of view, and coming down on the pro-gun side for the most part. And it's in The Atlantic -- not exactly a home for libertarian or even right-wing sentiments. All in, a better thing than one might expect. As the OP correctly notes, it is also a very realistic piece, reflecting what is actually possible with respect to gun control efforts in America.
 
Long article that finally gets to a good point:

"According to Adam Winkler, a law professor at UCLA and the author of Gunfight: The Battle Over the Right to Bear Arms in America, permit holders in the U.S. commit crimes at a rate lower than that of the general population. “We don’t see much bloodshed from concealed-carry permit holders, because they are law-abiding people,” Winkler said. “That’s not to say that permit holders don’t commit crimes, but they do so at a lower rate than the general population. People who seek to obtain permits are likely to be people who respect the law.” According to John Lott, an economist and a gun-rights advocate who maintains that gun ownership by law-abiding citizens helps curtail crime, the crime rate among concealed-carry permit holders is lower than the crime rate among police officers."

So, more licenced responsible gun owners is good for society.

No goddamn shit.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2
 
Back
Top Bottom