Guns are for killing

I mean why else would you own a gun unless you were going to kill something or someone?

Well, you know, compensation

In one of my recent articles about prized possessions there are a few comments about people owning guns and how it is their prized possession. In Australia, we have strict gun ownership laws. The average person doesn't own a gun here. I mean why else would you own a gun unless you were going to kill something or someone? Sure I can see people saying that it their right to own a gun, be it for collectors items or for personal protection, but surely the only reason you would own a gun is so that you could shoot it and kill.

I'll leave you with one word that negates your entire argument. The word is "competition"! Go do a little searching my friend. Austrailias crime rate is "higher" now than it ever was before they took away the guns.

Im glad we have the gun laws we have here. Im glad our government has taken a stand. There are too many crazy people out there and i wouldnt want them having a gun. it would be too easy to use and our crime rate would be much higher.

I also don't think it's fair that some should be made to do without just because some idiots can not control themselves.

I believe in the right to bear arms and I have shot and continue to shoot guns. I enjoy shooting guns at the range to better my aim and for the sheer joy of shooting. Some people have competitions to see who shoots the best. Of course there is also the fact that guns can act as self defense weapon and while you may feel safe now, I wonder how you would feel if someone was threatening your life. It DOES happen whether you want to admit that or not.

Saying that guns are for killing people only is like saying cars are for killing people only. Think about it. They are both deadly weapons and yet no one gets all up in arms about cars and hands out a license to anybody who shows up and forks over the required payment. With guns, to get a license, you have have to go through quite a bit. Just because criminals have used guns does not make all gun owners criminals. The same that just because some drink and drive does not make all drivers drunks.

Guns do not kill people. Cars do not kill people. Knives do not kill people. Chain saws do not kill people. It's the person behind those objects that kill people and to insist on controling everyone is neither fair nor right. Thank God I live in the U.S. And as the person stated above, in Australia and in Britian, crime did not fall, crime ROSE. But spin the story whichever way you want to make yourself feel better. In the meantime, I will continue going to the range, practicing, getting better and better at tight shot groups and enjoying the companionship, the friendships and the smell of gun powder in addition to knowing that should anyone ever break into my home or threaten my life, I will not be the one dead at the end of the whole incident.

If you want to play that silly little game, I bet I could go through your house and find all sorts of things you bought, just for killing. Do you have anti bacterial cleaners? What do you think they do, invite the living microbes in your skin, or in your home to leave quietly and no one gets hurt? Do you take anti biotics? Hmmmm Anti (against) Biotics (life), I wonder what those were designed to do? Do you think they only kill the microbes that are threatening your health? No, they don't discriminate between good and bad, they kill everything within the limits of their receptor sites. In fact, in the field of medicine, many of the chemicals we call "drugs" are actually poisons. Used in different routes and dosages almost all of them are poisons.

Many of those poisons and meds you have around your house have been used as murder weapons. Do you own a car? How many animals and people have been killed by cars... many intentionally.

In short, having a gun in the house makes it no more or less "safe" for people than most of the chemicals and medications in your home.

As for why a person should or shouldn't own a gun, why would any freedom loving person demand the government even ask that question?

;~D

Hmmm, perhaps Australia should outlaw rocks. Last time I checked you could kill someone with a rock.

Sorry Phoenix, but this guys do make a point. Guns are truly dangerous, just as anything else we want to use as a weapon.

Having a strict gun ownership however isnt bad, at the contrary, i think it regulates who can own a gun. Just like a driving licence. If you respect a certain code, you are entitled to own a gun.

Guns do not kill people. Cars do not kill people. Knives do not kill people. Chain saws do not kill people. It's the person behind those objects that kill people and to insist on controling everyone is neither fair nor right. Thank God I live in the U.S. And as the person stated above, in Australia and in Britian, crime did not fall, crime ROSE. But spin the story whichever way you want to make yourself feel better. In the meantime, I will continue going to the range, practicing, getting better and better at tight shot groups and enjoying the companionship, the friendships and the smell of gun powder in addition to knowing that should anyone ever break into my home or threaten my life, I will not be the one dead at the end of the whole incident.

Gun control=the ability to hit ones target!
Here ya go Phoenixboi, this might help:

Link

or this:

Link

And these two should make you feel real safe:
Link

Link

NOt a very well thought out article. My reply.

Are people killed during the olympic biathalon? There are tens of thousands of marksmanship competitions around the world every year.

Regardless of bleeding heart sentiment, the anti-hunting drones don't have any reasonable suggestions about controling animal populations, and mass-famine, disease, traffic, etc., aren't preferable to hunting in the minds of anyone with a soul.

Somthing like 25% of Australian homes have a gun last I read. There are numerous examples of how the lack of species control in Australia has wrought havoc on the environment there.

Switzerland makes ownership of fully-automotic military rifles mandatory for a large part of their population because of their public militia. DO you hear of many people going postal there?

To many of us who have lived our lives around guns, in communities where gun ownership is the standard, and who have NEVER SEEN A KILLING, the assertion of this article is either ignorant or dishonest.

Guns are for Killing.  And sometimes it is necessary.  A Rabid Dog (dingo), dangerous viper, mortally wounded deer.  There are plenty of instances where killing is not only necessary, but humane.

Bows and Arrows are for killing.  Much more sporting than a gun, but that is their purpose as well.

Knives are for killing.  And cutting, but the cutting comes after the killing.

Many things in life can be said to have only one use, when in fact if that were really the case, they would long ago have been relegated to antiquity (Seen any Maces lately?).

I dont own a Gun.  Never have.  But that is my personal decision.  I would not force my decision on others just because I dont own one.  That is totalitarianism.

Austrailias crime rate is "higher" now than it ever was before they took away the guns.

Is it to do with the guns though?

I also don't think it's fair that some should be made to do without just because some idiots can not control themselves.

Why would you want to own one unless your going to shoot something or someone?

Ok ive read all your responses.. and what im seeing is that you guys mostly are living in a society where living with guns is acceptable and actually a part of your society. Where I am coming from it is not the norm, so it isnt something that most people I associate with or live around think about, so for me it is something totally foreign, we dont need guns here to live or to protect ourselves or to kill anything.

Someone brought up the argument about cars and that they can be used to kill.. sure they can, but what else can a gun be used for apart from killing or shooting at something? I dont see any other practical uses for a gun. Maybe someone can enlighten me with this?

Owning a gun makes it easy to use that option if needed in a violent situation. Not having a gun doesnt make that option available, therefore in those situations no one would get shot.

I guess we just live in two different societies.

Austrailias crime rate is "higher" now than it ever was before they took away the guns. Is it to do with the guns though?

Could it to be to do with the LACK of guns?

England doesn't allow it's citizens to carry guns. The crime rate in the UK is atrociously high...but it's a different type of crime. There are more strabbings and slashings and beatings over there than here, mainly because (IMO) they don't have guns so knives are the next best thing. If they DID have guns, I think we'd be hearing about a ton more of shootings instead of stabbings.

So, you would ban an object out of what you admit is your own ignorance? Ok, so you don't understand guns or why anyone would want one... fair enough. But please tell me how that is justification for a ban?

Bans are nothing more than the government deciding what law abiding citizens shouldn't have access to. If you are going to advocate the government throwing me in jail for owning something, you'd better have a much better reason than "I dont see any other practical uses for a gun."

Look around your home, how many things do you own that have no "practical" use. Ask yourself if you can see the logic in making you a criminal simply because you own any of those things.

but it's a different type of crime. There are more strabbings and slashings and beatings over there than here, mainly because (IMO) they don't have guns so knives are the next best thing.

YOur statement and Phoenixboi's go hand in hand.  Yes, Guns make it easier to kill, but Killers are going to kill regardless of the availabilty of guns.

Banning Guns does not reduce crime.  Criminals are not made by the weapons they own.

Austrailias crime rate is "higher" now than it ever was before they took away the guns. Is it to do with the guns though?

Yes, because the people's right to self-protection has been taken away.

it's a different type of crime.

Yeah same here..

But please tell me how that is justification for a ban?

Where have I said that we should ban guns? All I have said is I dont see the point in owning one unless your going to kill something or shoot something.

I dont see any other practical uses for a gun.

Its like why have bombs unless your going to blow something up? I know in the reality of things there are wars and shit, but there are no other practical reasons for owning bombs unless your going to use them for blowing things up, right? So what else would you use a gun for unless your going to shoot something?

Again..Im not saying and havent said we should ban guns, im just stating that there really isnt any beneficial reasons for owning a gun (and point taken with Baker that they are useful with killing vermin and on farms and such) but apart from that why else would you use a gun, unless you were going to kill something or shoot something?

PB: If you consider urban Australia to be your "society", then you are right. Australia as a whole, though, isn't demostrative of your comments. As I said above, the last figure I saw was one in four Australian homes have firearms. The statement:

"I dont see any other practical uses for a gun. Maybe someone can enlighten me with this?"

is a slap in the face to me, given I took the time to post just that on your ignorant article and even replied in an article of my own.

You don't WANT to see any uses, because that would invalidate your opinion. You don't want to see the MILLIONS of Australian gun owners, because it invalidates your idea of your own "society".

Ignorance. Worse, self-imposed ignorance.

In Australia, we have strict gun ownership laws. The average person doesnt own a gun here. I'm glad we have the gun laws we have here. Im glad our government has taken a stand.

I took these statments to mean that you support a ban on guns. If that's not what you meant, let me know where I messed up?

The point here is "guns are for killing". The people who have thoughtfully given their time to post have shown that there are other uses for guns, and that all killing is not murder.

The Olympic Biathalon is not murder, hunting is not murder, and Australia has millions of gun owners. That basically defeats the whole premise of a gunless Australia that doesn't need guns. They have a horrific record on species overpopulation and they are protected by guns 24/7, but then who needs guns, right? I mean, it isn't like someone could just make a pipe bomb if they couldn't get a gun.

So, the only way for pheonixboi to keep the comments coming in is to ignore the answers and just ask the same questions again and again. By now, though, anyone should be able to see that the question HAS been answered and the blogger has purposely ignored it.

I don't see any other practical uses for a gun.

So in your opinion shooting competitions are not practical?
You opened a can of worms with this thread. Gun control is a "very" touchy subject to a lot of Americans. And baker came up with a valid point. Do you consider the Olympics as non-practical?

PB,

One word - D E T E R A N C E

As in, the known, or perceived, possession of a weapon by a potential victim is a deterant to the agressor ( kinda why
the USSR didn't attack the USA during the cold war ).

It's why we have bombs, guns, fighter jets, etc......

I agree with you... I think it is a foolish argument to state that gun laws are a violation of my personal freedom... If we could just agree on a better gun control law, then maybe gun violence would be down and no one would want or need to own a gun... but I am dreaming and I know that can never happen in America.

If I were going to be paranoid, I would say this is just an underhanded anti-hunting blog. Seeing his recent 'greenpeace' kick, I would imagine PB has fallen in line with the rest of the radical animal rights folks in believing that the best way to stop hunting is to legally prevent access to firearms and never letting anyone know that you aren't really worried about gun crime.

He outright ignors anyone who posts a use for a gun other than shooting people, and then capitalizes on anyone who talks about self-defense. I don't think ignoring species control and hunting is accidental. I could be making an ignorant assumption, though, akin to the idea that millions of Australians don't own guns, or that 'guns are for killing'...

Well, I'll put it like this. I have a nice scar on my face from an attempted robbery. The guy pulled a knife and slashed me in the face. It was obvious his intent was to injure or even kill me for whatever I had in my wallet.

The second I pulled my .357 from under my vest the attack was over and he was running for his life. I never even had to fire a shot.

So don't try and hand me that namby pamby BS that guns have no purpose. There is a good chance that I am alive today because I had one. You're living with your head stuck in the sand (or up someplace else) if you believe human predators don't exist.