When my sister's (was an exchange student) "US family" was here, the discussion went towards all ares of politics in US and Finland. One of these was gun control, they said that most of the handgun violence isnt a result of not having enough laws, but the current laws are not enforced properly. Meaning getting a weapon illegally is too easy.

Quoting Lord Of The Sith:

Quote:
I prefer to carry my Sig concealed and therefore have a permit to do so.  We live in one of the most free countries in the world.  We were given the second amendment to guarantee that freedom.

Out of curiosity, why do you feel the need to carry a gun? Have you ever in your life, had to put your hand to your belt because you thought you might need it? Also if you drink do you leave the gun at home the same way one would leave their car keys?

Absolutely fascvinating to see some ummmmm no I won't say what EXACTLY what i am, think9ing. But let's say it iis PATHETIC that we are not even allowed to discuss political issues and voice political without some idiot throwing rep votes. So we not only have anarchists here, we also have some Communists, whoi would shut up anyone that voices an opinion they don't like...how cery sad you...whoever you are.

Skip

I understand you have the right to defend yourself, but what I do not understand why you should use a weapon with which it is most likely to kill someone. In my point of view you are not any better if you kill someone who wanted to kill you.

Who are we to pass judgement on the American way of life anyway? If this is how they choose to live their lives then let them! 

I live in Norway - and to own a gun here, you either have to be in the military, a hunter (with a passed hunter exams) or a member of a pistol club. Even then, there are restrictions on which weapons you are allowed to own. Personally I feel that these restricitons are good and valid, but as I said I live in Norway, and I do not intend to ram Norwegain legislation down on people living in America. If Americans feel the need to protect themselves with weapons, then who am I (living in a country populated with a fraction of what lives in a small American Town) to tell them they are wrong?!

Get a grip fellow Europeans, and mow your own lawn before going after your neighbour.

As a side note, I personally have the following weapons in my home
Glock 17
H&K MP5
H&K AG-3 (Norwegian variant of the H&K G3A5) -
but that's a result of me being an officer in the Norwegian armed forces....

Tally ho' folks...   

Quoting Daddy DVD:

Quote:
I understand you have the right to defend yourself, but what I do not understand why you should use a weapon with which it is most likely to kill someone. In my point of view you are not any better if you kill someone who wanted to kill you.

Yes. You're absolutely right.

The next time some violent criminal breaks in to rape or murder my family or steal my possessions while brandishing a weapon (not necessarily a gun), I'll just ask him nicely to leave and go harass someone else.

Why didn't I think of that before? 

@Berak,

True the G3 could seem a bit much, unless your a sniper.(Which I was in Vietnam.  )

Rory

I'm assuming that Skip is talking about the red arrow I have given him. However, it had nothing to do with the discussion at hand or his political opinions, but it was a direct result of this post:

Quoting skipnet50:

Quote:
This leads me to another opinion of mine based on many years of observation. I hear the African-American leadership decry the idea that a disproportionate number of Black males are in prison. For whatever reasons, and personally I blame  the generally weak family structure in that community, but I would say that the reason for the large percentage  of black males in prison has nothing toi do with policecracism, or racism oif any kind, I believe it is because as a group (not individulas) they simply do not know how to behave themselves. Evidence for this; a black neighborhood gets mad, they riot and ythey burn down their OWN neighborhood...BRILLIANT...and then cry about it.

I don't know about anyone else, but I found this racist and offensive to the extreme, and I gave a red arrow accordingly.

At the end of the 80's, got of a plane in Dallas, got a cab to the holliday inn, the first the cabby told me I don't drive downtown or South. I was astonished, I asked why? They just shot a colleague of him. Welcome to the US.