#443530 - 09/07/0907:25 PMRe: The Soapbox has changed my mind about religion
[Re: FSM]
carp
Dino's are Babe magnets
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 27021
Loc: Hawaii
Quote:
i think most people would agree that the second amendment was put into place to arm citizens in the event that they needed to protect themselves from the gov't;
Your correct thats the way I read it too.
After all thats how this country got started right , bearing arms against Britain .
A few weeks ago a car dealer had a special , buy a new car and get a FREE assault rifle , looked like a M-16 with a 32 bullet clip -- Gheees
#443545 - 09/07/0909:02 PMRe: The Soapbox has changed my mind about religion
[Re: MrB]
newkojak
Mostly Proper Comma Use
Registered: 11/03/02
Posts: 3634
Loc: Chicago, IL
I agree that the knee-jerk reaction of "there ought to be a law..." is a terrible impulse and given the amount of gun violence in the United States, gun rights advocates probably hear it much much more than anyone else.
I disagree though with the overarching libertarian argument you are making about laws though. There are plenty of terrible laws out there. There are also plenty of inadequate laws though too. There are laws that protect the wrong interest. There are laws with so many loopholes that they are useless.
The problem is that problems like gun violence need gun advocates help in solving just like anyone else. Remember a long time ago we were talking about the assault weapons ban? You and I could probably hammer out a pretty reasonable list of rules that would benefit everyone if we kept it on the level of talking about pistol grips on semi-automatic rifles and flash suppressers and that sort of stuff.
But if you and I kept it on the level of whether or not there should be laws, we would only be appealing to people with whom we agree. That's the problem with debating a lot of laws, especially regarding the "cultural" issues like guns and abortion. We never actually talk about the laws and policies, just our "stances."
#443566 - 09/07/0911:10 PMRe: The Soapbox has changed my mind about religion
[Re: newkojak]
carp
Dino's are Babe magnets
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 27021
Loc: Hawaii
Quote:
I disagree though with the overarching libertarian argument you are making about laws though.
My thought on the matter stems from this so called Land of the Free ideal of what used to be free is not anymore . Sure there are bad laws and old laws still on the books , laws that make no sense and those laws that does some good.
No one can argue that the US is not a country that is built on laws , so much laws then any other country in the world <-- are we really ! ! the Land of the Free --> nope not by a long shot , even Cubans are more free then we are with the exception of wide spread anti government organizations , other then that they do have more freedoms then we do .
Except for the fact they cannot criticize their own government. I would say that is a small lack of freedoms that outweighs all of the dumb laws they can make here.
We can complain about old and new laws. We can criticize them, make new ones. We, as in, the people. That is a big difference. That is a good thing to have.
Sure, as a cacophony of over indulged and complaining citizenry we make a lot of dumb laws. Don't like one? Complain. Reverse the law. It's called democracy.
#443581 - 09/08/0912:07 AMRe: The Soapbox has changed my mind about religion
[Re: polymerase]
carp
Dino's are Babe magnets
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 27021
Loc: Hawaii
Quote:
Except for the fact they cannot criticize their own government.
Sure they can who ever told you that ? According to people who visit Cuba they do talk stink about their government "Fidel" with no problems and very often - However , You just don't organize a anti government movement or revolt so to speak , that will get you in deep Kim Chee . Just like the US , the FBI would be on your trail real quick .
Not sure how Monkey , watermelon and Joker Cartoons would go over in Cuba - but we know in the US not to well = so much for freedom of speech .
You cannot do anything anti-governenment. That's what I mean. No Fox News. Wait, that might be ... nah, I'll take the United States and all the dumb laws we come up with. Drunk driving laws I can live with. What I would like are a few more gun laws. Laws that are in normal countries. Like Cuba.
#443603 - 09/08/0904:22 AMRe: The Soapbox has changed my mind about religion
[Re: polymerase]
carp
Dino's are Babe magnets
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 27021
Loc: Hawaii
LOL
Well you will live longer in Cuba because there is anti gun laws - I mean what over 20,000 people are murdered in the US by guns alone <-- that beats Iraq and Afghanistan alone for the 8 years of WAR in American deaths . Each and every year another 20,000 death in the US - Gheees - You know what we have to keep the dang right to own a gun so we can kill each other year after year -- I guess that thins the population
Quote:
You cannot do anything anti-governenment
I dunno try and post a monkey cartoon or a water melon one or heaven forbid hint anything racist that can be seen by any half idiot <-- where ya freedom of speech now ? ?
Once Eisenhower signed the national highway system bill cars have become necessary. Each one of us likely interacts with an auto at least a few times each day. We can't ban them but we can advocate for more trains and more public transportation. For what autos accomplish, propelling us at high speeds directly at each other while most drivers chat on the phone, the death rate is pretty small.
Guns, at least the guns laying around in houses all over the United States, aren't necessary. But they kill about the same amount of people as cars which we have to use every day.
You you want to come up with a dumb retort you may as well say ban flu. Flu will kill 36,000 US citizens this winter. We probably will try this winter and it is going to be a freak show since everyone will be terrified of "swine" flu.