Why Are You Conservative? / Why Are You Liberal?

I'm saying guns aren't the problem. People are the problem. Taking guns away does not stop mass killings. Taking guns away does not stop murder-suicide. If someone has it in their mind to kill someone, does the fact that they cannot get a gun stop them? Not likely.

Ask a 100 lb woman how easy it is to defend herself against a knife attack by her 220 lb ex-husband. I bet she'd use a gun if she had one.

 

Cool. I see where you're coming from. I kind of go back and forth about the legalizing thing. On the one hand, states would make more money (mine for instance, Illinois is BROKE!!!) but on the other hand, if everyone has access to marijuana in regular drug stores, some people are likely to become addicts, then end up stealing because they can't afford to buy it. Then the state ends up spending more to imprison them than they would have brought in from the sale of marijuana.

 

As I mentioned, that is the case for EVERY situation. People are the reason for ALL problems. There is always a demand for immigration to the US, for stealing, and so on. Why do we have any laws for all these other areas? Why do we have reinforced cockpit doors on airplanes, aren't people the problem, not the airplane? Maybe you are going to say that the cockpit doors are effective and reducing guns are not, but that is speculation, and already you have to admit that even though people are the problem, there was effective action to be taken. I didn't say taking away guns would stop all of it, but in many situations it would certainly reduce it. It is well known that murder-suicides decrease without access to a gun (in fact, there are a huge number of failed suicide attempts without a gun - and the rate of completed suicide is extremely high with a gun). You say that "if someone has it in their mind to kill someone" - but that's exactly the point, a large number of murders the person did not have it in their mind to kill someone, they pulled the trigger and regretted it later. These people are deterred if they didn't have guns.

You are paraphrasing me, I just said "it is easier to defend oneself against a knife, WITH OR WITHOUT A GUN." You have given an example "WITH A GUN". You agree with me that she has a better chance of defending herself if her 220 lb ex-husband has a knife instead of a gun, right?

 

Practically all problems would be solved if people used reason and logic, not just those areas.

I think states should decide what is right and wrong and make the decision that way, not based on how they can make more money. Because then they can do immoral things and use money to justify it. I also went back and forth about legalizing marijuana, but the data seems to be overwhelmingly in favor of legalization. But definitely states have to take precautions, like involving driving, there's a substantial increase in fatal car crashes after marijuana use. Also huge potential for addiction.