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US lifts gun ban: Should individuals have the right to own a weapon for self-defense?
Made Popular Jun 27 2008
In a historical 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court said Thursday that individual Americans have a right to own guns for self-defense. The Constitution’s Second Amendment gives individuals the right to possess a firearm, which is not absolute, unconnected with militia service and to use it for traditional lawful purposes. The decision has invited ire of Gun control lobbyists. The United States witness 80 deaths a day owing to guns.
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Steve
Jun 27 2008
La,
United States
yes Americans should be allowed to posses guns, at least one. the reason is simple, police personnel can't protect you all the time. and it's not that we are in love with the right to own one, or two, or six, and the right to be able to defend ourselves the hour of need.
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(Local Perspectives)
Every move has pros and cons and yes it was tragic the children were killed at Columbine and VT, but had one or more of the people would have had a gun so many may not have lost the lives. I am an ex-convict that can never again in life own a firearm, but I fully support the peoples right to have a weapon to protect their person and property. It is the necessity that everyone should have a firearm in their home for protection and especially now with the escalation of home invasions. Why, because the creeps know that people are defenseless.
(Local Perspectives)
it's easier said than done. i do agree that Americans have a gun culture abide by the constitution for the self defense. and many using them to hunt for food, sport or collect is nothing wrong. but you just can't ignore the statistics and If you would bother to check them out you would find that the majority of crimes involving a fire arm was by someone who doesn't have a permit to own a gun. Responsible gun owners should not be blamed for the acts of criminals who will get the gun regardless of what it takes they will not let a simply law stand in their way. so illegal possession should be the one that US law has to look after.
(Local Perspectives)
if we should have the gun culture abide by the constitution, then the judges should put the drinking limit. We should have alcohol prohibition. this is proved time and again that the excessive intake of alcohol, has resulted in crime and that is by the guns. Coz we had crime syndicate, drive-by shootings, bootleggers, turf wars... all the things we now have because of illegal drugs and weapons. But since the repeal of prohibition, I've not heard of one bartender shooting at another because the latter served a drink to one of the former's clients. In order to avoid this in future, judges need to consider this.
(Local Perspectives)
That self-defense thing is always a gray area. You put a gun in one’s hand and you’ll never know the future of that.
(Global Perspectives)
yes, the ratification of US gun culture by the Judges is a reality... and days are not far when they will legalize the drugs....Since US has surrendered their rights to self-defense, crime has shot up and now generally surpasses crime in days gone by...however one should see to the future when more people will be killed by their own governments than by criminals or by war.
(Local Perspectives)
ppl here are mistaken if they think that getting a gun in US is an easy get going. but it is not. and the belief that there is no gun control whatsoever, is not true. We have over 22,000 laws on the federal level concerning firearms. Many people think that you can go down to the convenience store and pick up an AK-47, which is not true. Gun dealers are very strictly regulated and are held to higher standards than the agency that regulates them is. what i want to say is, crime is not only because of firearms but there are many factors that contribute. blaming it on guns only is not fair.
(Local Perspectives)
As an American citizen, I am full in favor of our right to bear arms.
(Global Perspectives)
Guns are not meant for self-defense. They are meant to kill people, pure and simple. That’s like saying nuclear bombs were made for defensive purposes. I’m a US citizen and I totally disagree with our culture’s obsession with guns. If the US keeps heading in this direction I’ll move back to Japan or another country with less violence.
(Local Perspectives)
I dont think the common people will be responsible to own a gun. There should be restrictions imposed by the government. There should be something like a driving test to get a driving license to get a gun too.
(Global Perspectives)
No, keeping gun for safety should not be allowed to all. Now children commit crimes by stealing guns from others. What will happen if they have an easy access to all these?
There are many chances of its misuse.
There are many chances of its misuse.
(Global Perspectives)
There is no question that an individual should get an firearm to defend himself if he sees a threat. But like in India, a license to own a gun should be made a pre-condition. When the authorities are satisfied that the applicant is justified in asking for the gun, the license should be issued.
What happens in the States is that buying a gun is as easy as buying candy. Just go to the neighbourhood gun shop and buy it. America is not willing to give up its liberal gun laws despite the fact that incidents like Virginia Tech keep occurring with frightening regularity.
This stems from the ’cowboys’ and ’early settlers’ history that the country has.
What happens in the States is that buying a gun is as easy as buying candy. Just go to the neighbourhood gun shop and buy it. America is not willing to give up its liberal gun laws despite the fact that incidents like Virginia Tech keep occurring with frightening regularity.
This stems from the ’cowboys’ and ’early settlers’ history that the country has.
(Global Perspectives)
It's our constitutional right isn't it? If the constitution guaranteed us the right, there must be a good reason for that. Now just wait and see how the liberals will start wailing over the historic judgment.
(Local Perspectives)
But there is something called constitutional amendment. The wise founding fathers of the US inserted this provision because they well understood the fact that things change and the charter of the country should be flexible to keep pace with the changing times.
The gun laws were needed in the 19th century, as the US was not fully matured yet. Those were the days of outlaws and cowboys. Nowadays we see cowboys only on TV or the movies.
I mean if free gun owning is increasing violence in the society, curb it. Hell with the NRA!
The gun laws were needed in the 19th century, as the US was not fully matured yet. Those were the days of outlaws and cowboys. Nowadays we see cowboys only on TV or the movies.
I mean if free gun owning is increasing violence in the society, curb it. Hell with the NRA!
(Global Perspectives)
It's a sad day for all of us. The 2nd Amendment was introduced when America was ruled by lawbreakers than lawmakers. This will definitely have an effect on how we see our society is running. Deaths from handguns would continue to rise.
(Local Perspectives)
The Second Amendment says;
So a citizen should keep and bear arms for the 'security of the State?' Security from whom? Iran? Osama bin Laden? North Korea?
This is an outdated concept w.r.t. 21st Century America.
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
So a citizen should keep and bear arms for the 'security of the State?' Security from whom? Iran? Osama bin Laden? North Korea?
This is an outdated concept w.r.t. 21st Century America.
(Local Perspectives)
United States of America has more civilian deaths due to guns owned by common people. There are many laws in the US that stops habitual offenders and criminals from owning guns. Besides, shooting within municipal boundaries of cities is prohibited in many places. Despite this, more and more people are dying. The only way is to have a complete ban on handguns. This way a Virginia Tech kind of massacre can be avoided.
(Global Perspectives)
Maybe the "Security of the State" implies to a potential dictator taking over the government of the United States. Therefore, I think the Second Amendment is still valid. We citizens should be armed to the teeth to overthrown a despot should he wrest the White House through force. With handguns we can hope to defeat the Army, Navy, Air Force and the Marines. LOL
(Local Perspectives)
If guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns. Would that make the society safer? It is because that even common citizens have arms that outlaws think of their safety while breaking into houses or holding cars up. The 2nd Amendment must be protected at any cost. I am very happy today.
(Local Perspectives)
To secure and maintain freedom all other rights very existence depend solely on the strength of the Second Amendment. Without it, your liberty and safety is at the whim of someone else.
When law enforcement firearms instructors AND their instructors tell you and anyone else reasonable enough to listen that the most important thing you can do in your entire life is to protect the Second Amendment then anything else you hear or pretend to think to the contrary is absolute and complete nonsense.
Consider yourself so informed.
When law enforcement firearms instructors AND their instructors tell you and anyone else reasonable enough to listen that the most important thing you can do in your entire life is to protect the Second Amendment then anything else you hear or pretend to think to the contrary is absolute and complete nonsense.
Consider yourself so informed.
(Local Perspectives)
Our culture’s right to exist is based on an idea, unlike most other cultures which have been founded upon a common race, religion, etc. Every citizen, within a legal means, has the inherent right to bear arms which cannot be infringed upon by the federal government. The reasons for this are numerous. However, I’m not one to cherry pick our constitution. We are using the oldest, living constitution on Earth to run our democracy. I can’t imagine any reason why we should throw out a few rules we don’t agree with...only to risk our culture’s very identity - which was founded upon this document.
(Global Perspectives)
I am all for guns because they save us from criminals and protect our properties. Not only it is guaranteed by the Second Amendment, but look at the practical side of the right. If you have a gun you can shoot down an intruder who trespassed your property with malicious intent.
(Local Perspectives)
Guns are keeping the society safe. If there weren't so many guns in the country, there would have been more deaths from gunshot wounds. Most of the guys who kill with guns are outlaws. The law-enforcing agencies like the police can't be all the places all the times. Civilians must take up some responsibility.
(Global Perspectives)
Is there any doubt that if you have a weapon you would be feared? It is an absolute must for people who value their lives and the lives of their families. It also secures people's properties against trespassers. All countries in the world should have liberal gun laws.
(Global Perspectives)
In the Wild West, owning a gun could be critical whether you lived or died to see the next sunrise. It was called the equalizer. It used to equalize between two physically mismatched individuals.
The situation is not like what used to be some 150-70 years back. We don't need guns any more. More guns means more deaths because of guns. The Second Amendment should be scrapped immediately.
The situation is not like what used to be some 150-70 years back. We don't need guns any more. More guns means more deaths because of guns. The Second Amendment should be scrapped immediately.
(Global Perspectives)
No sane person can say that guns would bring security and make the society stabler and non-violent. It makes the country extremely dangerous. No wonder US has the highest number of causalities due to hand guns. If there was a strict control on guns like Japan or India, Virginia Tech would not have happened.
(Global Perspectives)
Virginia Tech ”happened” because there WAS a ban on firearms on campus which assured the bad guy was the only one to have any.
Are we catching on yet!?
Are we catching on yet!?
(Local Perspectives)
Why dopes every article have to start with "Should we..." type of over-generalized questions? Is this fast becoming a trademark of Instablogs or what?
At its most basic, either you will be against the citizen owning a gun or not. But then, you will find libertarians who are against the governments having a monopoly on guns.
I think a middle path is the best, replete with appropriate checks and balances like registrar of gun owners, gun owning license and so on...
At its most basic, either you will be against the citizen owning a gun or not. But then, you will find libertarians who are against the governments having a monopoly on guns.
I think a middle path is the best, replete with appropriate checks and balances like registrar of gun owners, gun owning license and so on...
(Local Perspectives)
This is an important part of American culture. An American not owning a gun is anything but an American. It was not for nothing that the right to own and bear arms have been guaranteed by the Second Amendment of our holy constitution. The Supreme Court is not above the constitution. The two judges who voted against should me shot.
(Local Perspectives)
I do not argue with the idea. If the cops cannot protect you, you should have the right to own a gun. But what about us Indians?
We have been living on the mercy of God (Ram) for centuries. The police do little to protect us. In fact they do the opposite, what with the astronomical amount of bribes they take.
Have we ever asked for guns? No. I guess, we are mentally more resigned to fate than Americans.
We have been living on the mercy of God (Ram) for centuries. The police do little to protect us. In fact they do the opposite, what with the astronomical amount of bribes they take.
Have we ever asked for guns? No. I guess, we are mentally more resigned to fate than Americans.
(Global Perspectives)
Obviously, and luckily for the folks who have provided their uninformed opinion, Senior Judge Silberman has entirely mapped out a complete understanding of the Second Amendment for anyone who needs a clue;
Parker vs. District of Columbia
http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200703/04-7041a.pdf
Parker vs. District of Columbia
http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/docs/common/opinions/200703/04-7041a.pdf
(Local Perspectives)
If Virginia Tech happened because only the bad guys had the guns, why not ban free sale of guns all over the country. Let only the cops have firearms.
In India this is the situation, and I must say it is quite satisfactory.
The need of the hour is not to be carried away by the propoganda of the NRA and see things as they are.
In India this is the situation, and I must say it is quite satisfactory.
The need of the hour is not to be carried away by the propoganda of the NRA and see things as they are.
(Global Perspectives)