AWKWARD ZOMBIE

I'd feel negligent if I didn't mention that there was a sizable portion, and according to some sources a majority, of slave owners who were black. A rather small point perhaps.

http://americancivilwar.com/authors/black_slaveowners.htm

Seriously though, right? That's like arguing against the crime of rape by saying they'd just resort to murder instead. Why would anyone think that making it perfectly legal to purchase semi-automatic rifles would do anything but make it easier for things like that to happen?

I have a gun because twice someone has broken into my house. Twice, the police did nothing. Didn't even file the fucking report. I bought a gun, so that if I catch someone forcing their way into my home, I won't have to beat the guy to death with a hammer. One shot, even if I miss, and he isn't coming back. Also, there is almost always someone at my house now.

Further, how many firearms are sold on the black market? How easy is it to get a firearm illegally? Probably easier than getting it legally, in some areas.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/procon/guns.html

There's also this:

http://dailycaller.com/2014/11/04/gun-ownership-by-the-numbers/

But why on earth would anyone need assault rifles to defend their homes?

EDIT: short of a zombie apocalypse.

I wouldn't bother with anything full auto. Waste of ammo. But rifles aren't the best choice for crime, usually. Granted, there are cases where it's "better" to use a rifle, but for holdups and such? Most of the smart criminals say to use a revolver, not a semi-auto. Revolvers don't eject casings.

A rifle ain't actually the best for home defense, though. Close quarters, smaller is better. Plus, rifles have more penetration than pistols, and you risk hitting shooting through a wall.

Now, semi auto rifles for hunting is fine, since you can quickly follow up if you have to, and if you're in the south, you better be packing, because feral pigs are everywhere, and they are pretty daisies dangerous. There's an upper for an AR type rifle sold by Alexander arms, chambered in the .50 beowulf round. The ad says for busting engine blocks or killing boar. Most often gonna be used for large game, since most of the time you aren't gonna need to disable a car.

I myself see no reason to buy or own anything full auto, at least not for anything likely to happen. I myself would prefer a bolt action rifle because they're more accurate. But the original reason for the second amendment was for national defense. Suppose the US got invaded. I don't know about right now, but around ten years ago, most of our military wasn't even in this hemisphere. There are some who argue that part of the reason no one would try to invade (although Japan had attacked the mainland in WW2) is because of how many guns civilians have access to here. You think we had it bad with insurgents in the middle east? There's a hell of a lot more Americans with guns than there are insurgents/terrorists/whatevs in the middle east. While it's probable that more civilians in this country are all talk than there are who would actually fight back, it'd be pretty daisies bad for any invading force. That's actually the reason for the second amendment.

You give everyone freedom, and some are gonna misuse it. But clamping down on the rest who haven't done anything because of it is wrong. It's the same with the free speech: restrict this guy from saying hateful shit, and it sets the precedent for eventually outlawing certain religions, or writing (or even owning) certain kinds of books.

It's like boiling a live frog: put it in cool water and slowly heat it, the frog won't jump out.

You're almost right, but just barely.

You suggested that the US was a weak military target in 2005. The second amendment was not made with 2005 in mind.

It was made 25 years after the US became it's own thing. my understanding is that it was to make it so that an invasion would be much more difficult if Britain ever decided the US ever looked like an easy target again, because every citizen would be armed and function as a soldier to some degree.

The reason nobody is invading the mainland USA is because it would be suicide BECAUSE of our absurd armed forces, NOT because of untrained civilians with pistols and maybe 10 people per state (barring Texas, of course. Get your shit together, Texas) with automatic rifles. The second amendment was made with the concerns of 1791 America in mind, not 2015 America.

The Second Amendment originated from an era when moving armies was a slow and costly affair, especially in a nation that wasnt very centralized as the original U.S was. Armed local militias were intended to hold off any possible foreign invaders until the federal goverment could form a response, and it also removed some of the costs of keeping a standing army. That amendment hasnt had any application since the turn of the 20th century when the U.S had become one of the most powerful nations on Earth. Now, its just an excuse for Clint Eastwood wannabees to feel like big men. A gun wont give you the protection you think it would during a home invasion, you're better off with a board with a nail in it. They wont help you against foreign military either, as professional modern soldiers will be so much better trained and armed than civilians that you might as well be trying to fight them off with slingshots.

That whole slippery slope argument is complete bullshit, Sweden has much stricter MY GOD-GIVEN RIGHT TO SAY WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT AND DISREGARD ALL CONSEQUENCES TO WHAT I SAY laws than the U.S, you'll go to jail over half the shit you guys let people get away with, and we havent turned into some Orwellian dystopia.

Also, healthcare.

America is behind on so many things, but Americans have this idea that they are still leading the world. We don't even lead in freedom and that's kind of the big thing over here.



So you can get shot and have to declare bankruptcy due to medical bills. Yay!

I feel like this should turn to Taboo Topics since it's not strictly about a current event anymore

Is it really a taboo topic, Turbo? It's still an ongoing issue.

America's obsession with guns is really freakin' scary to me, like, there are people who basically believe "everyone should have guns, that way if a BAD person with a gun starts shooting everyone, a GOOD person with a gun can just shoot THEM!" and don't realise how completely fucked up that is

Honestly I don't really understand America at all a lot of the time. As an outsider it just seems like such a messed up country and I'm not surprised Sailor Moon wants to leave it so badly.

If you guys want me to unlock Taboo Topics to talk about all that, I can. Just shoot me a PM!

From the inside it has a lot of issues, too. Have you got space for one more?

It's a pretty big "grass is greener" sort of thing, though. People who live in places like the UK, Canada, New Zealand, etc. (and other places Americans talk about moving to when their party loses the presidential election) talk shit about their countries, too. *shrug*

But yeah, it must be nice to not have to worry about the average citizen having easy access to tools of death.

Bullet "proof" vests are (at least in this state) legal for civilians, and actually cheaper than a gun, but you need the ceramic plates to stop a rifle round. You can use steel plates, but they're a bit heavier. Although, they can stop more than one shot.

To be honest, though, chances are (currently) much higher that I'll get hit by an SUV driven by some blonde yuppie bitch on a cell phone. Seriously, the majority of the time that is an accurate description of the people who drive too fast through the parking lot while on a phone.

Now, one thing that people keep forgetting is that the gun doesn't choose. Sure, the gun makes it easier, but the vast majority of gun owners aren't going to use their weapons for criminal activity.

Almost every time there's a mass shooting, everyone who is anti-gun starts saying all of them should be banned, or everyone has to register. Registering weapons isn't going to stop a mass shooting.

For legally purchasing a firearm, you have to clear a federal firearms check. This checks if you have any felonies. I don't know if it checks if you're on a watch list, I just know about felony convictions. It should at least be expanded to check if you'e on a watch list. Like if you bought a certain amount of certain kinds of over the counter medicine (used in making meth), or if you're a "person of interest" (easy to determine now, with all the data mining going on), then have that show up on the check.

My Australian friend keeps saying I should move over there and live with him lol. I do plan to visit for a vacation sometime though.