Guns, who should be able to own them? Options

[*NatiMarie*]

We all know that guns can cause harm, they're everywhere darnit!

Primarily, who can own them? Who shouldn't own them?

[ComradeRed]

So how many people in America have used guns in the appropriate manner?  Self defense from another person with a gun?  Surely that person wouldn't have a gun in the first place if they were banned.

Drugs are banned. Are you saying no one has drugs?

I kind of doubt that ordinary people with handguns would be able to supress the government if they did turn against their people.

It's happenign right now. Look at Fallujah.

And even if they can't stop the government, they'd at least make the government think twice about doing things.

You also NEVER, EVER want to underestimate what citizen-body is capable of doing. We have 300 million people here. If only ONE in TEN own just ordinary handguns, that is easily the most powerful fighting force in teh world.

I understand your argument of WHY guns are legalised in America because it's a "free" country and all that, but does the preparation for the very slight chance that the government might turn the police against their own people outweigh all the crimes that occur because of guns?

People killed by government in the last 100 years: 200 MILLION.
People killed by criminals, terrorists, etc., during that same time: 1.5 MILLION.

It's not a hard choice.

The chance that the government will turn against the people is NOT slight. It's happening today. We're paying taxes DOZENS of times higher than the taxes paid by the Colonials who revolted against the British. Government use of things like the US PATRIOT Act, Selective Service, etc., would not have been tolerated short of violence in an earlier age.

People are sissies now. That's why the government is so big. Back during the Civil War, when the government tried to draft people, they took to the streets in New York and Chicago and got the government to severly limit the draft. Post-Revolution, Shays' and Whiskey Rebellions, though they failed, ensured the election of a Republican government by 1800 that promoted liberty much better than their Federalist predecessors (even the Federalist tax rates were VERY modest by today's standards -- amounting to only about 6% of the average American's income, compared to 57% today).