I feel very alienated on this forum. I am an avid supporter of gun rights--I believe the legal ownership of firearms can be fully recognized and supported without any detriment to the safety or well-being of the community, and effective gun legislation can be found through instant background checks and proper training for CCW holders. An alert, trained, and informed population that respects and practices weapons not only will not hurt anyone, but can also be a general safety measure for the public as well--I was reading about Israel today and learned that gun carrying is very common and also quite effective in stopping frequent violent crimes that occur, whereas in other countries a situation may not be quelled until police can be summoned. Immediate response from citizens is always a good thing, I believe. Legislation that bans weapons, such as the Assault Weapons ban, no doubt simply unnecessarily restricts firearms ownership without doing anything to reduce crime...not only is that an example of poor legislation, but it also is quite possibly unconstitutional (depending on your interpretation, of course).
However, on the flipside, I hold quite dear many liberal ideals as well. Gay rights are very important to me; as I realize that about 10% of the population is denied equal priviledges in terms of marriage due to sexual orientation. Trying to enforce a anti-gay marriage amendment to "protect moral values" is absurd...gay marriage hurts absolutely nobody by extending marriage rights to everyone, nor should religious ideology have any place in governmental debate. The war in Iraq to me seems like a fruitless attempt at making the world safer, wasting billions of America's dollars and hundreds of American lives, all for a false assumption that we would be able to find and eliminate weapons of mass destruction that threaten our security. I think it's aggressive, inconsiderate military action and foreign policy that endagers national security by riling up the international community, and surely there are better things to do with the billions the war has costed us, such as medical research and space exploration. Anyway, I digress.
So, in essence, I wonder there seems to be no support of anything democratic or liberal on these boards--support of gun ownership should not preclude any liberal views whatsoever. What makes gun owners, especially the ones on these boards, so conservative? Why do I not see any liberal 2nd Amendment supporters like myself? Does anyone share my position?
However, on the flipside, I hold quite dear many liberal ideals as well. Gay rights are very important to me; as I realize that about 10% of the population is denied equal priviledges in terms of marriage due to sexual orientation. Trying to enforce a anti-gay marriage amendment to "protect moral values" is absurd...gay marriage hurts absolutely nobody by extending marriage rights to everyone, nor should religious ideology have any place in governmental debate. The war in Iraq to me seems like a fruitless attempt at making the world safer, wasting billions of America's dollars and hundreds of American lives, all for a false assumption that we would be able to find and eliminate weapons of mass destruction that threaten our security. I think it's aggressive, inconsiderate military action and foreign policy that endagers national security by riling up the international community, and surely there are better things to do with the billions the war has costed us, such as medical research and space exploration. Anyway, I digress.
So, in essence, I wonder there seems to be no support of anything democratic or liberal on these boards--support of gun ownership should not preclude any liberal views whatsoever. What makes gun owners, especially the ones on these boards, so conservative? Why do I not see any liberal 2nd Amendment supporters like myself? Does anyone share my position?