Wow...
All I can say is Wow...
-JohnBT: I'll send you a keyboard with a working shift key.-
Thanks, but this ones fine.
My goodness, where to start...
"I really think this was/is a troll looking to get a rise..." -El Toro
First, my philosophy when debating a topic is to not change a persons beliefs--only to understand them.
I never expected to get this magnitude of responses to what I had posted. Especially Trishas eloquent declaration:
Liberty is an individual reality, not a bandied concept droned past foggy minds and uncaring, easily distracted hearts during a civics class that involves old guys that've been dead a long time. It is not bestowed benevolently by a totalitarian government, authorized by a theocratic dogma -
it is what makes us completely unique in the entire history of man - and it has incredible, broad, persistent responsibilities.
Followed by GeekWithA.45s undeniable logic:
I (we) exist. Inherent in that existence is the right to continue that existence, and that right exists everywhere we are. There is nowhere on this earth or off it where the right to defend yourself does not exist. Implicit in this right of self defense is the right to take positive action to actually effect that defense.
And then Paxian logic:
So the military will shoot down an airplane taken over by terrorists. But the people on the airplane can't have guns to fight back against terrorists, because the airplane might crash if they do.
Then mephistos story...P12s final question was/ is pretty unnerving... AngerManagements post, though edited before I could read it all sounded very characteristic of someone living in CT
... hsos statistics, later supplemented by bogie... re1973s faux rant on all things inanimate
... Sam Adams quoting Abraham Lincoln (think of the irony with the names there, folks)... George Hill for putting Metal and Wood on the forum and for quoting Tolkien... ReadyontheRights humor: Just because we're paranoid, it doesn't mean that they are not out to get us...
As an anti, I didnt mean to come across as someone who wants to take away whats rightfully yours to have. For example, I dont like to listen to the radio in my truck (too many commercials and the songs are always the same). Instead I listen to CDs--and not feel one way or the other about those who would rather tune in to their favorite FM station.
Alas, my beliefs were wrong concerning the plane and the laws of physics. I apologise on account of faulty evidence.
My thoughts with the M16/ AR15/ Tommygun were that they were deisgned to kill a lot of things at a really close range really quickly and that the average person would have no need for such a thing.
"Our Forefathers decided to make America different from any country, anywhere, at any time in the entire history of the entire world. This country, this new nation of immigrants, would be based upon the concept that people could rule themselves better than any single person or small group of persons could rule them." -Metal and Wood
What I glean from this is that we all know what is best for ourselves. Hopefully, we all know what would/ will/ does bring us contentment in life.
"I took the time to talk with some of them and ask them questions about guns...I made a lot of new friends that were gun owners. They answered my questions and helped me to understand things that I didn't see before." -Borrowed from Miss Demeanors site
My take on all of this was just that I dont have a gun and couldnt think of a reason why Id ever really need or want one. My younger brother has recently become interested in them, and it just struck me as odd. At first I thought his new found interest was akin to something like pyromania, and Ive seen some pretty bad burns from kids being stupid about things theyve seen on TV. Also, he has had a propensity toward bending the rules, so I was sure that something bad was going to happen. He has a rifle that looks almost like an AK47, a shotgun, and a hunting rifle. As I stated earlier, the hunting rifle makes sense but it seems as though he got the AK47 just because he saw it in a movie or something. Same with the shotgun too.
"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."
I did not want to come across as someone who wants to take away your rights. As stated above, it is not a privelige. It is a
right--open to those who choose to take advantage of it and those who choose not to. I am one who has chosen not to get one (or sixty-something of them like Tamara has). I just wanted to hear why you all had one (or 100).
PS arinvolvo: Id go with B. But how would I clean the blood off the wall
?
Final sentiment: S_O_Laban may've been right--"After rereading your post I'm not so sure you are the "anti" that you think you are." Now I think so too. How about the title of curious middler instead of rights-abolishing anti?
PPS This is probably the most insightful,
true, informative stuff Ive read in a while. Thanks for welcoming me...Ill be around.