I think that we as indivuduals should be able to own anything that any Sovrign Nation should be able to own.
This basically means everything that can be used effectively withought causing long-term after effects. (particularily those which would out-last the lifetime of the weilder.
Yes, that means I'm against the ownership of Nukes, chem, bio, etc by Sovrign Nations as well. (perfect world scenario, I'm also NOT for say just the US dumping it's nukes. It has to be everybody.) Anti-matter weapons are fine, they're just as punchy, but don't ???? up ground zero for TEN THOUSAND YEARS!
The list of people able to own, say, an aircraft carrier, is a small one. Unemployed Joe Bimbo who keeps gas cans next to his hot-water-heater will not have one.
One of the recurring issues (to me anyway) is accountability. So a guy passes a background check and picks up his Stinger at Missiles-R-Us and then gets laid off and decides to take out the parking lot at his previous place of employment. You can take him, charge him and send him to life or the death penalty but the fact remains that he's caused a lot ofproperty damage and doesnt have the money to pay for it.
You think so? Stingers cost $40grand.
Like it or not, expensive weaponry makes sure that the owner generally has a lot to loose by it's potential mis-use. You don't knock over 7-11s with a $40grand weapon because you can't support your crack habbit. But you may one day have to use it to shoot down, say, a hellicopter that wants to touch down on your roof, land 8 guys and abduct your family and ransome them back to you for $600million. (valid self defense concern.)
The world is a big place, what may not seem 'valid' or 'reasonable' to expect happen to you, may be just that to someone else.
Full Auto machineguns (~$10k each) are much the same.
there has been only ONE crime commited with a legal full-auto. It was by someone who actually did NOT PAY for it (if I recall correctly. Actually, it may have been a post 86 gun?) In any event, the man was an off-duty LEO performing a *contract killing*.
I'd consider accepting the ban of any weapon that the government also bans for its own self.
Well said!
I am only for Nations ownership of nukes in the current geo-political arena, as they are the 800lb gorrillas.
If say anti-matter charges existed that were a bigger (more effective/powerful/supior/etc) gun, I would toss out the nukes and their 10,000year bagage very quickly.