Should violent criminals be allowed to purchase firearms?

[ArmedBear]

"Convicted felons" and "violent criminals" are two entirely different classes of people.

For example, Washington State residents who gamble on an Internet site are felons.

http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20060527/3367/

See, Indian casinos made these campaign contributions...

"Felon" doesn't mean what people think it does.

 

[Acheron]

Violent criminals have violated the social contract that makes our society work. As a result of that violation they have forfeit some of their rights; one of those rights is the right to bear arms.


In reality, there is no such thing as an inalienable right. It's a nice thing to believe in, and I do, but in the real world there is no right or privilege that cannot be stripped away by public choice or legislative fiat.

 

[oldsoldier]

This is a trick question, right?

 

[kurtmax]

Yes. If someone is too dangerous to own a weapon, then they shouldn't have access to the general public. Fix the judicial/prison system, not violate the constitution....

 

[JesseL]

Anyone that can be trusted out of prison is already de facto, allowed to purchase firearms. Who here is foolish enough to think that the law is enough to prevent someone determined to get a gun from doing so? Any such law is worse than useless.

The other issue I see is one of human rights. I think making someone try to live in the real world with no viable means for self defense is as cruel as stripping them naked, tying sausages to them, and tossing them into a lion's den.

Releasing someone, but denying them essential rights, is a poor way to combat crime. Felons currently can choose to be unarmed (which to me would be an intolerable way to live), or arm themselves and continue to be criminals.

If someone commits a crime so heinous that they can never be trusted with firearms again, they really need to stay in prison.

 

[Clipper]

Violent criminals should be executed. I'm tired of being taxed nearly into bankruptcy to pay for the support of those slugs. They get better food, shelter, clothing, medical & dental care than many millions of our friends and families who work hard and productively to benefit society and the economy. Use prisons to rehabilitate offenders who might still be worth the effort. Murderers, rapists, child molesters and the like have pretty much resigned their position with humanity, so show 'em the door...To the death house.

No more issue.

 

[wulfbyte]

There just isn't any neat and easy way to do this.

The court systems will always have some level of uncertainty, else we would never have need of an appeal system. Some people will change for the better for their experience, some will not. Some will get worse. Who then is given the task to rule over the hidden recesses of our minds and determine for us if we are to be trusted or not with the means to defend ourselves.

I cannot do otherwise than to err on the side of liberty and live with the consequences that a few will abuse those rights. So I must vote yes.

And it is a rigged poll, interesting thought though.


DragonFire-->

It is not an inalienable right, otherwise it wouldn't be in the Bill of Rights. And as unlikely as it is, it could be stripped away, though not by the "government" but by a national vote (like prohibition was added and then revoked).

This I absolutely must disagree with. The BOR is not a list of rights granted, but rather a recognition of rights held by the people that no government, including that framed by our Constitution, can infringe. The exercise of those rights might be taken away, but the right itself is inborn and nothing can remove it. When the free exercise of those rights are removed, then the people so oppressed will find ways to exercise them, and a revolution will no doubt be swift in following. Thankfully our government was framed in such a way as to allow changes to be made through peaceable actions foremost, but with a final option that cannot be denied.

If people truely believe that every aspect of their existence is given to them solely through the sanction of government, then they are a people lost.

 

[Mannlicher]

of course not

 

[Justin]

Surely The High Road is better than those segments of the media that publish rigged polls to manipulate people. You're better than that too.

Robert Hairless said it far better than I could have.