🚀 go-pugleaf

> Yes knives *could* kill

             ^ Do ^
 
> > Why not ban knives?
> 
> Because we need knives to butter our toast.
> 
> > We don't ban them
> > because we have a *right* to own them not because we want to stab people
> > with them.
> 
> Apples and oranges here.  There are benefits to having knives.  They are a
> tool which we need in our daily lives.  Unless you hunt, you don't need a
> gun.

	This is not true.  There are several good reasons to own a gun.  A knife is
used frequently, for small tasks.  A gun (outside of hunting and target
shooting) is used infrequently, in extreme circumstances.  But they are both
tools, both incidentally used in crime, both completely controlled by the user.

	Where can a gun be used?  Here are a few very realistic cases: 

	1) Wild animals.  If you live anywhere outside of a city, you have certainly
seen bear, porcupine, wolverine, stray dogs, or rabid racoons, skunks, etc.  A
gun is the best protection against a large animal.  It doesn't happen often, but
having a gun around has saved many people in situations involving an
unpredictable animal.  Did you know that Shark fishermen frequently carry a
handgun (like a .38 or .357) in their boat so that they can quickly and
effectively kill a dangerous animal before bringing it into the boat?

	2) Intruders.  Having a gun is a deterrent.  A locked, alarmed gun case will
turn a burglar around quicker than a toothy dog.  They know that they are likely
up against a responsible, aware gun owner.  The argument over whether a gun is
always effective in preventing a crime is still up in the air, but here in the
US, the government explicitly protects my right to make that decision myself. 
This case is a big issue and I won't attempt to cover any more in this list.

	3) Political disturbances.  This is what our second amendment was most
explicitly written for.  The right to keep and bear arms represents the freedom
for each citizen to choose whatever tools they feel is most appropriate to
protect their freedom, be it from foreign invasion, civil war, or even their own
government.  
	Yes, folks, that means that our constitution says that each citizen has the
right to decide whether our government is doing its job correctly in protecting
our freedoms.  In essence, it protects the tools to revolt and create a
government in the same way our country was formed.   Just because we haven't
revolted in 200 years doesn't mean that we won't need to ever again.  I'm not a
revolutionary, but I can see how our government has bloated and degenerated from
the lightweight and powerful form that it once was.  Our culture, society, and
technology has changed in ways the the writers of the Constitution couldn't
forsee.  I can believe the idea of a major reshaping of the US government in a
couple hundred years, and you'd bet that I want the citizens to be able to fight
with the same tools as everyone else.  The fact that this happens rarely (hasn't
in over 200 years) doesn't make it less important.
	This last instance is, IMO, the single most important reason to allow guns and
every other form of weapon that is commonly available.  This philosophy requires
tremendous responsibility, but it offers the most to its citizens, and the US is
different from most major nations in this outlook.  Our Bill of Rights has a
very careful order: first, declare the rights that we hold most dear, second,
declare the right to protect our rights.  Many other countries don't believe
this philosophy, so comparing them to the the US is the real apples vs. oranges
issue.
 
> > That's what makes this country the best country in the free
> > world.
> 
> I disagree.

	Why?  He provided reasoning, we would all appreciate if you shared your
reasons.

> > Okay, so someone goes on a killing spree, and stabs, and kills 1,000
> > people. Do we ban knives? NO... Why not? Because we are free. The last I
> > checked this was _not_ a communist country. You can go right ahead, and
> ban
> > knives in your country...  I won't try to stop you.
> 
> Like I said, knives make our lives easier.  Guns make our lives worse.

	Guns made my life possible, and probably yours also.  Please share why guns
have made it worse.  
	I don't think that guns have made crime worse.  If that is so, then so have
cars, ski masks, knives, and subways (for quick urban getaways).

> > >America is a messed up country as far as gun control goes.  I can't
> believe
> > they sell guns at K-Mart there!! Sheesh.
> >
> > Why not? It's a department store! Where else would you buy them?
> 
> How about a GUN STORE!!!

	K-Mart is also a gun store.  They sell a limited selection of low-end hunting
arms in their hunting/camping/sporting good department.

> I was being sarcastic.  However here in Canada they don't sell guns at
> K-Mart as far as I know.  Mostly clothes and electronics.

	Your laws regarding gun sales are different, that is probably the difference.

	Dave