Do you believe we have the RIGHT to bear arms/own weapons? (Q of the Day 8-26-10)

Honestly this is a really tough one. Especially when you look at countries like Japan, where guns are illegal, are violence is so much lower than here in the US. Then again, their entire culture is built around respect and whatnot.... But yeah it's a tough one. At the same time you don't want the government being able to do whatever the heck they want, and that's the basis of our right to bear arms . . .

Yes. It's just there are some people out there that abuse that right. And those people get the attention of the press, and they yell foul.

yay, politics on Giant Bomb. this is going to go well.

I believe people have the right to defend themselves. And if the want to use their LEGAL weapon to defend themselves from danger then more power to them.
 
However some guns are unnecessary, I can't think of a single reason as to why someone would need an assault rifle (AR-15, AK-47, etc.) semi-automatic or not, they are overpowered weapons that shouldn't be in civilian hands in my honest opinion. I mean a shootout with a burglar would only require a pistol or a shotgun since your at close range anyway, plus it's not needed for hunting because who needs a 30 round magazine to put down a deer?

Yes, I do.

I totally support the right to bear arms.

Actually, this is not a tough one at all. Your rights are defined by your country's laws. If you're an American you absolutely have the right to own a registered weapon unless you don't meet the qualifications of age, criminal history, etc. 
 
If you live in a country where gun ownership is restricted to police and military or are flat-out illegal, then you don't have the right. 
 
If you're asking about some natural "a priori", "God-given" right or whether it's a good idea to have everyone running around armed, then you start getting into the tough territory.

No. From my conversations with others the amendment was for a specific time in American history involving hostile British forces. When it comes to history i'm always for placing things in context. Either way, im not knowledgeable at all in this field so please don't try to debate me. But if I made a mistake, please correct me :)

lol Bear arms yes, bare arms no.

Ugh yeah this question's gonna spawn a lot of love and respect from everyone involved.  Yaaay! 
 
Anyway, the way I see it there are simply way too many guns, and waaay too much ammo around in the states to just declare them all illegal. It's not really a matter of rights or what's right or wrong, it's just plain numbers. I can understand restricting/stopping the sales of it, and trying to cut off ammo sales as well.  But so much is being stockpiled that it's virtually impossible to disarm the states, and if it ends up that the only people who have guns are criminals, the crime rates could potentially rise. As it is, they are lower than before though, so that's nice. 
 
Basically, I think it'd be nice to lay the guns to rest, (kinda ironic, since I do like target shooting), but I don't think there's a politician in the world that could organize the disarmament of the US. 

I own guns to protect myself from people who want to abuse their right to own guns.

  @astrotriforce said:

...you don't want the government being able to do whatever the heck they want, and that's the basis of our right to bear arms . . . "

No, and I regard everyone who does as dangerous and slightly retarded.

No, the argument about people needing guns to defend themselves from the government is beyond old hat and pretty ridiculous now. Call me a pacifist or what have you.(you wouldn't be wrong, I'm also not delusional so I know a world without violence or a least guns will never happen.)

 Let's be honest, the government can send any agency they want to come get you or your family at any time, justly or unjustly, and you turn a gun on them - you're going to find out how little "right" you actually have to bear those arms.    

No. The right to bear arms can not be justified, even by saying that you want to protect yourself from others who abuse that right. Had there been no right to bear arms to begin with, there wouldn't be a problem.

I think someone should be able to own a gun, but only if they really want too. What I mean is, I think that someone should have to prove that they know how to use a gun properly. The process of getting a gun shouldn't be so easy, there needs to be a stricter gun licencing policy. Because, I feel the reason we have such a problem with gun violence is because we allow to many idiots to get a hold of them.  A lot, of you will say "that's cause of the black market", well I guess as long as we allow guns it's just going to be something that we as a country will have to deal with. I know a lot of people who own guns and show respect for their capabilities and I don't see any reason why they can't have one. It's just people who think that somebody deserves to be shot because they stepped on your land, well that's just stupid and if your that hot headed you don't deserve to bear a weapon.

It's not a right, it's a privilege. 

There's no such thing as rights, there are only opinions. And people will do whatever the hell they please anyway, regardless of what you tell them. Personally, i do not feel the need to own a gun, beyond that, i don't really care.

" @Bevinsky:  that isnt necessarily true. even if it was illegal to bear arms, people will get their hands on them if they needed to. If people can get weed, cocaine, heroin in small towns like mine, someone looking for guns and ammo would be no problem. there are already people selling guns to people without licenses now. so why shouldnt we have a chance to protect ourselves from these people? "

" No. The right to bear arms can not be justified, even by saying that you want to protect yourself from others who abuse that right. Had there been no right to bear arms to begin with, there wouldn't be a problem. "

Man, you are getting pretty conservative lately. Anyway, probably not, since there are definitely some people who should not have guns.

In the U.S, it's in our Constitution... so yes.  I enjoy shooting targets, and I would rather have a weapon to defend myself and not need it, than to need it and not have it.    
@Bevinsky said:

" No. The right to bear arms can not be justified, even by saying that you want to protect yourself from others who abuse that right. Had there been no right to bear arms to begin with, there wouldn't be a problem. "

" Honestly this is a really tough one. Especially when you look at countries like Japan, where guns are illegal, are violence is so much lower than here in the US. Then again, their entire culture is built around respect and whatnot.... But yeah it's a tough one. At the same time you don't want the government being able to do whatever the heck they want, and that's the basis of our right to bear arms . . . "

Well... I lived in Korea for a couple years and they outlawed guns there. Nobody has guns so the culture is a lot different then what it is like out here in California... 
I personally think the US screwed up with it, now so many people use guns to do crime... I mean in Countries like Korea people just fight with fists or knives O_O to sort out there troubles but out here, every one's trying to solve there problems with a gun.
 
I do realize that anything can be used as a weapon but the culture out here is just way screwed up... but I guess it's not only the gun laws to blame.

" No. The right to bear arms can not be justified, even by saying that you want to protect yourself from others who abuse that right. Had there been no right to bear arms to begin with, there wouldn't be a problem. "

I own some swords that I think I have the right to use to chop down my neighbors trees if they offend my living quarters.

I'm against guns.
 
I appreciate a good sword fight every now and then tho.

" @Bevinsky said:

" No. The right to bear arms can not be justified, even by saying that you want to protect yourself from others who abuse that right. Had there been no right to bear arms to begin with, there wouldn't be a problem. "

If a criminal enters your home, it's unlikely that he'll have a gun. It is incredibly likely, however, that he'll be deterred by sound and noise or an alarm coming from the rest of the house. Lights coming on, are also an immediate guarantee that he'll skedaddle. Owning a gun in the home does not increase one's safety, but, in fact, increases the chance that the gun will be used against the owner. If the criminal in one's home doesn't find it and use it, it's also just as likely that, in a very heated domestic dispute, a spouse will grab the weapon and use it against the owner, or the other way around. 

If someone wants a gun, they will get it.  I would say most crimes committed with guns are illegally obtained.  As for that post about Japanese having a lower crime rate, that's also because the japanese value respect and honor waayyyy more than the United States ever could.

Yes, I believe people should be allowed to own guns, but there should be more regulations on them.

Yes...just make sure the crazies don't get them.

I don't really care to elaborate so simple answer is No.

  Yup. 

I'm sorry... I just couldn't help it... I know you're all thinking it anyway.

Sure why not. 
 
Makes more sense in the rural though. Having guns in urban environments is never a good idea unless we've got men who are willing to take a stand against criminals in the streets.

No. Only people in professions like police officers or military personnel should be allowed to carry weapons. Hunting is a joke and people who keep guns around for show are just waiting for a tragic accident to happen. I'm Canadian so it doesn't really effect me, but I have never seen a law so abused and taken out of context as the American's 2nd Amendment.

i dont think americans should have the right to bear arms at all