Should The Us Second Amendment (Adopted In 1791) Be Scrapped ?

[Canary42]

Here is an example of the sort of people who support the "right to bear arms" across the pond.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/father-of-sixyearold-boy-killed-in-sandy-hook-massacre-heckled-by-progun-activists-8471178.html

How cruel, insenstive, and evil.

[DTCwordfan]

13 million people hunt in the USA, (90% male) Source: Hunting Business Marketing.

[emmie]

some interesting info, you have to read the whole piece. What is disturbing is that there is no national database on who owns guns.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/25/gun-ownership-us-data

[DTCwordfan]

This is interesting - the sources of guns for the criminal fraternity as this is where the law needs to descend on....IMO

[DTCwordfan]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/guns/procon/guns.html

[emmie]

whichever way you look at it, ban guns, don't ban guns, won't stop these killings.

[Zeuhl]

We expect 'the criminal fraternity' to use guns - often they are using them on each other.

What is most disturbing about the US situation is that any neighbours dispute, any domestic, any acrimonious divorce or mental breakdown can turn into a bloodbath because so many 'ordinary' citizens have access to easy to use deadly weapons

[emmie]

zeuhl, which is pretty much what i have been saying.

[LazyGun]

i think that last point of zeuhls is the most telling. Shortly after the most recent spree killing in Newtown, an argument over guns and gun control started up in a barbers shop - culminating in one of the people in the argument becoming so enraged that they ran out to their car, drew out their handgun and sprayed the barbers shop with bullets. Fortunately, no one was killed or injured in that particular event.

http://www.salon.com/2012/12/20/argument_over_newtown_leads_to_shooting_in_wentzville_barber_shop/

Clanad talks about an increase in murder rates in the UK, using bladed weapons, then asks if we are prepared to ban all steak knives - but this is a little disingenuous. It is far more difficult to carry out a spree killing of multiple targets,as a a recent story from China made very clear

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-attacks-22-kids-knife-china-school-article-1.1220230

A crazed individual goes off on one in a school. The difference here though is very marked - despite going wild, causing many injuries - 22 kids and 1 adult - there were no fatalities. Now compare that to the crazed individual in Newtown = 27 odd fatalities?, most recipients of multiple gunshots.

Meanwhile, in the USA, the death toll from firearms continues to rise, inexorably - 1400 or so in the few short weeks since the Newtown massacre.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/crime/2012/12/gun_death_tally_every_american_gun_death_since_newtown_sandy_hook_shooting.html

As others have stated here, the 2nd amendment was written in a time where it was envisioned that a citizen militia might be needed to throw off an oppressive government - Is it still really necessary now?

Even the bible gets updated once in a blue moon - perhaps the constitution might need a review once in a while?
http://civilliberty.about.com/od/guncontrol/i/2ndamendment.htm

[JanS]

U.S. Supreme Court Justice (retired) John Stevens says in his new book that it should be amended to make it clear that the "right" to bear arms only applies to those serving in the militia (by which he means legally established militia under law such as state police, national guard etc..) when they are undertaking official duties. Clearly he believes (as I do) this was the original intent of the founding fathers, and not a general right of personal firearms for self defense (as has been recently re-interpreted by the activist court under John Roberts). It is crazy in the extreme that people can own assault rifles (including semi-automatics), and even handguns and long guns such as hunting rifles without the safeguards that they have in other countries such as licensing based on training certification, justifiable use, storage controls and inspection, and compulsory insurance against misuse.