Really Confused Over U.s Gun Laws.....

[Smowball]

I'm sure I'm stating the obvious but why can you buy a gun so easily in the U.S and then everyone is horrified when there is another mass shooting incident?? What possible reason could anybody have for owning a gun apart from the police/military? Protection possibly but then if someone is determined to break into your home they'll find a way whether you're armed or not. Why do they not simply ban all gun sales?? I just don't get it. Am I missing something??

[RetroChic2]

Anyone who qualifies can own a shotgun. You do not need to be a gamekeeper or farmer. You just have to prove to the Police that you have a legitimate reason.

[EcclesCake]

Ben Elton is a tit. We have six guns in the house, all held for perfectly legitimate reasons.

[Clanad]

For clarity, it has been illegal to own any fully automatic gun… side arm or long gun, here in the U.S. going back to the mid-1930's… this includes the referenced AK-47...

[retrocop]

I always thought Elton was stupid.
I am meeting with a friend tomorrow who I have known for 60yrs.We have been shooting high velocity full bore rifles for 50 years. It is a sport we and many others enjoy and are prepared to spend a lot of hard earned money to pursue.
All we have ever shot were paper targets. UK firearms certificate holders have to provide their GPs name and agree for their medical history be open to scrutiny.

[andy-hughes]

Ecclescake - //Ben Elton is a tit. We have six guns in the house, all held for perfectly legitimate reasons. //

A trifle harsh I feel!

Mr Elton is making a tongue-in-cheek point for comedic purposes - perhaps in order to own a gun you need a sense-of-humour-humour bypass, as well as a licence?

Neither Mr Elton, nor I in quoting him, are suggesting that this is a serious point - he is a comedian, and on this occasion, his comedy amused me.

It's really not for analysis!

[andy-hughes]

retrocop - //I always thought Elton was stupid. //

If you can co-create one of the finest pieces of anti-war television in history - the final episode of the Bafta-winning 'Blackadder Four', then you may be many things - but 'stupid' is clearly not one of them

[EcclesCake]

Thank you for the pat on the head..... A-H

[andy-hughes]

Ecclescake - //Thank you for the pat on the head..... A-H //

A pleasure - thank you for underlining my point.

[CrapAtCryptics]

Lets take it back to the basics - they throw the Constitution in our face every time we mention guns - it says the right to bear arms - so limit to non automatic pistols and no one can have more than 20 rounds in possession. Nowhere does it say you have the right to carry a military style assault weapon and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

[Smowball]

Exactly- there has to be limits.

[zebo]

They have this second amendment to which they cling for justification of their gun ownership but at Monticello I had a long conversation with a Professor of American history about how would Jefferson have viewed the interpretation of this amendment, personally I think he must be spinning in his grave.
Whilst I can understand the need in the wilderness areas to be able to protect oneself, I cannot see why the convenient amendment is being used to condone semi-automatic weaponry. I would have thought that there could be some point beyond which private ownership should be restricted but there are too many interest groups, mainly the NRA, for the country to have the courage to take any step towards restricting. If events like Sandy Hook didn't cause a change nothing will yet they are quick enough to take actions against other countries who are perceived to have attacked the US, note post 9/11, maybe they are more frightened of the NRA than off other dictators.
Americans are often quick to point out that there is gun crime in other more regulated countries but it's the rarity of events like Dunblane that makes them so newsworthy and horrific, I hope we never get desensitised to the same extent that many Americans are.

[andy-hughes]

CrapatCryptics - //Lets take it back to the basics - they throw the Constitution in our face every time we mention guns - it says the right to bear arms - so limit to non automatic pistols and no one can have more than 20 rounds in possession. Nowhere does it say you have the right to carry a military style assault weapon and thousands of rounds of ammunition. //

A perfectly reasonable point.

But in terms of guns, the genie is so far out of the bottle that the bottle is a universe away from it by now.

If you allow people to have guns, there will always be a section of human nature that wants bigger louder faster more powerful guns than anyone else, so a market is created, and served, and here we are.

The same attitude applies to things like nuclear weapons - you cannot underestimate the destructive power of human nature in these situations.

[CrapAtCryptics]

I want a Bugatti Chiron but I accept that, unless Camelot make a blinder, that I`m never going to own one - the American public can be very immature on this sort of stuff - it will probably never happen as the first one to look like succeeding will get shot.

[mikey4444]

Snowball...Guns make a lot of money for a lot of people in America.....not just the manufacturers but ammunition makers, and 10,000's of gun shops.

To put in plainly....guns are big business, and that is a prime reason why gun ownership will never be controlled.

[Garaman]

Is that the prime reason, Mikey? (That is inquisitive rather than challenging.) I assumed that the prime reason was the simple fact that most favour having guns so politicians won’t win votes with a policy to restrict them.

[mikey4444]

Garaman....Money is a powerful factor here.

In some parts of America, Gun Shops and Gun Shows are the only buoyant part of the community. Its a multi-million $ industry.

But here is still the confusion of the Constitution to take into account of course.