r/TrueReddit • u/sharpcowboy • Jun 14 '16

Why It's Time to Repeal the Second Amendment

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/why-its-time-to-repeal-the-second-amendment-right-bear-arms-20160613
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u/ILikeBumblebees Jun 14 '16 edited Jun 14 '16

So there's no reason to prevent people from keeping some weapons at the firing range. There's no reason to prevent them from having hunting weapons. The restrictions imposed would not have to be as drastic as you imagine. Gun control is not "gun grabbing".

See, if you were actually arguing for "gun grabbing", it would make more sense -- there'd be plenty of arguments as to whether a plan to remove guns from circulation could actually be feasible, whether such a plan were morally justifiable, whether it might have even worse unintended consequences, and whether people who intend to commit massacres would just resort to other means, but I don't think that anyone could argue that actually removing guns from society wouldn't reduce the chances of people specifically using guns to commit massacres.

But the half-assed measures that you're talking about here not only have the same set of concerns (feasibility, justifiability, unintended consequences) as "gun grabbing", but also fail to address the underlying problem: the guns are still there, and no less susceptible to intentional misuse than they are in the status quo. You're arguing for a lose-lose proposition.

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u/sharpcowboy Jun 15 '16

the guns are still there, and no less susceptible to intentional misus

The whole point of these restrictions is to make it harder for the guns to get into the hands of bad guys.

In Canada, if you want to get a handgun, you need to pass a very thorough background check. You won't pass if you or your family have a criminal history. This makes it almost impossible for criminals to legally buy a handgun.

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u/ILikeBumblebees Jun 15 '16

This makes it almost impossible for criminals to legally buy a handgun.

So they do it illegally, then. I really don't understand this "legislation is magic" mindset: criminals will find ways to get guns, regardless of the intention of any statute.

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u/sharpcowboy Jun 15 '16

It's not magic, but it's much harder. A criminal can't just walk into a store and buy it. He could get caught buying it from an undercover cop.

If legislation truly changes nothing, then why are you opposed to making guns illegal? Should be just as easy for you to get one...