Reality check, are guns bad or the people using them?

[Awesomesauce2005]

Guns are bad

The people using them don't know how to use them correctly or they are crazy

[NaultD]

We don't let people fly planes without a level of due diligence. We also don't let people buy guns with a level of due diligence. Realistically that due diligence has been water down by lobbyists who profit over fear mongering and power fantasy fulfillment.

Which is a far cry from the intended goal of the second amendment. It's always been a responsibility and duty no different then free speech and freedom of the press which too has been dog watered to the same effect but guns intended use is to kill people.

This assassination is an example of how both these rights have been bastardized. The founding fathers are not gods and the supreme court are not high priest interpreting ancient text.

We have a frame work to go off of but what does that mean in today's standards? That's what it means to be in a government of the people by the people. It's an endless experiment and that means endless amount of effort and don't take anything for granted it will have to change.

[ManOnFire]

Both can be bad, and both can be good. A basic firearm for self-defense is not wrong, but I see nothing necessary in anyone owning machine gun rifles or other heavy ammunition arms whatsoever. Unless you live in a war-torn country or are surrounded by gangs, cartels, rebels, etc. why would you need to own those types of guns? What is the purpose?

As far as people go, I can't say the ones who own guns are necessarily bad people, although many of them don't exactly have good intentions with them.

[Awesomesauce2005]

The purpose of "those guns" is pure unfiltered fun shooting things with a mound of dirt as a backdrop to prevent stray bullets from hitting unwanted targets 😎

[Anonymous]

If there weren't guns available it wouldn't matter if the person was insane or not, they wouldn't have access. Military require guns. Police require guns. Citizens can want them, but do not require guns.

[Lliam]

Guns are good for hunting, recreation and self defense.
They are only bad when criminals misuse them.

Over 80 million honest Americans own guns. Why aren't they going around killing people willy nilly?

Gun homicides spiked up to about 20,000 after 2020. The FBI says that 80% of those are gang related. Gangs don't comply with gun regulations.

On the other hand, people use guns defensively. The most conservative credible estimates on defensive gun use (DGU) are around 150,000 per year with estimates ranging as high as 3 million. Few of those instances result in injury, let alone death of assailants. In fact, the majority don't even involve shots fired. But how much rape, robbery, injury, trauma and murder is prevented by people exercising the right to self defense?

I don't see how limiting access to guns would stop crazies. The question is, how do we intercept criminals and crazies?

[Effably]

Obviously a tool is only a tool.

But give 1 000 random people a red funny button that ends the world and the world would likely end when one of them has enough of a bad day. Do not give out that button and the world is fine.

A gun is not that level of bad. But it is a force multiplier. Instead of punching someone, someone now gets shot. Instead of one person stabbed in a school and then the conflict resolved, we have a dozen dead.

You handing me a button that kills you if I press it is not a bad button. It is just a button. But I am pretty confident you wouldn't want to do so. Guns are the same. Just tools, but I'd rather you didn't have one. We are all safer that way.

[Chazmatazz269]

To be fair, both can be true. The SIG P320 has come under fire (intentional pun) for how easily they accidentally discharge even in the hands of very well trained and experienced professionals. I would call that a “bad” gun. Most of the shooters i know would certainly agree. If anyone would suggest otherwise, i would strongly doubt their knowledge of and experience with firearms and firearm safety. I have definitely seen some absolutely asinine comments online on the matter.

[Awesomesauce2005]

I agree those guns seem like they have been possessed by evil spirits...

[Hardon-Collider]

Both are part of the equation, but the force they wield is one of death. A gun is a tool designed to create a devastating, focused destruction. It's a hole in reality. In that, it's in perfect opposition to what a human being is meant to be—a vessel of life and creative, formative forces. So, no, it's not just a tool; its nature is destructive. The question isn't 'are guns bad?' but 'what are we building our world with?' The tool's nature is inseparable from the force it's designed to wield.

[BeenThereLovedIt]

Neither. Anything can be a weapon. Guns just happen to be the only common weapon designed specifically to kill, some designed specifically to kill literal scores of people, as fast as possible. Look at the vegas shooting, what 54 dead in less than 2 minutes? Or something like that?

You asked a loaded question with loaded answers of your own choosing, trying to be clever. I call it stupid and inciteful.

[Anonymous]

if it's not guns, then it's knives

if it's not knives, then it's hammers

if it's not hammers, then it's cars

if it's not cars, then it's fists

the only independent variable in all of these is the wielder of these items

[Anonymous]

it can't be the guns, because in countries where guns are totally banned, people are still finding a way to attack and kill people. It's a people problem. Not an inanimate object problem.

[jahaims]

An inanimate object can't have intentions. Something without intent can not be good or bad.

[kavakava]

I've never met an evil gun.

[DrPepper12]

Guns are a TOOL or a WEAPON.

[Kelly6]

@Awesomesauce2005 both