The 2nd Amendment in the 21st Century

[Kukulkan]

Conversely, though, an American home invader may only be bringing a gun because he's afraid that if he accidentally breaks into a house with people in it then the homeowner will start a gunfight. Taking people's stuff is profitable, after all, but killing random civilians has no payoff. Instead it brings more police attention and a heavier potential punishment. If you're not worried about having to shoot it out with people you're trying to rob, you might as well avoid the risk of an armed robbery rap and skip the gun.

Looked at from the criminals' point of view, I think you could also say that most criminals only need guns because so many law-abiding citizens have them.

The idea that if responsible people just all gave their guns away that armed robberies would come to a screeching halt because criminals would feel 'comfortable' robbing without a gun is laughable. Criminals prey on the weak (in this case, unarmed) because they are easy targets. Criminals want the maximum reward for minimal effort.

[Chap]

If anybody may have a gun, everybody needs one ...

Enjoy the fun! Me and a lot of other people in the world are glad we are not trapped on a ride in the Sacred Second Amendment theme-park, where once you are on you simply dare not get off unless everybody else gets off too.

[Kukulkan]

If anybody may have a gun, everybody needs one ...

Enjoy the fun! Me and a lot of other people in the world are glad we are not trapped on a ride in the Sacred Second Amendment theme-park, where once you are on you simply dare not get off unless everybody else gets off too.

Unfortunately, yes. I think to a degree American society needs to accept that the cat is out of the bag. We cannot simply just ban guns like Australia or New Zealand did. The guns rights in this country, whether you like them or not, are much more deeply entrenched in our laws, founding, and society. Drastically changing the ways that gun ownership exists in the country is probably never going to happen.

I think that responsible gun ownership is a good thing. There are many qualities of owning a gun that I think are positive. There are obvious negatives. I think the people who wholly want to do away with guns are wrong, and I also think those that want unlimited ownership are also wrong. The answer lies somewhere in the middle, and our country is trying to figure that out. I think people forget we are an EXTREMELY young country by the worlds standards. In many ways, we are still in our infancy. I do believe we will figure it out, eventually.

[Doctor Steuss]

Speaking of burglaries, I was curious so looked up how many guns are stolen annually, and most stuff tosses around a 380K estimate. The BJS puts it at much lower, at approximately 232K.

So, gun owners unwillingly provide almost a quarter million guns to criminals and the black market every year. Yikes.

[Physics Guy]

If criminals simply wanted to prey on the weak, they would spend all their time kicking cats. What they want is maximum reward for minimum outlay. Even in the US, guns don't just grow on trees. And if guns were better controlled, it would be a bigger capital investment for criminals to acquire them. Sure, at least some of them could always manage it. But why?

If homeowners aren't armed with guns, why bring a gun to a break-in? So you can murder the occupants if they confront you? That makes noise, and dramatically raises the punishment stakes and police heat. It's smarter to just run away when you realize they're there. There are other houses. If the homeowners are going to shoot you in the back while you're running away, though, the odds favour shooting them first.

It's not that all criminals have to be cool-headed strategists to think all that through. It's pretty instinctive. We need cash. We could just break in somewhere and take stuff, easy money. The planning could just stop there, go and do it. Or it could continue: Aw, but every time we go into a bar there's always some guy talking about defending his family with the gun he keeps under his pillow. We gotta get us some guns.

[Kukulkan]

If criminals simply wanted to prey on the weak, they would spend all their time kicking cats. What they want is maximum reward for minimum outlay. Even in the US, guns don't just grow on trees. And if guns were better controlled, it would be a bigger capital investment for criminals to acquire them. Sure, at least some of them could always manage it. But why?

Cats don't have cash, phones, electronics and other items worth stealing. I don't think you realize how prevalent guns are in the US. In 2021, 20 million guns were sold. There are upward estimates of 400 million guns in circulation by private owners (both legal and illegal owners, meaning criminals who stole them or are unable to own an firearm). If you were able to press a button tomorrow that magically vanished ALL of the guns from legal owners, you would still have millions of guns, perhaps even tens of millions of guns still in illegal circulation. That would take decades before those guns finally make their way out of illegal circulation through confiscation during arrest or whatever other reason.

If homeowners aren't armed with guns, why bring a gun to a break-in? So you can murder the occupants if they confront you? That makes noise, and dramatically raises the punishment stakes and police heat. It's smarter to just run away when you realize they're there. There are other houses. If the homeowners are going to shoot you in the back while you're running away, though, the odds favour shooting them first.

I highly suggest you google something along the lines of, "gas station armed robbery CCTV footage" and watch the hundreds of video taped armed robberies. Clearly, the guns primary use is not to be used to shoot the victim. It's primary use is as an intimidation tool. If I roll up on you with a gun and demand your wallet and phone, you are more likely to do so rather than if I was unarmed. If criminals are deciding between two houses to rob, and both are a similar layout, seemingly similar payout (same amount of electronics, valuable items, etc.), yet one house has a gun owner and the other doesn't. I would be willing to bet my life savings that the criminals are going to choose the unarmed individual 10 times out of 10.

It's not that all criminals have to be cool-headed strategists to think all that through. It's pretty instinctive. We need cash. We could just break in somewhere and take stuff, easy money. The planning could just stop there, go and do it. Or it could continue: Aw, but every time we go into a bar there's always some guy talking about defending his family with the gun he keeps under his pillow. We gotta get us some guns.

Yes. That is what we could call poor gun ownership. If you aren't storing your guns in a secure place then obviously asking to get them stolen. A responsible gun owner is going to keep their guns locked away in a safe that provides them the security they need for the gun but also quick access in the event of a home invasion scenario. Plenty of gun safe companies make these types of safes.

[Gunnar]

Has anyone else seen this yet? Foiled Brett Kavanaugh Assassin Exposes Republicans' Hypocrisy On Gun Violence

A potential assassin was arrested on a street near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house today, with reports claiming that the man was upset at the leaked Roe v. Wade decision as well as the recent spell of mass shootings plaguing the nation. The man apparently was armed with a gun, knife, and other burglary tools and actually told police what he wanted to do upon his arrest. Cenk Uygur discusses on The Young Turks. Watch LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. http://youtube.com/theyoungturks/live

Read more HERE:
https://www.rawstory.com/man-angry-ab...

"An armed man was arrested near Brett Kavanaugh's Maryland home, who told police that he wanted to kill the Supreme Court Justice, The Washington Post reports.

The man, described as being in his mid-20s, was carrying a weapon and also had burglary tools, according to people familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Post. The man reportedly did not make it into Kavanaugh's property but was arrested on a nearby street.

"Two people familiar with the investigation said the initial evidence indicates the man was angry about the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling the court is preparing to overturn Roe. v. Wade, the 49-year-old decision that guaranteed a person’s constitutional right to have an abortion," The Post reports. "He was also angry over a recent spate of mass shootings, those people said."

A law enforcement official speaking to POLITICO confirmed that the man was armed with a gun and knife."

How can any rational people possibly fail to see the incredible, over-the-top hypocrisy, immorality and abject stupidity of Republican leader's position on gun control and regulation? When 21 people, 19 of them innocent little children, are murdered in an elementary school provokes immediate outrage and demands for immediate actions, Democrats are accused of too hastily and irrationally politicizing the issue, but when one of the conservative elites in our government is threatened, Mitch McConnell demands immediate, bi-partisan legislative action. Obviously the lives of our innocent school children are far less important to the Republican politicians than even one of the elite or the profits of our firearms industry and the millions of dollars of bribes they contribute to politicians willing to do their bidding! Is anyone here not completely outraged and disgusted by that? If not, why not? The outrage is further compounded when one realizes that even the vast majority of conservatives and gun owners favor stricter restrictions and regulations about guns and firearm safety and ownership, thus the Republican leadership is arrogantly and shamelessly showing the middle finger to what the majority of their constituents want!

The 2nd Amendment and the way it was worded is by far the worst mistake ever made by our founding fathers when they wrote the constitution!

[Jeff]

Has anyone else seen this yet? Foiled Brett Kavanaugh Assassin Exposes Republicans' Hypocrisy On Gun Violence

A potential assassin was arrested on a street near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house today, with reports claiming that the man was upset at the leaked Roe v. Wade decision as well as the recent spell of mass shootings plaguing the nation. The man apparently was armed with a gun, knife, and other burglary tools and actually told police what he wanted to do upon his arrest. Cenk Uygur discusses on The Young Turks. Watch LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. http://youtube.com/theyoungturks/live

Read more HERE:
https://www.rawstory.com/man-angry-ab...

"An armed man was arrested near Brett Kavanaugh's Maryland home, who told police that he wanted to kill the Supreme Court Justice, The Washington Post reports.

The man, described as being in his mid-20s, was carrying a weapon and also had burglary tools, according to people familiar with the investigation who spoke to The Post. The man reportedly did not make it into Kavanaugh's property but was arrested on a nearby street.

"Two people familiar with the investigation said the initial evidence indicates the man was angry about the leaked draft of an opinion by the Supreme Court signaling the court is preparing to overturn Roe. v. Wade, the 49-year-old decision that guaranteed a person’s constitutional right to have an abortion," The Post reports. "He was also angry over a recent spate of mass shootings, those people said."

A law enforcement official speaking to POLITICO confirmed that the man was armed with a gun and knife."

How can any rational people possibly fail to see the incredible, over-the-top hypocrisy, immorality and abject stupidity of Republican leader's position on gun control and regulation? When 19 people are murdered in an elementary school provokes immediate outrage and demands for immediate actions, Democrats are accused of too hastily and irrationally politicizing the issue, but when one of the conservative elites in our government is threatened, Mitch McConnell demands immediate, bi-partisan legislative action. Obviously the lives of our innocent school children are far less important to the Republican politicians than even one of the elite or the profits of our firearms industry and the millions of dollars of bribes they contribute to politicians willing to do their bidding! Is anyone here not completely outraged and disgusted by that? If not, why not? The outrage is further compounded when one realizes that even the vast majority of conservatives and gun owners favor stricter restrictions and regulations about guns and firearm safety and ownership, thus the Republican leadership is arrogantly and shamelessly showing the middle finger to what the majority of their constituents want!

The 2nd Amendment and the way it was worded is by far the worst mistake ever made by our founding fathers when they wrote the constitution!

[Gunnar]

I couldn't agree more, Jeff. The widespread proliferation of guns in our nation, made possible and even encouraged by far too lax limits on who may purchase them and what types of guns are allowed, it becomes impossible to rationally avoid the conclusion that guns, combined with prevailing U.S. policies concerning them, do indeed make all of us less safe.

[Gadianton]

A potential assassin was arrested

They won't take it seriously until that headlines reads sans the "potential".

Eventually it will happen.