Should nobody or everybody have a gun?

[Dixie]

Aliens can attack us. Didn't you see the Simpsons?

You mean alien weapons are more sophisticated that human weapons?

[MissLT]

Of course. I assume they might have laser guns. Now which one would you prefer, regular guns or laser guns? I think I would choose laser guns. They just sound cooler and more of futuristic.

Besides, not only guns kill people, other objects do a good job as well. Some people get killed by stoning in some countries, remember? And did you see curse of the golden flower? That king whipped his youngest son until the dude stopped breathing.

[jrkp]

NOBODY should have a gun or other weapons.

Well, firstly, you should define weapon. As I understand it, a weapon is anything that can hurt anyone, as simple as that. So, if your statement were truth, mankind hasn´t existed because everything in our environment can be used as a weapon, even some parts of our body. For example, if you hit somebody with your head, you might hurt him badly, even you could kill him (ask Zidedine Zidane, the football player, about using the head as a weapon). Or knifes have to be eliminated because anyone can be stabbed, so we should learn to eat with our hands to avoid further aggression with them.

But if you´re talking about firepower (I mean pistol, rifles, etc) that´s another thing. To me, ban guns is an useless measure because we are the most self-destructed being living in this world. I reckon if guns didn´t exist, We would have invented another thing to replace it. I think ideally, everybody who wish to carry a gun have the right to get one, only if he fullfill the laws existing. But, sadly our current laws about it are so lax that every crazy person can get one without any problem, so we must change the laws first before let anyone to carry guns.

To sum up, I think everybody can carry a gun only if laws are changed.

[MissLT]

we are the most self-destructed being living in this world. I reckon if guns didn´t exist, We would have invented another thing to replace it.

Exactly! It's people who kill people, not the object itself.

[jrkp]

The same guy who invented a gun got killed by it. Talking about the irony! Let's shift the question a bit further back also, should guns be invented in the first place?

That´s a good question!!! Even though that is the best thing that it would have happened to mankind, I believe that it was inevitable because part of our nature is trying to control everthing around us, and what is the most powerful tool that humans have created to achieve that goal? The answer is of course guns.

Let´s review human history to see what I am talking about. Pre-historic men made a weapons first (a knife) before they had invented the wheel. You will tell me that both are useful, and I agree with that. But in certain point, they nature betrayed them and they started to use that weapon against others humans being, only to feed their ambitions for lands. For me, this situation was wonderfully recreated by Stanley Kurbick, in his movie "2001: An space Odyssey". If you have seen it, you should remember the first chapter, when the ape touched the monolith and got his "intelligence" but instead of using it to help others, he took a piece of bone and started hitting the ones who were different of him. I can give you others examples, but to make my point clear, I think this one is enough.

And as I said in another post, if guns didn´t exist, we would have invented other thing to replace it, or maybe we would have made guns but we would have called it with other name, I don´t know.

[Vinamilk]

Actually we cann't say that we don't need weapons... The important thing is that how we control the use of weapon so that crazy guys never have chance to use them

[javzm]

Guns are already invented, there is nothing we can do to stop it. We should be aware of what could happen not what did happen.

[Chet Baker]

It is necessary to clarify the point that "GUN" itself is no problem, well, of course, unless it is a defective gun. This question is, more or less, similar to the question "is money good or not?"

The problem usually come from the user's motivation. Let say, if a man(A) points a gun at another man(B)with intend to kill him. I guess that many people may think that "A" have a bad intention and he should be stopped. However, If "A" is a police officer and "B", let say, he is a mental patient who is trying to hurt his new born baby. In this situation, I guess that many people may suggest that "B" should be shot instantly.

People carry firearms because they need it, they feel more save when they have it. Ironically, police officer in UK do not carry firearms, but the crime rate is lower than America.

[nboutahar1]

Civilians should not carry guns. With the spread of terrorism and fanatism we should not allow anyone to possess arms because they can be used to kill innocent people. A gun carrier or holder may be an insane person, a drug abuser, a religious fanatic.... We have to, instead, increase the number of policemen and policewomen in every corner to protect people's lives and employ young people because unemployment is one of the main causes for the spread of violence and crimes...
Noureddine Boutahar (Morocco)

[elmy]

Imagine a gun was never invented, people would never know how to use it, and people would defend themselves through martial arts. What do you think? Artistic?