A Question for Gun Advocates

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Where do you draw the line? Where shall the carrying of firearms be limited or prohibited? Should our Congressmen and Congresswomen have their heaters strapped to their chests and around their waists? Should this be a basic right? Should I be able to freely walk into my kids classroom with my gun? Can I go see a hockey game with my trusty revolver openly around my waist?

If I am a gun advocate and legally permitted, licensed, etc. I think I should be able to carry my weapon anywhere. Give me your take. Be specific please.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

If the property owner forbids it, then it is forbidden on that property. That's simple enough.

Why the special mention of Congresspeople? Is it because you wanted to see if we'd allow arms for even the lowest dregs of society?

 

[Tom Sawyer]

If congress people can carry guns into congress, it increases the risk of congress people getting shot and killed during heated debates. Therefore, I am in favour of them carrying guns into congress.

 

[fast]

Nevermind

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

If the property owner forbids it, then it is forbidden on that property. That's simple enough.

Why the special mention of Congresspeople? Is it because you wanted to see if we'd allow arms for even the lowest dregs of society?

By property owner I take it you mean according to the laws as they stand, as public property is publically owned.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

My take: It's not a binary situation.

1) I'd like to see the requirements for concealed carry upped--require some simulator training.

2) On truly private property I have no problem with the owner having the say-so. However, on quasi-private property (anyplace where the public is normally free to enter--say, the public areas of a business) I don't really think the owner should get to exclude the guns unless they provide security.

3) I disagree with rules saying no guns around alcohol. Just because alcohol is available doesn't mean everyone there is drinking. However, I favor a BAC 0.02 (0.00 is not viable for biological and accuracy reasons) limit on touching a gun other than in an emergency (if you've been drinking and someone breaks in you can still go get your gun.)

4) As one gets into heavier weapons and iffier situations I think the licensing requirements should go up. I don't think the heavier stuff should be banned, though. The reality is that criminals have basically zero use for the really heavy weapons because they're very unstealthy. You want to carry your gun on an airplane? Fine--you just need the same level of firearms training and background check as those in law enforcement who carry on planes have.

5) Licensing should be based on the type of device, not the device itself. None of the hoops that currently apply to NFA stuff. (Suppressors, machine guns etc.) You get a license for machine guns, you can go buy a machine gun and take it home that day. (And suppressors should only be restricted if they can take the noise level low enough to be of criminal use--something that's almost impossible for anything but the smallest weapons. The main use of a suppressor is to keep the noise below the hearing damage threshold--it's actually a safety device.)

 

[maxparrish]

Where do you draw the line? Where shall the carrying of firearms be limited or prohibited? Should our Congressmen and Congresswomen have their heaters strapped to their chests and around their waists? Should this be a basic right? Should I be able to freely walk into my kids classroom with my gun? Can I go see a hockey game with my trusty revolver openly around my waist?

If I am a gun advocate and legally permitted, licensed, etc. I think I should be able to carry my weapon anywhere. Give me your take. Be specific please.

It' simple:

1) On private property, regardless of who is served, the owner determines whether or not they allow people to bring guns onto their property.
2) On public property, in general people have a right to openly carry guns unless it is a clear danger of interfering with the public use of that property for designated purposes.
3) Anyone carrying must do it openly - any concealed and carry must be approved by a legal authority wherein a legitimate need for concealment is necessary.

"An armed citizenry is a polite citizenry"...(anon)...

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

1) On private property, regardless of who is served, the owner determines whether or not they allow people to bring guns onto their property.
2) On public property, in general people have a right to openly carry guns unless it is a clear danger of interfering with the public use of that property for designated purposes.
3) Anyone carrying must do it openly - any concealed and carry must be approved by a legal authority wherein a legitimate need for concealment is necessary.

Lots of uncertainty there. Should I be able to carry my "openly displayed" firearm into an elementary school?

 

[Nexus]

Lots of uncertainty there. Should I be able to carry my "openly displayed" firearm into an elementary school?

Yes, when I lived in Montana they did the hunter safety courses at the elementary school. So there were actual firearms being handled by 12 year olds in a school and mayhem didn't ensue. But more specifically to your question unsupervised adults shouldn't be wandering around a school whether they are armed or not. They should go to the office if they need to get their children.

 

[laughing dog]

Where do you draw the line? Where shall the carrying of firearms be limited or prohibited? Should our Congressmen and Congresswomen have their heaters strapped to their chests and around their waists? Should this be a basic right? Should I be able to freely walk into my kids classroom with my gun? Can I go see a hockey game with my trusty revolver openly around my waist?

If I am a gun advocate and legally permitted, licensed, etc. I think I should be able to carry my weapon anywhere. Give me your take. Be specific please.

What makes you think you should be allowed to carry your weapon into
1) a private residence,
2) a private place of business,
3) a nursery school,
4) a grade school,
5) a middle school,
6) a high school,
7) a playground, or
8) a public pool?

 

[arkirk]

Where do you draw the line? Where shall the carrying of firearms be limited or prohibited? Should our Congressmen and Congresswomen have their heaters strapped to their chests and around their waists? Should this be a basic right? Should I be able to freely walk into my kids classroom with my gun? Can I go see a hockey game with my trusty revolver openly around my waist?

If I am a gun advocate and legally permitted, licensed, etc. I think I should be able to carry my weapon anywhere. Give me your take. Be specific please.

Are you black? Do you dress like a homeless person? Do you go to the liquor store in some central city location after midnight? Are you a cop magnet?
Perhaps you should leave your gun home.

 

[EPresence2]

Where do you draw the line? Where shall the carrying of firearms be limited or prohibited? Should our Congressmen and Congresswomen have their heaters strapped to their chests and around their waists? Should this be a basic right? Should I be able to freely walk into my kids classroom with my gun? Can I go see a hockey game with my trusty revolver openly around my waist?

If I am a gun advocate and legally permitted, licensed, etc. I think I should be able to carry my weapon anywhere. Give me your take. Be specific please.

This question seems much less important than how to grow the relative proportion of gun carriers who are responsible, law-abiding citizens (e.g., recycle/scrap confiscated guns, curtain illegal straw purchasing). As for the question, I'd say the administrator of a public property should have the right to exclude an open carrier if they don't have anyone else correspondingly armed to accompany them. Not every law-abiding citizen with a gun manages to stay that way.

 

[Metaphor]

"An armed citizenry is a polite citizenry"...(anon)...

What an absolutely and consummately vile ideal -- a chilled speech society because of the real danger that you'll be shot for speaking. That is literally the plan of Islamists -- if you're not 'polite' about The Prophet (peace be upon her), we'll kill you.

 

[Metaphor]

I have a different question for gun advocates --

What weapons, if any, do you think it is proper for the State to restrict private citizens from owning? Dirty bombs? Nuclear bombs? If you think it is proper for the State to restrict or regulate this ownership, why?

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

The citizens may only own weapons the government may own, and the government may only own citizens the citizens may own.

 

[maxparrish]

1) On private property, regardless of who is served, the owner determines whether or not they allow people to bring guns onto their property.
2) On public property, in general people have a right to openly carry guns unless it is a clear danger of interfering with the public use of that property for designated purposes.
3) Anyone carrying must do it openly - any concealed and carry must be approved by a legal authority wherein a legitimate need for concealment is necessary.

Lots of uncertainty there. Should I be able to carry my "openly displayed" firearm into an elementary school?

Perhaps. If it disrupts the education process (e.g. panic'ed or distracted children) then no. On the other hand, many have grown up in rural areas where guns were not only a part of private life, but carried in and to schools for various gun club activities.

 

[arkirk]

Lots of uncertainty there. Should I be able to carry my "openly displayed" firearm into an elementary school?

Perhaps. If it disrupts the education process (e.g. panic'ed or distracted children) then no. On the other hand, many have grown up in rural areas where guns were not only a part of private life, but carried in and to schools for various gun club activities.

And where you live today? You want to enforce the ethic of gun intimidation and really don't love guns do you? You carry a gun into a school, it is a signal that you feel right being intimidating and force on all who see you an assessment as to your stability. Of course, some of us can force that assessment even without guns.

 

[scombrid]

It' simple:

...
2) On public property, in general people have a right to openly carry guns unless it is a clear danger of interfering with the public use of that property for designated purposes.

I don't think defining "clear danger of interfering" is really a simple matter.

 

[scombrid]

1) On private property, regardless of who is served, the owner determines whether or not they allow people to bring guns onto their property.

How about privately owned facilities that offer generally unrestricted access to all paying comers? Bascially privately owned public facilities. I'm specifically thinking concert or movie venues that will have large numbers of people crowded together.

I see an inherent risk to allowing people to be armed in such a place. Any active shooter situation, or even a violent disturbance like a bar fight, becomes a nightmare quickly as the responders don't have a quick way to assess who is and is not a criminal in the situation. In a "gun prohibited" situation, anyone brandishing is automatically breaking the law.

I've seen gun advocates insist that armed patrons would stop movie theater shootings and such. What happens when Jared Loughner shows up and starts shooting and people start shooting back and the cops show up and have no damned clue who started the whole mess in the first place? I see people carrying into such venues as being a real risk. I guess that should be up to the owner of the venue and then people can evaluate the risk for themselves and decide whether or not to enter, but that generally isn't how I recollect the government behaving regarding public safety for at least a century.

 

[Metaphor]

The citizens may only own weapons the government may own, and the government may only own citizens the citizens may own.

So, since the U.S. government owns nuclear weapons, you think U.S. citizens ought to be able to own them privately too? I just want your stance clear.