Why do kids still have access to guns? :(

FranticFrummie

Wed, Apr 27 2016, 1:07 am

Stupid people!

I believe in letting people own guns, but it comes with a HUGE responsibility. Trigger locks, gun safes, and not even letting kids know where the safe is, just for starters. Train your kids that if they are playing at a friend's house and they see a gun, DO NOT TOUCH, and walk out of the room! Ask to go home, and tell their parents about it.

When I got my concealed weapon permit, I was appalled that in Washington State there is no requirement to take a gun safety course, even though it was my first time getting a permit. In some states, it's mandatory. I signed up for a course given by off duty police officers, and paid out of pocket because I believe it's important.

When you get a car you have to pass a test and get licensed, and still many people cause fatal accidents. You are far more likely to die in a car than you are by a gun. Stupid people are everywhere. Mad

5mom

Wed, Apr 27 2016, 1:31 am

Given what happens in the US, it's hard to understand why guns aren't heavily regulated. Why on earth does an ordinary citizen need a gun? I understand it's a constitutional right, but it's not as if American gun owners are creating a militia to challenge the army. They are shooting themselves and others.

In Israel, you have quite a lot of guns but far less gun violence and far fewer accidents. Regulations are much tighter. To own a gun here, you need to have served in the army (where you spend a lot of time on gun safety!) or to prove that you need a weapon for your security. You need to apply for a license and to take refresher courses to renew the license. Your license can be revoked at any time. There's a limit on how many bullets you can buy every year. I think fifty. And you can only have a single handgun, not some semiautomatic assault rifle or a whole arsenal.

There's no culture here of hunting game. People who own a gun (and I'm not one of them) have it for self defense. And here, it can be a deterrent. A while back, an Arab waiter who worked at a charedi wedding hall was stopped by army intelligence before he was able to shoot up the whole place. After he was arrested, he explained that he chose his target because he would be able to kill more people before being shot himself, as he noticed that charedim don't carry weapons.

I'd much prefer to live in a world where no one needs guns.

FranticFrummie

Wed, Apr 27 2016, 1:41 am

When I lived in the US, I had a gun because I worked downtown, in an area where all the drug dealers hung out. I worked the closing shift at my job, which meant that I was often making bank deposit drops at 2am, and carrying thousands of dollars in cash.

I never needed my gun, but because I had it I walked straighter, was more confident, and sent a signal through body language that I was not to be messed with. I learned that if I could walk like that without a gun, I could still scare criminals off!

B'H, I never had to fire a shot, but I also lived in an area that had an extremely high rate of home invasion robberies, and they didn't seem to care if anyone was at home at the time or not. I slept better knowing I could protect my family. (Seattle has more violent crime per capita than NYC.)

I sold my gun before I moved to Israel, and I am very happy that I feel safe in my town. If I lived over the Green Line, I would not feel so great without some sort of protection. Most of my friends who live in those areas do carry, and for darn good reasons.

I wish that the US would follow the restrictions that Israel has put into place. I think that you should have to show a reasonable need for a weapon, and not just get one because you think they're cool.