Simple fact: having a gun makes that much easier.
To deny that is silly. If it that were not so, we'd go into battle with baseball bats.
It's better to not deny the facts, and defend our gun ownership on other grounds.
In our culture guns are a convenient way to kill people, so they get used a lot and as a result the knee jerk reaction is to try and get rid of the guns.
Well, my point is this: when gun availability is easy, there are far more murders. Guns make killing and maiming so easy that there are far more "impulse" crimes, that just don't and can't happen when the alternative is lots of work -- as you say, "up close and personal."
rampage killer
Well, and as you know, our hallucinatory murder rate is not from "rampage killers." It's people who know each other killing each other.
You must never have seen an assualt rifle. They obviously have no sporting purpose, and NO ONE has any good reason to own one unless they're in the police or military. If just one life is saved, isn't it worth it? It's just common sense.
The most commonly cited reason for homicide is argument (including arguments about money & property under the influence of alcohol or narcotics). One third of all homicides in 1997 were triggered by arguments. Felony (rape, theft, narcotics, etc. ) accounted for a fifth of homicides and gang killings accounted for one twentieth. About a third were of unknown motive and the other 10% were miscellaneous motives.
Well, my point is this: when gun availability is easy, there are far more murders. Guns make killing and maiming so easy that there are far more "impulse" crimes, that just don't and can't happen when the alternative is lots of work -- as you say, "up close and personal."
The bottom line is that gun rights arguments here are better when based on discussion of "rights" rather than the pretense that lots of guns are good for the violent crime rate. Because the opposite is true. But that is the price we pay, and we might as well face it.
Last, the bottom line remains: guns make killing far, far easier. Everybody knows that. You know that. Lots of guns makes lots of killing far, far easier.
But that's the price we pay for our freedom to have guns. No one should pretend otherwise.
Never though will I say that the gun is the causation of the crime. It is at most an enabling factor.
The question is, would you rather have a society free of all firearms where brawn and muscle allow criminals to prey on citizens at will or one where firearms are available, criminals may use them but citizens as well have the means to defend themselves?
Which happens to be exactly correct. You seem to be saying that there is so much money laying around that we need to do something so people don't buy Porsches on impulse.
So, lots of guns leads to more deadly crime? Of course they do. Likewise, the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments also have side effects that no one is in love with. But the bedrock reasons for and benefits arising from those rights outweigh the admitted downsides.
We host the Olympics in 2012 - the pistol ban will be waived during the games to allow the athletes to compete. You will be able to witness the bizarre spectacle of Olympic shooters competing under armed guard, just incase one of them decides to go on a deadly rampage.