What do you think about handguns being prohibited by law?

Question

Do you think it would be a good idea to prohibit handguns, or a terrible idea.

Answer 1

I don't believe in outlawing handguns but there should be gun laws.

Answer 2

Its not a good idea to let any government ban any gun. As long as the person is a law abiding citizen he or she should be able to own any type of firearm they choose. Politicians want everyone to believe that banning guns is the answer to all this country's violence problems. Horse c**p! The only problem with the high crime and violence in this country is the complete unwillingness of the very people we elect to keep the criminals off the streets and away from us, seen more inclined to protect the violent than us. Policeboys will chase somebody across three counties to write a ticket for expired lic plates and in the process pass 5 people selling crack on the corner. There are no more peace officers in this country, they are no more than whores for the city, out collecting money for their pimps.(ie the city fathers)

Answer 3

terrible.

Answer 4

The District of Columbia's law banning handguns was just recently overturned by the US Supreme Court.  The basis of which was that the law was in violation to the essence of the 2nd Amendment which grants the right to bear arms "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed."

The essence of the 2nd Amendment is that people should be able to have arms for defense (the Militia part of the quote).  The Supreme Court ruled that by banning handguns, the citizens were denied the ability to defend themselves.  The result being that the only people in DC who had guns of any type were criminals.

The idea of a law banning handguns (passed over 30 years ago) was to reduce the number of gun-related crimes in DC which it failed miserably to do.  Especially in the 90's when it earned the title "Murder Capital" due to the number of homicides per capita.

The Murder stats for the past 20 years speaks for themselves:

1986 - 194

1987 - 225

1988 - 369

1989 - 434

1990 - 472

1991 - 482

1992 - 443

1993 - 454

1994 - 399

1995 - 360

1996 - 397

1997 - 301

1998 - 260

1999 - 241

2000 - 239

2001 - 231

2002 - 264

2003 - 249

2004 - 198

2005 - 195

2006 - 169

In short, banning handguns does not prevent crime but only keeps law-abiding citizens from owning guns to defend themselves.

Answer 5

dumb idea

Answer 6

It would be a terrible idea.

Criminals don't follow the law- if the law is no handguns criminals who would use the guns maliciously would still have guns. The law-abiding citizens would not have any guns.... Therefore my house could be broken into and my family executed while I watched instead of defending my family.  

Answer 7

Both terrible and ridiculous.

The only people who'd even care about the law are law-abiding citizens. Criminals are, well, criminals, and don't give a d**n what the law is.

All gun control laws do is guarantee criminals that they will have unarmed victims.

There is a very good reason why robberies of small stores in poor black areas of Washington DC occur at over 20 times the rate that they occur in poor black areas of Virginia just over the river. That reason is that robbers KNOW that the storekeeper in DC will be unarmed, because the law says he must be, while the storekeeper in Virginia is almost certainly armed.

In my State of CA liquor stores are robbed at gunpoint in San Francisco far, far more frequently than in other similar sized cities in Northern CA. Why? because a SF city ordinance forbids the keeping of a firearm in a store. Crooks therefore know they are safe to rob.

Richard

Answer 8

At this moment, the use of handguns to commit a crime is fully prohibited, yet the criminals don't really seem to worry about that.  I sincerely doubt if a prohibition on legal ownership of handguns will deter any of them.  In fact, a prohibition will just give the criminals more of an advantage and a new group of targets to go after.

No thanks, I'll keep clinging to my guns.

Answer 9

I think it infringes upon our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms.

Unless someone is a convicted felon who cannot get a pardon, has committed a violent offense [such as robbery, murder, rape], or has a mental illness, then most everyone should be able to acquire a pistol permit.

It's un-American to take that right away.

However, firearms are not for everyone. People should really remember safety before all things. No horseplaying is ever a good idea when it comes to firearms. Handguns should always be kept locked away from children.

In training, they tell us that unless you are willing to take someone's life, you should never point a loaded weapon at someone.

Firearm safety is never underrated. The average person may not feel comfortable clearing a chamber, ejecting the loaded magazine, or disassembling the frame of the pistol to clean it with bore cleaner or Rem oil.

If a round ever gets stuck in the chamber, you have to know how to tap, wrack, bang.

And practice always makes perfect. The more you shoot, the more familiar you become with the weapon.

If YOU do not feel comfortable with any of these tips, then you don't need a weapon.

But HEAVENS NO they should not be prohibited pursuant to law.

Answer 10

Very dumb idea:

Any law banning ANY firearm or things used in association with them is technically breaking the Supreme Law of the Land...The United States Constitution. I think any person who is trying to take any right guaranteed to American citizens in the US Constitution should be charged with treason.

Answer 11

In the USA, it is our right to bare arms, having that taken away would be un-constatutional for sure!!!! But I am sure they will try!! and if that happens, KISS your freedom good buy!!!!

McCain

Answer 12

handguns can be used for safety sometimes and if they were not that means the people dont care about the law

Answer 13

The Supreme Court just said you can't do that

Answer 14

Since the criminals most likely will not stop using their illegal handguns to commit crimes, I think it would be a bad idea.  What the liberals do not understand is that if all handguns were made illegal, the criminals will still have them.  Criminals do not care about the law, they have them illegally now and will continue to have them even if the law is passed.  

Answer 15

It would be counterproductive to say the least; anyone with some basic knowledge of how guns work can make a functional handgun in a few hours with simple hand tools.  Therefore, even if you could initially convince all the criminals to turn in their guns, most of them would be armed again by the end of the week, but wouldn't have to worry about their victims being armed anymore.