Why do Americans feel they have the right to own and carry automatic, military style weaponry?

Question

I'm a conservative Republican outraged by the regular shootings across America. Gun Control has gotten out of hand. Americans concerned about this issue need a voice. So let's start here: To what purpose does it serve our great society that everyday people such as Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-h*i have the ability to acquire automatic weaponry? Better yet, would you argue that Gun Conrol is controlled (please read at least three random articles titled "shootings," posted at CNN.com just this week, before responding against gun reform...)?

Answer 1

We don't FEEL we have the right, we KNOW we have the right, there is a difference. The Va Tech shooter didn't have an Automatic firearm, he had a semiauto pistol which works on 19th century technology.  BTW CNN isn't a very credible source for anything but weather forcasts.

How about you bother to read every major Supreme Court ruling that has verified we have a right as individuals to own firearms ESPECIALLY those that are suitable for militia service i.e. US v Miller

Answer 2

We are guaranteed the right to bear arms.  At the  time this was written, it was meant to defend against dictatorial government.  Times have changed and perhaps the law is due for an update.

Answer 3

It goes to the same concept that car-jacking is much lower in states where it’s legal to carry a gun in your car.

We live in a society over proliferated of weapons and where you can easily and likely will be a victim of some thug with a gun.

There are people in this country that don’t sit too well with being a victim or an easy target.

Answer 4

Once you give up some rights they come after more rights. As an American you should stand strong with your rights and stop watching CNN! that's not news that is propaganda! Don't give up our rights or civil liberties and remember survival of the fittest!

Answer 5

There are a few reasons.

First, there's this thing called the Constitution. It's the law of the land. And in this Constitution, there's a rule called the Second Amendment. It was written by guys who had just thrown off an oppressing power who was using, guess what, a standing army to keep them down.

If we don't let civilians have guns -and let them own them without having to store their ammo separately, or with trigger locks that can take a full minute to disengage- then who will have them? The police and military (the agents of the state) and criminals.

You don't have to own a gun if you don't want to.

More people die in car crashes than from gun injuries, but nobody's saying we should get rid of cars.

Answer 6

cant help sorry

Answer 7

We have the right to bear arms.  That means we can own a gun.  That doesn't mean we have the right to own any gun we choose.  I'm tired of Texas congressmen trying to repeal DC's handgun ban.  If people want self defense, buy a shotgun.  You don't need a pistol to carry with you wherever you go.

The VT shooter didn't have an automatic gun.  He had a semi-automatic gun.  You have to have a special license to own automatic guns.

Answer 8

,This is strange for the reason that at one time it was against the law to own an automatic or semi-automatic weapon unless you were in the military, had a  special licence, were a police officer, Federal Agent or some other form of Law Enforcement Official.  Besides does it not say that a well informed public ratther than a well armed public is essential. Besides with a Society that works which is but Socialism, the use of the pen to expose crimes  there would be no feeling these weapons are required. Who would stick you up for Solar Power if Solar Power Socialism were viable. No tyranny just  the addition of Solar Power to the economy.

Answer 9

Most Americans do not feel that they have the right to own automatic weapons.  Mostly because they cannot obtain a proper license or have no use for one.  You might want to try getting your information from more than one (CNN) source.  

Reasons to own a semi-automatic gun would be:

1.defend against home invasion (home invasions are more prevalent in countries that have strict gun laws)

2.militia

3.shoot back at Cho

Answer 10

The goofies will say is an amendment right,,well it is and it isn't.

The right to bear arms does not mean a Fully Automatic Rifle or Pistol.

It means that you can own one. It does not state that you can walk the streets with one.

Look at the numbers sometime, is like 80% of homicides by firearms that are committed in a home are by someone that the deceased knew very well.

Usually a spouse,lover, or relative of some sort.

To carry a gun is just an ego trip. Hey looka my gun!

Is not just Republicans, is peoples from all sides and walks of life, it is MY RIGHT!

Yeah, it was ok when FireArms took a shot,wad, Ram Rod, Fuse and a Light or Flint to make it work,,once.

But it is in the Constitution! well so was Privacy and Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech,,before The Patriot Act.

Answer 11

The Declaration of Independence actually answers this.  It states that if the government becomes tyrannical that the citizens should rise up against it to protect their freedoms.  How many automatic weapons are owned by law abiding citizens and how many are used in shootings versus those that are obtained illegally and used in crimes.  Taking any weapon out of the hands of a law abiding citizen and not being able to control the illegal smuggling of the same weapons into the hands of criminals sounds like a recipe for more crime.

Answer 12

This nation will never be civilized until we totally outlaw ALL guns. Even for the police--they (and us) could still have tazers. The NRA, which is backed by the gun manufacturers, is most responsible for the spread of guns, including automatic weapons which are needed for only one reason--to kill people. As for hunting, it is a cruel sport.

Answer 13

I expect you're about as much a conservative Republican as fat Teddy and his dog named splash. But then you knew that being a liberal Democrat and trying to pull off this load of BS would go no where didn't you?  You can cry and whine but you and the rest of your liberal gun grabbers will never get my guns.

Don't get me wrong here, because I do understand where you're coming from. If you want to get something done, you need to act like you're somebody "special" to pull it off. But in this case it just ain't gonna work.

Answer 14

Look at every city you speak of and you will see that those cities have some of this country's toughest gun control laws. The cities like Detroit, Cleveland, Washington D.C. and so on. Yet they have the greatest murder by gun rates in this land. Why? Because the common man is unprotected and the criminal knows it. He doesn't have to worry if I have a gun or not because I'm a law abiding citizen and can't have one. Therefore he buys one illegally and robs and kills at will.

Now the shooter at VT is a result of liberal bias and nothing else. Trying to be politically "over" correct, they allowed this mentally sick person to stay free.

Answer 15

Get your facts straight before you start, ok?

The VA Tech shooter did not use automatic weaponry.  Automatic Weapons are not sold to the general public.  Yes, there are still some out there, but you have to have a very special license to own them.  Again, they are not sold anymore, and the shooter, all the shooters, haven't used automatic weapons.  But it sounds a lot better in your argument, doesn't it?

Answer 16

A better question would be why does anyone need or want one.  The Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms, but when they wrote that the big weapon was a cannon.  Where do we draw the line?  Does the Constitution guarantee my right to bear a tactical nuclear device, maybe just a cute little grenade launcher?