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branford

(4,462 posts)
72. Feel free to try to repeal the Second Amendment.
Tue Oct 20, 2015, 01:11 AM
Oct 2015

Changing the Constitution is hard by design, and requires far more than a mere majority. Also, unlike gay marriage and abortion, repealing the Amendment would actually be an attempt to remove or restrict a right, rather than expand rights. The only other remotely comparable situation was prohibition, and that was a complete and total failure.

More importantly, repeal of the Second Amendment would only allow certain gun restrictions, not mandate anything, nor reduce firearm violence. The failure of various recent gun control initiatives currently has absolutely nothing to do with Second Amendment problems. Many of the more moderate proposals would quite likely pass constitutional muster. However, they simply cannot garner sufficient electoral and popular support to pass Congress or most of the states. The People are your problem, not the Consitution.

Similarly, despite your claims, support for gun rights and against restrictions is increasing, all while crime rates are demonstrably dropping and gun laws liberalizing in much of the country. You simply fail to realize how firearms, for good or ill, are part of the historic and cultural fabric of our country.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2015/oct/02/mass-shootings-have-no-impact-on-support-for-gun-rights-in-the-us

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179213/six-americans-say-guns-homes-safer.aspx

http://www.gallup.com/poll/179045/less-half-americans-support-stricter-gun-laws.aspx

http://www.people-press.org/2014/12/10/growing-public-support-for-gun-rights/

Your contention that,

As for self defense, guns make a person like me, like I said, LESS SAFE. I'm fit, big, and strong. I'm non-violent, but it gives people more of an excuse to shoot me rather than someone else who does not match that description.


is simply ludicrous. The demographics of people statistically likely to be killed or injured by firearms are young, mostly urban, and poor men for a variety of unpleasant social reasons, and firearms are merely a tool used in commission of all forms of violence. This likely explains why are suicide rates are comparable to most other developed countries, and dramatically lower than gun control havens like Japan and South Korea. We have a cultural violence problem, not a gun problem.

Far more importantly, your cavalier disregard for anyone unlike yourself, including many millions of people, including other women, vulnerable minorities, the elderly and disabled, etc., is not only shocking and decidedly illiberal, but is duly noted and really helps explain the innumerable gun control legislative and policy failures.

Lastly, we've already had the discussion over the issues concerning the various firearm studies and research (recall that I used to work for the National Institute of Justice). Feel free to cherry pick you data and find reasons to ignore everything else that doesn't conform to your views. Don't be surprised when other people acknowledge this other scholarship, and act accordingly, usually by supporting gun rights.

For you amusement, the following is a video on how you'll need to go about removing the right to own guns and removing them.

Want a gun? Take a bullet: [View all] sarisataka Oct 2015 OP
I've been shot librarylu Oct 2015 #1
I was shot down twice in Vietnam, GGJohn Oct 2015 #6
I was shot by a Nam vet librarylu Oct 2015 #14
I hope that no one melm00se Oct 2015 #15
Such as freedom of speech? librarylu Oct 2015 #17
rights are rights melm00se Oct 2015 #18
No, a right is a legal category that can be added, removed, or modified MillennialDem Oct 2015 #31
Do you believe we have any rights sarisataka Oct 2015 #32
Again, not understanding me. is there a process to remove the first MillennialDem Oct 2015 #34
My question is sarisataka Oct 2015 #38
No, because I'm not in favor of repealing the 5th amendment. Moreover -I think the 2nd amendment is MillennialDem Oct 2015 #45
sarisataka melm00se Oct 2015 #33
of course people should have rights. its just a matter of what should and MillennialDem Oct 2015 #36
the same place other rights do gejohnston Oct 2015 #39
I'm aware the BoR is a set of negative rights. I'm just wondering why you think the right to MillennialDem Oct 2015 #44
the right of self defense gejohnston Oct 2015 #48
It's not a false dichotomy. It's about likely vs unlikely. In a society with no (or few) legal guns MillennialDem Oct 2015 #49
who ever fed you that line of shit gejohnston Oct 2015 #56
Apples to oranges comparisons and anecdotes. Face it, compared to most of the developed MillennialDem Oct 2015 #58
If you go by GINI index, it is. gejohnston Oct 2015 #62
Gini index isn't a valid comparison imo, I'd say median income and median net worth are better MillennialDem Oct 2015 #64
in your opinion gejohnston Oct 2015 #69
The right to keep and bear arms melm00se Oct 2015 #40
I don't think guns are about self defense though - I think they're more about self MillennialDem Oct 2015 #46
No one is forcing you to own a gun, the decision on whether to possess or carry firearms branford Oct 2015 #53
Stop with the "don't even bother trying to get rid of the 2nd amendment" nonsense. Gay marriage was MillennialDem Oct 2015 #54
sorry, you don't have the right to gejohnston Oct 2015 #57
Those are not scientific studies because they are not falsifiable. Produce a falsifiable study if MillennialDem Oct 2015 #60
actually, they are scientific gejohnston Oct 2015 #66
Peer reviewed does not mean the same thing as scientific (most importantly, falsifiable) MillennialDem Oct 2015 #67
Feel free to try to repeal the Second Amendment. branford Oct 2015 #72
I'm quite aware it's a heavy lift to change the constitution. I'm also a fan of moderate MillennialDem Oct 2015 #75
No, a good liberal or progressive cares deeply about everyone, branford Oct 2015 #78
you are free to do what you want gejohnston Oct 2015 #59
Don't force your increased risk of me being killed or wounded on me. MillennialDem Oct 2015 #61
there is no increased risk gejohnston Oct 2015 #63
LOL - interesting, given that I have no fucking clue what study you think I'm getting my MillennialDem Oct 2015 #65
then you are not even remotely informed on a gejohnston Oct 2015 #68
Wounding is even worse for your position, because just as people are MillennialDem Oct 2015 #70
not relevant gejohnston Oct 2015 #71
Le sigh MillennialDem Oct 2015 #73
and you are for taking away peoples rights based on that? gejohnston Oct 2015 #74
Like I said, I don't think ownership of a gun is a natural right. MillennialDem Oct 2015 #76
and I do, I am also philosophically against gejohnston Oct 2015 #82
Guns aren't natural. librarylu Oct 2015 #100
Well, then it's a good thing we don't only have a right to keep and bear "guns." branford Oct 2015 #103
You simply are choosing to conveniently ignore every incident of a defensive firearm use branford Oct 2015 #77
Armed vs Armed // unarmed vs unarmed melm00se Oct 2015 #81
The Bill of Rights is not Holy Writ librarylu Oct 2015 #41
"I would like the right to go to Walmart and not see a gun counter..." beevul Oct 2015 #86
There was a time librarylu Oct 2015 #89
they stopped selling them because gejohnston Oct 2015 #91
The Walmart near me librarylu Oct 2015 #93
not at all, gejohnston Oct 2015 #94
Neither would I librarylu Oct 2015 #95
they have what, a couple of gejohnston Oct 2015 #96
I haven't looked lately librarylu Oct 2015 #98
I don't think they sell handguns gejohnston Oct 2015 #99
I hope it is unusual. librarylu Oct 2015 #101
Yes, we are well aware that PTSD and alcohol problems edgineered Oct 2015 #19
I'm on a shared well librarylu Oct 2015 #42
I spent three enlistments willing to take a bullet. And you? edgineered Oct 2015 #2
Why don't we just make them weigh 375 pounds? Not very many people will be totin' them around. BlueJazz Oct 2015 #3
sure gejohnston Oct 2015 #97
Want to buy a car? Get in a 60 mph crash Travis_0004 Oct 2015 #4
You know, the NRA is not sounding very extreme anymore...nt virginia mountainman Oct 2015 #5
And people wonder why we cant have a civil conversation Travis_0004 Oct 2015 #8
And what about chain saws? appal_jack Oct 2015 #25
This has got to be the most dumbass article ever. GGJohn Oct 2015 #7
Had this post been in the Humor group it would be pinned. nt edgineered Oct 2015 #9
been shot, lucked out 2 stitches w0nderer Oct 2015 #10
Possibly the most moronic (and nasty) article I have ever read on "gun control"....... pablo_marmol Oct 2015 #11
probably looking for a spot on bloomies mommie board. ileus Oct 2015 #13
There it is. NT pablo_marmol Oct 2015 #37
The anti's sure a violent bunch, kinda goes along with the authoritarian way of life ileus Oct 2015 #12
Want a swimming pool? Drown one of your kids in it. dairydog91 Oct 2015 #16
Yes, there are some people in Salon who shouldn't have guns. Eleanors38 Oct 2015 #20
Breathtakingly moronic, even for Salon. Lizzie Poppet Oct 2015 #21
Well, that's gross and extreme. Brickbat Oct 2015 #22
Seems reasonable SecularMotion Oct 2015 #23
Do they also sarisataka Oct 2015 #26
Yes SecularMotion Oct 2015 #27
Note it is not titled sarisataka Oct 2015 #28
Been shot at a lot oneshooter Oct 2015 #24
Salon just jumped the shark. Straw Man Oct 2015 #29
If you're going to jump a shark you should be eaten by one first. Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #80
Touché. Straw Man Oct 2015 #84
Let's explore D Watkins credentials Silicosys4 Oct 2015 #30
He graduated from Johns Hopkins librarylu Oct 2015 #50
[[[[ gejohnston Oct 2015 #35
That is impressive sarisataka Oct 2015 #43
Good article librarylu Oct 2015 #47
"We have an epidemic." pablo_marmol Oct 2015 #51
? librarylu Oct 2015 #52
"Tell it to the victims." pablo_marmol Oct 2015 #55
Color me compassionate librarylu Oct 2015 #79
If you're compassionate why do you want to criminalize people who are not a threat? Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #83
Who said anything about criminalizing anyone? librarylu Oct 2015 #87
There is no gunshow loophole. Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #88
There isn't? librarylu Oct 2015 #90
Most of the gun sellers gejohnston Oct 2015 #92
If there's no loophole librarylu Oct 2015 #102
Political grandstanding gejohnston Oct 2015 #105
The gun show is immaterial; it's private sales which you cannot track without registration. Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #104
I'm not even concerned about crime. librarylu Oct 2015 #106
"I'm concerned about accidents, domestic violence, kids shooting kids (or parents), school shootings Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #107
Prepared how? librarylu Oct 2015 #108
Sometimes cooperation is not an option. Nuclear Unicorn Oct 2015 #109
Watkins might make a good journalist... discntnt_irny_srcsm Oct 2015 #85
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