Gun control, A good comment and South Africa; survival for the use of...

Shadedmauve wrote the following comment :

"oh gosh, more stuff about guns coming in handy! is it really as bad and scary as that?? Good luck to your Dad retiring after all those years - he sounds like he deserves a holiday."

Firstly, many thanks on the good wishes to the father.

Secondly a good many internationals that I have come in contact with have asked much the same question so I believe its time for a gun rant/debate/thingy....
But first here's a word from our sponsers in the shape of some statistics to give you chaps out there something to faint in horror over... In 2006 George Bush's 'body counr' of American casualties in Iraq totalled 20 734. That is in a war. In South Africa under Thabo Mbeki for the same period the 'body count' was 18 793 deaths by homicide. That is nearly the same in number of war casualties MURDERED in South Africa in crime alone... we are as bad as a fully fledged war zone!!!!

This Brings me to the ol' gun quibble stage...

Many people will have everyone believe that gun control and adding a lot of beurocracies to the purchasing and/or licensing (depending where you are in the world) will curb gun related crime. The proponents of said statements seem to forget a few points in there overzealous state...

1) Guns do NOT kill people! People kill people! They have done so for thousands of years with bear hands, sticks, rocks, swords, farming tools, bottles, trebuchets, guns, knives, tables, chairs etc. the list is endless.

2) Gun control can be useful if done correctly ie criminal backround checks etc and attaching a gun to an owner but that can be instantaneous NOT take several weeks to process... This also makes for another even bigger problem...

E. Shmuck is a criminal. He mugs, robs, rapes and murders has been involved in cash in transit heists and all sorts of other nasties. He has a gun. Several in fact. He is not going to be bugged in the slightest that his guns are illegal he doesn't even worry about the legal niceties of owning one. He will not got to a gunshop spending 1500 rand on a new gun and a further 500 rand on all the licensing etc.. No, he will simply call the buddy of a buddy and arrange for an AK 47 plus ammo for around 120 rand (thats about $20 by the way people)

So... this means that the current legislation makes illegal arms sales REALLY profitable and much easier while those of us who try to do things by the book to keep one for self defence or sport or collecting may not even be granted a license... Tha’ts just bloody wonderful now isn't it.
Citizens of an ordinary nature who blow thr hrad off of an armed and dangerous intruder (or intruders in SA) are more likely to be dragged to court and then prison for having the temerity to defend themselves and not do it by the book then the guy who murdered 14 people...

3) All of this ties into one thing though and it was mentioned by LawDog as well as others (in fact go and read all he says the links right next to this... off you go, I'll wait...
Read him? Great stuff...(thank you LawDog for writing it all up so well in the first place) as i was saying... The human mind is the weapon what ever is used becomes the tool.... a gun as a knife, is a tool therefor they are not the root cause of all the evil! Yes you can defend yourself by other means but also, YES owning a gun in this modern day is neccessary because it does put you on a more or less equal footing with the shmuck.

Before my fiance moved in with me i did get into some hairy situations whereby someone wanted to redistribute my possesions and have been armed but i have done a few courses in martial arts and adopted a lot to make it useful so i have come out on top but with being deaf when i take my implant off when i go to sleep and my loved one in the house i feel it imperitive to own one for any dangers that may arise.

And yes I am a paranoid Troll!!!!

Cave Troll