I am making a thread from another discussion here. There were a lot of good view points and ideas. It was noted that more of the US members seemed to be pro-gun and more of the European members tended to be anti-gun. Do you think that this difference is due to the different gun laws and related propaganda? I'd like to see some more discussion on what people think of carry permits, experiences involving firearms or self-defense, experiences of crime victems and what they think of self-defense before and after, etc. What is thought of police effectiveness in various countries? Do you think crime is curbed by an armed society? What do your religious beliefs say about self-defense?

Here is the last post I made on the other thread in response to another.

(Post)
A gun is a weapon. A weapon is made to kill, injure or maim. Paper targets and soda cans might be fine for target practice, but that's not the main purpose of a gun - otherwise I would have to ask why you don't just shoot your paper targets with something less dangerous.

(My Response)
Many things in life can be unpleasant. Reality is one of them. I beleive most anti-gun advocates to be of noble intentions. That can also be said of the pacifist. Unfortunately, noble ideals don't always fit into the real world. Face it, there are people out there who want to and CAN hurt you! They are unconcerned with moral standards, particularly yours. They only want your cash and your belongings. In worse cases they want to violate you or your loved ones bodies and/or take pleasure in your pain. In the worst cases, they also want your death. These human animals only understand one language. If you don't speak it, they will ROLL OVER YOU! There is not a thing you can say to stop them! There is only one way to stop them. You must speak their language. That language is pain! It is a simple fact. To blind yourself to it won't make it go away. Certainly you can say the chances of you becoming a victem are remote. But won't once be enough? Isn't that all it takes to destroy your life? I can say one thing for sure about my abode friend. Human animal beware! Pain IS spoken here!

Here is a previous post I made to this one:

I was an NCO in the military, so I have plenty of weapons experience. You must understand that a gun is a dangerous item and it is perfectly normal to be fearful of them. No one in their right mind would like staring down the wrong end of one and even the right end of one is a nasty place to be if it's pointed at someone. That's life though. Life can be a nasty business in rough times. Some people don't realize just how close any civilized country can be to anarchy. How fast you can go from being a secure citizen to a victem. In my lifetime the USSR went from superpower to anarchy, and I'm still a young man! Countless people are killed and maimed every day by all forms of the cruel human animal. Even here in the US! It all seems so far away and unlikely in our current secure lifestyle. For many people every day it's the harshest of realities! One thing is common of all the cruel human animals in this world though. They all prefer their victems unarmed and defenseless. This is the same from the lowliest mugger to the largest oppressive government regime. What makes the US different I ask? One difference is that our forefathers saw the disarming of the populus as the disempowerment of the people! They saw it as a doorway to the exact same thing they had run away from to begin with! We're too civilized you say? It can't happen to us? Why not? Take away our foundations and give it a couple hundred years or so. Things may go a direction you never expected! I see firearm ownership like voting. It's a responsibility that EVERYONE who's a law abiding citizen should take advantage of. Make informed decisions when it comes to giving away your rights people! They may seem trivial now, but your children or grandchilderen may have a hell of a harder time getting them back once they're gone and they need them!

What do you think of these viewpoints?

I personally wouldnt carry a fire arm, although one for the home is fine as long as you keep it locked up and out of the way of children.
On the street your best weapon is to be alert and aware of your surrounding's. Make eye contact and "size" up the people you are around. In a sense profile them. As is the case no matter of training can stop a bullet from hitting you, but if you arent there it wont.
You can generally sense those that have criminal intent if you are aware, granted this isnt alway's the case. But yes I agree firearms should be legal but they do need to put some parameters on it. I mean going hunting with an auto matic weapon like a AK-47 is a little over kill. They should have certains restraints on what you can buy at gun show's and shop's. You cant really stop the private dealer's and the thieve's. There is a lot to be said on this subject and I have a little more to say, but alas I am cut short by work :(
c-ya

In my opinion it is better to both not carry a gun and not own a gun. I've already stated my viewpoints on this so many times that I can't be bothered to do it again since noone ever seems to listen to them. This is one of those discussions that might as well be ignored, noone will ever be convinced, the gun nuts will still want their guns after this and the others still won't want any.

NO.

Can anybody help me clarify something I've been thinking over lately? Is it true that because it's written in the Constitution that every American is allowed to own a firearm, they don't change the gun laws in the States?

of course it's not good to have a gun. the more guns tehre are, teh more deaths there will be BY guns, whether an accidental or dedliberate shooting

Yup Neb! That's just one of our differences I guess. I'm a gun nut and you're just a nut period! :D

Yep, the 2nd amendment to the constitution is what protects our right to own a firearm.
I am on the "for" side.
I own a few, and i for one have never killed anything.
Not that i'm saying there is anything wrong with hunting,
i just never have.

No, it's because a lot of people with tons of cash are paying them not to change the laws.

I prefer to see myself as perfectly sane. It's the world that's mad, even if it's all just a figment of my imagination that would crumble should I ever cease to believe in it.