Folks the problem with this argument (and it is that) is that the
conservatives (sic) are arguing by non existent extremes or absolutes.
e.g. I challenge ANY conservative to give me ANY right (sic) that is ABSOLUTE !
We
all drive vehicles but we must comply with rules and be licensed and If
I'm drunk high I'm not allowed to drive and what's more my right (sic)
to drive can be taken from me.
As for freedom of speech that two is
controlled e.g. if I were to write and publish a book that describes a
incestuous relationship between Mary (the Mary and JC ) what are the
bets I'd be allowed to sell it, even if it was attached to a good story
and well written Hmmm?
We don't even have the right to die
(euthanasia) much less help a suffering terminally ill loved one to.
Yet the conservatives want the unrestricted right to bear arms and to
kill someone who we think is up to no good
(Trayvon Martin come to mind.) with impunity no less... can anyone see the problem here.
As for abortions same deal.
What the conservatives really mean is we
want to impose our (inconsistent/ hypocritical) views on others who
aren't like them. The same goes for wars of commercial interest (sorry
self defence(sic) i.e. Iraq, Haiti et al) . It's been a long time since I
left the seminary but I don't remember the Christian dictum that says
'love thy neighbor/enemy then kill them, appropriate their resources and
ensure their poverty. But I digress.
In truth there are no absolute rights they are all modified by virtue of living in an ordered/ civilised society.
So
let's stop with the BS about my rights to absolute anything and get
real. Lets try to figure out the most appropriate place to draw the line
(for the good of the country) .
Neither side is saying take ALL
fire arms nor is any side saying no more vehicles so stop with the BS
about slippery slope (domino effect the justifying argument for
Vietnam). I've lived in Australia and only an ignorant fool would say
it's a socialist country and the citizens don't have fire arms or
'hunters'. Absolute rubbish just certain 'types' of weapons the latter
still exist. What's the difference between the need for semi automatic
weapons and having a formula 1 race vehicle for my daily drive and at
its optimum speed e.g brakes don't work properly until near full power.
...none Both are ridiculous in most citizen situations .
While
we're on Australia let's revisit the stats in the article. What they
don't show is how and what was collected they all use official stats.
BUT the data collected doesn't differentiate between accidental shooting
merely fire arm deaths nor does it go into who is shooting who ...(for
example figures collected other than police or hospital stats) indicate
that 80% of criminal murders are actually criminal against criminal.
Likewise bystander deaths can be counted on one hand over the last 15
years. Drive by shooting deaths are rare and innocents from them rarer
still!
What the bald stats don't show is that MASS shootings of
INNOCENTS take your pick be it a theatre, school , McDonalds etc
haven't happened since John Howard a “Liberal Party” PM (read
essentially conservative side ...supposedly Republican lite) brought in
the firearm control and buy back. (note the conservative American tactic
of misappropriation of the term Liberal and how this excludes a whole
set of language and options ).
In short it all depends on what you
want to achieve ...Australia just wanted to preclude mass shooting of
innocents and REDUCE the availability of weapons to those most likely to
do harm. The drop in gun related suicides is a bonus. Whether it on
it's own reduced suicides I DON'T KNOW. What I as a volunteer crisis
intervention counsellor it does give time to activate appropriate help.
What
WASN'T on the agenda was total weapons ban or to absolutely stop
violence. Neither was/is ever going to happen by one magic bullet
(excuse the pun) . Those are too complex.
My point as stated comes down to this: which would you (as a parent) rather hear in the news.
1. Young man goes nuts and stabs mother or
2. some young man has gone nuts at your child's school and killed perhaps 20 children end 8 adults?
BTW
Australian schools don't have and don't need lock ins, metal detectors,
or armed anything no need. These events are as rare as kangaroo rodeos.
There hasn't been one yet.
Aust. has its problems violence murder
et al but in 99% of the time having weapons wouldn't stop them AND the
the real nasties i.e. mass shootings of innocents just is not a factor
there.
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