Originally Posted by g300d

Let's say a kid takes dad's BMW X5M for a spin without asking permission, then gets drunk and goes crazy speeding on the highway, getting into an accident killing a few people.

What if because of that there was a sudden clamor for the banning of high horsepower vehicles, especially BMWs?

Why, less high performance cars would mean less incidents of speeding! A positive step in reducing the number of drunk driving accidents is to reduce the number of cars, especially high performance cars, on the road.

After all, who really NEEDS a high performance car when a hybrid will get you where you need to while being good for the environment too?

I dont buy those arguments, because I am in the belief that BMW's or high performance cars dont in and of themselves cause anyone to drive irresponsibly. If a person causes a problem with one, he was most probably a problem to begin with.

A gun will not cause a shooting just like a BMW will not make me speed if I didnt want to in the first place. Smilarly, if a person is intent on killing a few people he will do it, with or without a gun.

Identify the crazies that do these things (whether driving or shooting), get them help or separate them from society, punish those that do crazy appropriately. The gun/car is not the problem, it didnt do it itself.

CT already has an assault weapons ban in place.

Columbine happened during the assault weapons ban that sunset in 2004.

Knowing this, do I advocate not doing anything? No, not at all.

I would like to see action on identifying the root cause of these incidents and addressing them, not knee jerk reactions that limit the rights and criminalize the law-abiding when the people who do these thing have no regard for the law.