Your kidding right? Your getting your source through Wikipedia? An on-line source where anyone I mean anyone can change the meaning of a subject or definition? I know your smarter than that.

On to the subject at hand - I have 2 hand guns here at home a 1911 and Glock. I have a permit to carry both...I have been trained extensively with those 2 hand-guns and a few others. If someone, hope never happens, were to come to my house and tries to rob or kill me...I can tell you for a fact that I will not hesitate to shoot them. And if someone is trying to car jack me, I will get out of the car, give them the key and wallet...once, they start leaving shoot the fuckin' bastard not to hurt but, to kill the bastard - enough said! Fear is good but, you have to control that fear!

My take is that people should not buy a gun just because everyone is doing it. But, it has been highly announced in the "main stream America" it will be harder to own guns. There should be a gun course that people take, after the course is completed, and only then are the handguns handed to them. That's the way the military works...you have to qual and put in your record before you are given a rifle or handgun, just my 0.02 c

And the only reason, the "gun violence" seems soo high is because of the media in this country. They are all for the "fear factor" and instant gratification to be in the national scene. You don't hear it from other countries is because they regulate their news..

As far as, the Constitution being outdated...it's better than what is out there? And I will still ".....protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Here was some data that I found.

The gun-related deaths per 100,000 people in 1994 by country were as follows:

U.S.A. 14.24
Brazil 12.95
Mexico 12.69
Estonia 12.26
Argentina 8.93
Northern Ireland 6.63
Finland 6.46
Switzerland 5.31
France 5.15
Canada 4.31
Norway 3.82
Austria 3.70
Portugal 3.20
Israel 2.91
Belgium 2.90
Australia 2.65
Slovenia 2.60
Italy 2.44
New Zealand 2.38
Denmark 2.09
Sweden 1.92
Kuwait 1.84
Greece 1.29
Germany 1.24
Hungary 1.11
Ireland 0.97
Spain 0.78
Netherlands 0.70
Scotland 0.54
England and Wales 0.41
Taiwan 0.37
Singapore 0.21
Mauritius 0.19
Hong Kong 0.14
South Korea 0.12
Japan 0.05

I know this data is 14 years old, but I didn't have time to search all over. Anyway, it doesn't appear that America's gun problem is media related. There are a lot of stats that indicate how high our gun related deaths and crimes are here. Why are the death rates so high for us here?

I am not blaming gun problems on people like you guys who are registered and use your guns responsibly, but guns being legal in general contributes to criminals and others easily getting them.

I think the Constitution is just as great as you guys do. I just think that plenty of other issues have been amanded and changed over the years and I think it is time for the gun issue to be looked at. What was the original reason the right to bear arms was included? Is it still relevant? Are guns a problem in this country? Those questions should be asked.

The "freedom" of owning firearms in this country has led to a lot of carnage.

the Constitution is all about "checks and balances" - The Founding Fathers listed these Rights in this order for a reason - your 'right to bear arms' allows you to defend your 'right to freedom of speech' - our revolution worked because when the colonies (states) called for volunteers to create a militia, most came with their own firearms - these untrained 'militias' bought time to train an army that could standup to a line of battle - their harrasing tactics meant the British only controlled land they physically occupied (ala the USA in Vietnam) - you have only to look at Cuba to see what happens after the population turns in the very guns that helped them overthrow a dictator, they ended up with another dictator - that's not 225 yrs ago, but less than 50 yrs ago

what these statistics do not show are the laws many of these countries have allow them to deny many of the rights our constitution protects us - there is no "Miranda", often no jury, often no privacy, "defense" lawyers are more defense of the law vs defense of the accused

the one thing they do have that I wish we had is "loser pays"

I am not trying to take rights away from anyone. I just think we need to do something about the gun problem that we have in this country and I don't see record people rushing out in record numbers and buying up guns and ammo as a step in the right direction.

Hard to find current/good stats on "death by guns, US",
but one item that keeps popping up is that ~50% of the
"death by gun" in US, are suicides...

I do. People are LEGALLY buying them. Legal ammo and legal guns are not what you should be afraid of, illegal owners are :tsk:

This is where the masses get confused. There are hundreds of state and federal gun laws. You should see the paperwork and background checks involved in buying a handgun in Maryland for example. It is stolen guns that are the problem.

"Well would it make you happier little girl if they were thrown out of winders" - Archie Bunker :rofl:

I don't necessarily disagree with you on this point. If we could figure a way to disarm the criminals, we'd be waaaayyyyy ahead of the game. Banning guns outright, though, is not likely to disarm the criminals.

I don't know what the answer is to that one.

But the Constitution is the Constitution, until it's amended. I still get weepy everytime I stand in front of it at the Archives. I still think that everyone who runs for office, at any level, should be made to visit the Archives, stand in front of the Constitution, and remember what they are supposed to be in the arena for.

Back to guns - tricky problem, to be sure.

Banning people from buying guns would only exacerbate the problem in my opinion. Because that would not only disarm all the honest people, but let the crooks know that people are now disarmed and even more easy targets than before. Because no matter what, you can't keep the criminals from getting weapons.

If you want to try to make a positive difference, up the police forces and have special units solely for tracking down the sources and underground weapons suppliers... because I know every gang member that sprays down a neighborhood with an AK47 or MP5 didn't purchase and register their guns at the local sports academy or shooters club. I even know someone myself who recently bragged to me at a local bar that he just bought a stolen MP5 with folding stock. Given the nature of this person I made an anonymous call to the local police, and he was not only picked up with that, but the idiot had a few pounds of weed in the car as well. Feels good to do my part!