Intresting arguments all around. The wonderful thing about both America and this site is it offers an open forum to discuss these issues. As a relatively new participant in Mudcat, and much more frequently just a "reader" rather than an active participant, I enjoy the free discourse.

Now my two cents....

I live in a big city with frequent crime. It is illegal for private citizens except security professionsals and police to own weapons. If it is not related to drug/gang wars, only the unarms population is being killed by the criminals.

We MUST enforce existing laws. Sure, there is strong basis for some gun control laws, such as background checks, mandatory training classes, etc., but not for the outlawing of an individual right under the constitution to bear arms.

I worked in the social services for several years, and I was shocked at the attitudes and permissivness of the parents of many of the children with whom I worked - from all socio-economic backgrounds. They do not monitor what the children watch on television. They bring 10 year old children to R rated horror movies. They feel that it is too much trouble to keep in touch with what their children are reading or what their after school activities/friend are.

Instances such as the Colorado shooting are a flashpoint - to which reasonable people are outraged at an event and often act unreasonably in response.

If some parents were to invest as much effort in rasing their children as in their career - perhaps we would not be discussing this issue in a forum. (I know a lot of parents will be mad - thinking I am attacking them, but I am not. Most parents are good people, attentive to the need needs and challenges of their child.)

A parents job is raising their child, not being the childs friend. As well, it is not, and should not be the governments job to raise our children!

All this leads in a conveluted way to the point on guns - with discipline come the ability to handle responsibility, including the responsibiliy of mature decisions regarding whether or not to own guns by law abiding citizens.

Last point -

Stalin "registered" then disarmed the Armenians with guns - result, over 20 million dead

Hitler "registered" and disarmed the Jew, Gypsys, and political opponents - result, attenpted Genocide.

The Khemer Rouge disarmed the Cambodian population - result, death toll in the millions, final tally still unknown!

Think it can't happen here to some degree?

I bet all the millions dead thought the same thing.

Freedom is not a gift, it is a duty of all citizens, if you choose to own guns or not.

I'll get off my soap box now.

John OSh