Should guns be available to anyone with the money to buy it? If so, should all kinds be available? Would it be acceptable for a shopkeeper to racially profile a customer, then decide not to sell a gun to them? Would it be safer if everyone in a community [i]had[/i] a gun, or [i]didn't [/i] have a gun? How do you feel about children and teens being taught how to properly use one? And finally, does lack of a gun license(?) prevent dangerous people from obtaining a gun? My views: [spoiler] Personally, I think everyone should keep all their gun rights, except previously convicted rapists, murderer, and robbers [i]who plea guilty in court[/i], as well as the severely mentally disabled. Children should also be taught by their parents how and when to use guns, along with safety precautions and discipline. Yes, there is the possibility that unattended, the kid could shoot his or herself in the face. 1) this happens most often if they hadn't been taught how to handle one, and 2) it's called natural selection. Not that the kid or parents could ever do something to deserve that, buuut come on. When a kid becomes 13-14, they should only be reminded of the uses and safety precautions of gun use, as this begins the most hormonal phase of their life. I think racial (and other forms of) profiling should be [i]somewhat[/i] allowed. If some scary looking dude comes in asking for a gun, or if someone comes in looking very angry, the shopkeeper should have the right to send the person back to the gun licensing bureau (?) for verification that it's ok to sell him a gun, maybe 3 times max if each time is fine. A bad community would remain a bad community if all guns were banned. It just would. If someone wants to be violent, they don't need a gun to do it. I'm not very sure if guns would turn a good community into a bad one, but I doubt it. I would rather put guns into the hands of people so they can protect themselves, than to leave the vulnerable to criminals who get their hands on firearms through the black market. I'd only be ok with the banning of guns under one condition: The police give up their guns, and no more money is spent on military purposes. All registered guns get taken and dismantled then melted down, no exceptions. If the common person can't have guns, then there's no reason for authorities to need them. However, that would leave us vulnerable to attacks from other nations. On an international scale, it's better to arm yourself for the worst. And it's also better on the individual scale. [/spoiler][spoiler]Backstory: pretty normal, 19 years old and have never seen a real gun. I've been pretty lucky, not getting robbed or -blam!- by some asshole, because I have no form of self defense other than pretending I have somewhere important to be, and sometimes a knife I don't know how to use. Honestly I hate guns, but wish I was raised a bit differently so I could be a bit more prepared if something were to happen.[/spoiler] Say however much you want, I honestly want to see everyone's opinions on this. Sorry if I offended anyone with my views, I'm sure everyone has their reasons for their beliefs. This is the first time I've posted something like this, so pls be gentle (~_^) Edit: Yay, 2 days and over 100 [i]well thought[/i] comments! (That's a record for me) We even have a troll.. Edit 2: More of my opinion... [spoiler] A lot of people have been making the point that most criminals get their weapons by stealing them from someone. [i]So,[/i] what if we made it mandatory to report a stolen firearm as soon as you find out, basically treating it like you witnessed a murder. After all, that's what is most likely to happen =/ [/spoiler]