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Originally posted by NY Madman:
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Originally posted by Lazza:

[b]But to all, I just wonder if this 'right to bear arms' privilege we have in America has been worth the cost? Think of all the thousands of individuals who have been shot by accident. Many more are shot in a momentary fit of rage. And many, many more folks are shot due to criminal activity. Now let's counter this with the folks who have used a firearm in self defense, the primary purpose of bearing arms. From this big picture has the right to bear arms been good for America? Of course for those relatively few who've used a firearm in self defense the answer is a resounding yes. But I suggest for most others the answer is a resounding no.
In any given year between 50,000 up to 100,000 people are killed by accident in hospitals or other medical facilities in the United States. Medical mistakes. Far, far more than are killed by guns. Are you in favor of doctor control? Nurse control? Probably not.

Would I be making a stretch by guessing that a lot of people who are in favor of gun control are also the type of people who would like to see the government take over the healthcare industry in this country? If unionized government workers were in charge of everyone's healthcare, you can be rest assured that the amount of deaths by medical mistakes per year would go up drastically. Those deaths would exceed the number of people who die every year by gunshot.

Far more people die every year due to car accidents. What type of of government intervention would you like to implement to reduce that number?

The right to bear arms is a right directly written into the constitution.

Why are people with histories of mental illness still out there buying guns? The answer is because some people have felt they had a right to privacy. A right that is not written into the constitution.

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So should America deny good folks the right to defend themselves with firearms in order to, hopefully, drive down the unfortunate usage of firearms? Alas, all this is just an academic thought. I cannot see America reforming its gun laws to any significant extent. So I suppose both sides of the argument will continue to shout at one another, never giving an inch.
The United States is large and vast country. Millions of people live in remote areas that are possibly 20 minutes or more from the nearest available police help.

What type of "reform" are you referring to? Is "reform" by your definition creating more restrictions than currently exist or allowing more honest citizens access to guns?

Define your version of "reform"?[/b]
Hmmm..., I think your analogies with health care and socialized medicine are a bit of stretch. To be clear, the gravity of the situation presented by the prevalence of guns in the wrong hands or are misused accidentally is a serious issue. This is why many countries have outlawed/restricted gun ownership. Is it of value for America to pursue a similar path? My answer is yes. Your answer is obviously no. And like I said, this topic rarely receives polite debate.

As for what reform I am might be suggesting, .. I am not suggesting anything in particular. There are people out there who can make proposals based on research and, hopefully, common sense. I'd rather hear what they have to say than suggest something inappropriate.

But as I said in my original posting, I think folks like yourself will continue to have your way ... more rather than less.

_Lazza