The Second Amendment: The Right to Kill?

Wade - The sole purpose of alcohol is not to kill people. Sure, if abused, alcohol can lead to death, but it has other purposes - tastes good, relaxes people, etc. The sole purpose of a handgun is to kill people - that's the only reason for its existence. You don't hunt deer with a handgun. The only reason you would need one to defend your home is because the person who is threatening you has a gun himself. I agree this is a complex issue, moreso than I can address in a chit chat, and I agree that the fault does lie with the perpetrator. But without that inanimate object in his hand, he would have a much harder time killing. The only reason we need guns (besides hunting) is to protect ourselves from other guns. I would be up for continuing this conversation, but not with false analogies, i.e. alcohol. A laptop in my hand could kill someone if I wanted to, but a laptop was not built for killing - there's a difference. Thanks for commenting.

Would we be safer if we outlawed handguns? Possibly. But is that the real reason those of you who wish to ban them do so? Think about it. Now, do you find that question absurd? If so, then would you like to also outlaw alcohol? I bet that would save even more lives. Do you find my analogy to be ridiculous? Why? Do you claim that you drink responsibly and should not be punished because others don't? Most gun owners handle guns responsibly. Do you wish to argue that there is no rational use for handguns? Do you wish to argue that there is a rational use for alcohol, the soul purpose of which is to dim the rationale of the user? My purpose here is not to rail against those who drink alcohol. But even though I probably stand more chance of being killed by a drunk driver than you do by somebody's handgun, I strongly support your right to drink. To the extent we blame crime on inanimate objects we remove the blame from where it justly belongs, upon the perpetrator.

I'm more shocked by a Democratic presidential candidate promoting their personal gun savvy to pander to Pennsylvania voters. I understand Kiddo's position but the likelihood of a foreign army invading the U.S. and a citizen's need for a handgun to defend against it is pretty remote. Getting guns out of the hands of deranged people is a tall order. I'm afraid the genie is out of the bottle.

Well, this is a touchy subject. Eliminate the criminal element from possessing firearms, then I would say the American public didn't need self protection... but one cannot! I, myself, don't have any guns. Hell, I haven't fired a rifle or pistol in over 25 years. I had my fill of'em in Central America in the early '80s... and of their ultimate, final result. I don't need that kind of protection, anymore. Death and I are old friends...I don't fear the inevitable. When it's your time to meet the Maker, that's one date you can't delay.

No. Like the saying guns, "Guns don't kill people, people kill people." There should be regulations and controls put on it but the cool thing about our constitution is that it gives us the right to protect ourselves, not just hunt. When a man breaks into your home and tries to harm your family, you would wish you had that handgun. If a foreign army comes on our soil, you'll be glad that you have the means to protect yourself, or at least had the opportunity to but didn't take it. There are so many arguments both ways, and I just urge you to consider both sides. And instead of saying handguns are wrong, what about how we could make possessing them safer for everyone.

I am shocked and disgusted. It seems to defy all logic, and to be downright stupid, immoral and antisocial. I don't know how many times we have to suffer through newscasts of street shootings, college shooting rampages, etc., before these idiotic politicians and judges get the point.

I continue to be frustrated by the support of this amendment. In DC where the majority of homicides are by handgun they're wrestling with this issue right now. Let's hope some rational thinking will finally be brought to the issue.

Absolutely. The days of the Revolutionary War and later the wild wild west are over. How many more reports of mass murderers shooting up schools do we need to hear before we wake up? How many more incidences like the murder of School President Eve Carson at UNC do we need to hear about? This comes from another southernor who has "proud hunters" in her family. I ask all card-carrying members of the NRA this: Do you feel the country is safe for your children? Will the guns in your house protect your daughters and sons in elementary schools or college campuses across America? Will tighter restrictions to purchase guns affect your hunting season? Across Europe editorials are being written comparing America to Rome--the Fall of Rome. Our insanity isn't lead in pottery, but the prevalence of guns on every street corner. It's making it hard for me to come back home with a clear conscience. Enough is enough.