Reply #11: I don't necessarily want anybody to have a gun.

[rrneck]

Where did you get that idea?

I suggest you give some consideration to the disparity of force between everyday folks and others who prey on people for a living. Lets flog that mathematical metaphor some more.

On the one hand we have a ninety pound mother of two vs. a 190 pound rapist armed with a pistol. That's a very wide disparity of force.

Now, lets take the gun away from our rapist and give him a knife. The mother of two will still lose in any confrontation with the rapist because of the still very wide disparity of force.

Okay, lets disarm the rapist entirely. The mother of two still won't have a chance. He will be able to beat her to a pulp.

Now I guess you know what's coming next. Give the mother of two a handgun and the disparity of force will be narrowed considerably. It will not be equalized, that's impossible. And since firearms can be very dangerous she must use care since accidents can happen. But at least she will have a chance.

You seem an eloquent fellow. How would you explain how not having an effective means of self defense would be a good thing to the friends and family of someone who died for its lack? Type it up. I'd like to read it.

Innocents die every day from bullet wounds, sometimes because of negligence, other times from malice. Just making the guns go away is not an adequate solution.