# Gun Owners - If the 2nd Amendment was repealed, would you willingly give up your guns? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 3, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330 "2015-12-03T18:07:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/41 "2015-12-03T23:11:06Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > If the 2nd were somehow repealed, that says nothing about state and local laws, and what they would still allow or disallow as a result. This. Most states have a right to bear arms clause in their state constitutions. In fact, most pro-gun court rulings have been based on a states constitution than ever has on the 2nd Amendment. ETA: I would not give up my guns. If things got really bad like a militant confiscation where soldiers went door to door I might give them some piece of shit rifle I had just to satisfy them into thinking I complied. But that’s it! ---
**Author:** ![pullin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c57346/32.png) [@pullin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pullin)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/42 "2015-12-03T23:27:34Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Guns? What guns? Beat me to it. Not all guns have records\*, therefore they must not exist. \*or so I’ve heard. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/43 "2015-12-03T23:39:58Z")
I ain’t giving up shit. Self-defense is a human right. Taking away the means for me to defend myself against those stronger or more numerous violates my rights. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/44 "2015-12-04T00:00:36Z")
I said yes under the assumption that you meant a repeal would immediately result in a ban. If not, I would wait until a ban was passed, and then I would obey the law. We are a nation of laws. I can’t pick the ones I want to obey and ignore the rest, even if I disagree with them. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/45 "2015-12-04T00:58:25Z")
Nope. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/46 "2015-12-04T01:03:36Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Interesting that many gun owners, who often cite the Second Commandment as the centerpiece of their philosophy, would apparently ignore its repeal, taking their guns illegally into hiding! Well first of all, repealing the 2nd Amendment wouldn’t mean _anything_ in and of itself - it would simply mean that the government can pass a subsequent law to outlaw the possession of guns (or whatever). Secondly, many gun owners (including me) believe they have a natural and inalienable right to keep and bear arms, and that the existence of this right is not dependent on anything the government does or doesn’t do. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/47 "2015-12-04T01:07:52Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > I said yes under the assumption that you meant a repeal would immediately result in a ban. If not, I would wait until a ban was passed, and then I would obey the law. > > We are a nation of laws. I can’t pick the ones I want to obey and ignore the rest, even if I disagree with them. Why not? The president ignores what he sees fit. Sanctuary cities etc. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/48 "2015-12-04T01:13:59Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > We are a nation of laws. I can’t pick the ones I want to obey and ignore the rest, even if I disagree with them. Not to start a debate, but are you saying Rosa Parks did a bad thing? ---
**Author:** ![scootergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e99b99/32.png) [@scootergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scootergirl)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/49 "2015-12-04T01:41:30Z")
I only own one, so far. No. I would not give it up. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/50 "2015-12-04T02:25:35Z")
Just a data point for discussion. The City of Los Angeles recently made the possession of any gun magazine larger than 10 rounds illegal. California law says you can’t sell guns with mags larger than 10 rounds, but preexisting magazines are legal. The city council wiped that out. All mags over 10 rounds needed to have one of the following done before 11/30/15 Turned into a police station Taken and stored outside of the city Sold to someone outside the city Want to take a guess of the number of magazines turned into the LAPD? Are you ready? Take a guess ZERO, ZIP, NADA, at each station for a grand total of NOT A SINGLE ONE Now I am sure that every single law abiding citizen in the City of Los Angeles either sold their mags outside the city or arranged for secure storage outside of the city. However I would not make a bet on the criminals doing the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Arrendajo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Arrendajo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrendajo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/51 "2015-12-04T02:33:41Z")
No. None of my firearms are registered, and I am generally pretty low-key about what I own. I do have a non-functioning Sears .22 rifle I would like to get rid of in a buy-back, though. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/52 "2015-12-04T03:06:11Z")
I went “no” although for me its less of an issue. Most of my firearms (including my handguns and cannon) are either pre-1898 or muzzleloaders and not legally classified as “guns” – more collectibles and/or curios. Mind you, all shoot and the ammo for most is easily available and I can kill you just as well but ----------- ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/53 "2015-12-04T03:35:31Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Thing is, your poll is pretty dumb, which explains people are instinctively trying to reframe it as an actual discussion. A rescue effort, if you will. Would you care to explain why you think it is dumb, or do you just resort to name calling when you have nothing else? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/54 "2015-12-04T03:38:40Z")
> [@septimus](#): > > Interesting that many gun owners, who often cite the Second Commandment as the centerpiece of their philosophy, would apparently ignore its repeal, taking their guns illegally into hiding! > > Some people make fun of gun nuts by referring sarcastically to that centerpiece as the “_God-given Second Commandment_.” But we see that the reality is as strange as the parody. This was why I made the poll. The funny thing is, my friend had just got done telling me didn’t care what the 1st Amendment said, flag burning should be illegal and those who burn a flag in protest deserve to be assaulted and jailed. When I asked about guns, she said “Well, I have the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms!” Not really sure I understood that train of thought. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/55 "2015-12-04T03:39:52Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I ain’t giving up shit. Self-defense is a human right. Taking away the means for me to defend myself against those stronger or more numerous violates my rights. So your answer, too, is “I don’t care what the Constitution says, I have the basic human right to own a gun”? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/56 "2015-12-04T03:42:40Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Well first of all, repealing the 2nd Amendment wouldn’t mean _anything_ in and of itself - it would simply mean that the government can pass a subsequent law to outlaw the possession of guns (or whatever). Secondly, many gun owners (including me) believe they have a natural and inalienable right to keep and bear arms, and that the existence of this right is not dependent on anything the government does or doesn’t do. Funny, I never hear this argument from gun owners. I simply always hear “I own guns because I’m exercising my 2nd Amendment rights” To be fair, I honestly never thought I would hear this point of view (Basic human right to own a gun, regardless of the Constitution), so I guess the poll, although apparently stupid in some people’s eyes, has caused me to learn something. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/57 "2015-12-04T04:55:57Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I ain’t giving up shit. Self-defense is a human right. Taking away the means for me to defend myself against those stronger or more numerous violates my rights. You do understand that the converse of this right? ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/58 "2015-12-04T05:09:37Z")
> [@Slash1972](#): > > Funny, I never hear this argument from gun owners. I simply always hear “I own guns because I’m exercising my 2nd Amendment rights” > > To be fair, I honestly never thought I would hear this point of view (Basic human right to own a gun, regardless of the Constitution), so I guess the poll, although apparently stupid in some people’s eyes, has caused me to learn something. The argument can be shortcutted because it is true - the 2nd amendment moots the need for many other arguments. There is no need to elaborate further. It’s equivalent to, “because I can, mind your own business”. After that, there are state level constitutional protections, then legislative protections, then common law protections. But even Heller (have you read it?) recognized that the 2nd amendment merely codified a pre-existing right. If you have any interest in the issue of firearms in the US, it behooves you to read the most controlling legal opinion on the matter. ---
**Author:** ![pilot141](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e0b2c6/32.png) [@pilot141](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pilot141)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/59 "2015-12-04T07:04:40Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > How is it strange? > > If there were no first amendment, would you still consider yourself to have the right of free speech? Why? Don’t you believe that the right of free speech is created by the first amendment? If it were repealed, would you stop speaking freely? Would you stop practicing your religion? The second amendment codifies the protection of a pre-existing human right, just as the first amendment does. > > Almost all of your misconceptions of what people who believe in gun rights are stem from this fact: We believe it to be a fundamental human right, to have access to the tools of self defense. You disagree and don’t believe that to be a fundamental human right. But instead of simply acknowledging this difference in values, you have to exaggerate your position by pretending everyone who believes in gun rights is insane, random, capricious, clueless, moronic, and inconsistent. It’s all bullshit circle jerking to make yourself feel superior to those hated “gun nuts”, not an accurate assessment of the differences in philosophy. This man speaks the truth, and the fact that you the OP ignore him verifies that. You should be able to intellectually argue the repeal of any amendment. And my response would be the same - NO. The Constitution does not give rights - it enshrines them in law. They already exist for a free people. Repeal the first amendment? Up yours, I’m starting a newspaper. It is my right. Repeal the second amendment? Up yours, I am buying or making anything I can to defend myself. It is my right. So, as to your poll - NO. No government can simply declare my right to self defense as invalid. So I would never give up any of the weapons that I might or might not own. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2015, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330/60 "2015-12-04T13:28:45Z")
> [@pilot141](#): > > This man speaks the truth, and the fact that you the OP ignore him verifies that. > > You should be able to intellectually argue the repeal of any amendment. And my response would be the same - NO. The Constitution does not give rights - it enshrines them in law. They already exist for a free people. > > Repeal the first amendment? Up yours, I’m starting a newspaper. It is my right. > > Repeal the second amendment? Up yours, I am buying or making anything I can to defend myself. It is my right. > > So, as to your poll - NO. No government can simply declare my right to self defense as invalid. So I would never give up any of the weapons that I might or might not own. Sorry, but I’m not ignoring anything. This wasn’t meant to be a debate, hence the reason it is in THIS forum and not Great Debates. I’m not interested in debating gun laws, use of guns, ownership of guns, or whatever. It’s a simple poll. Not sure why a lot of you are repeatedly trying to make analogies to other amendments, or saying this poll is stupid, or consistently trying to find “loopholes” in the poll for whatever reason, although I do notice it is mostly gun-owners who are doing that. Maybe that says something as well. As I said, in all the arguments about gun-control and gun laws, I’ve never heard anything but “It’s my 2nd Amendment right to own a gun” as the reasoning behind someone owning a gun. Maybe I haven’t seen enough news reports or opinion pieces or whatever. I’ve honestly never heard the opinion that it was a “God given right for me to own a gun” And truthfully, even in this thread I’ve only heard “My right to defend myself” which is fine, but I’m sure there are other ways to defend yourself besides guns. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gun-owners-if-the-2nd-amendment-was-repealed-would-you-willingly-give-up-your-guns/739330.md?page=4)