Poll: Guns and Abortion

In My Humble Opinion
61

unclivny, i live in a country of 5 million people which has about 20 (if that) gun related deaths a year.

shootings (such as they are) are the preserve of paramilitary organisations and drug dealers.

so, as a law abiding citizen, i’m not likely to get shot.

muggers and burglars here do not routinely carry guns.

so we don’t need them for protection.

get me?

and i SAID that i understand that it doesn’t apply to the states.

so you can keep your guns, as far as i’m concerned, just know that you won’t need them if you move here.

62

BC
And what Irishgirl said. Uncleviny, you need to look at the stats.

63

Why not? Wouldn’t an armed mugger be a more successful mugger? This sounds pretty fanciful to me.

64

Because guns are difficult to come by unless you’re a paramilitary or a gangster. The weapon of choice in Dublin used to be a blood-filled syringe.

Anyway, “fanciful” or not, can you accept that we know what we’re talking about?

65

B

C

66

C (actually I would like to see ‘shall not be infringed’)

A

67

I agree that the poll started flawed.

I say D to both.

68

I’ll take option D on the first question: A rollback to nearly completely unrestricted access by all americans who are not convicted of a severe violent crime (severe meaning not somebody who got in a fistfight. I mean armed robbery, murder, etc), or are incapable of self-control to the degree that they are clearly a danger to society (again, severe. Not somebody diagnosed with depression or ADD).

On the second question, I have to impose an option D also: Abortions allowed only in cases of rape, incest, or imminent danger to the mother’s life. Aside from those options, it would not be allowed. The reason is that it’s not only your body that is affected - there is a baby involved as well.
Barring that, then I would remove the double standard: If the baby isn’t a human when you want to kill it, then it isn’t a human when a pregnant woman is killed by a mugger or hit by a car, either. If you want to have the double-murder charge for the pregnant woman, then it’s a murder when you get the abortion. You can’t have it both ways.

69

B & B
Partial birth abortion?
Is that legal and being carried out at the present time?

70

cc

71

I like this poll. I have always felt like something of an ideological orphan, as I am (broadly speaking) in favor of abortion rights, and also gun rights. Nice to see I’m not alone, although unfortunately it seems that most politicians in this country are in favor of one, but against the other.

Anyway, on guns I am a D. On abortion, I’d have to say B, because I can’t bring myself to object to laws against “partial birth” abortion and other kinds of post-viability abortions, even though I feel that many of these laws are flawed.

Irishgirl: I don’t want to perpetuate a debate in a forum where that would not be appropriate. However, I am curious to know, how does the unified rate of violent crime (i.e. both gun-related and non-gun-related) where you live compare to similar places in the US with lax gun control laws? I’d be interested to know, if you were aware of any such statistics.

72

Here’s a country-by-country comparison done by the British Home Office (pdf). Here’s one from New Zealand.

73

"D" on the gun question. We need to eliminate 99.9% of the 20,000+ gun control laws currently on the books. As others have stated, keep your slimly hands off my guns…

"A" on the abortion question. Abortion is murder IMO. Last I checked, murder was illegal. Therefore, I believe all abortion should be illegal just as all murder is illegal. Simple logic.

74

jjimm, my hero!
thank you so much for the links, i think they support our statements quite nicely.

75

irishgirl,
bombs, blood filled syringes or whatever i would still be uncomfortable unarmed.

unclviny

76

irishgirl,
you are right, if someone shot me, that would be terrible but being stuck with a blood filled syringe would be just like a lovely bike ride in the park, no thanks, i prefer to be responsible for my own safety (excuse me mr. blood filled syringe man, would you mind waiting for a few minutes while i call the police, of course it might take them 20 or 30 minutes to get here, how about joining me for a lovely cup of coffee?). when the excrement impacts the oscillating rotator you can dial 911 or .357, pick one.

unclviny

unclviny

77

irishgirl,
you are right, if someone shot me, that would be terrible but being stuck with a blood filled syringe would be just like a lovely bike ride in the park, no thanks, i prefer to be responsible for my own safety (excuse me mr. blood filled syringe man, would you mind waiting for a few minutes while i call the police, of course it might take them 20 or 30 minutes to get here, how about joining me for a lovely cup of coffee?). when the excrement impacts the oscillating rotator you can dial 911 or .357, pick one.

unclviny

unclviny

78

unclviny, I can understand your insecurity, but I’m also happy that people aren’t walking round my city with guns. You’re not worried because you have a gun; I’m not worried because I don’t feel insecure. If you lived here you might understand our point of view. I kind of understand yours (I lived in Houston for 3 years), and while I think the US is a very different case from Europe - due to the entrenched proliferation of weaponry - I still don’t agree with it.

But I don’t think we’re going to come to any concensus, so let’s just leave it.

79

My original vote: C & A

Revised vote: D & A

80

I’m pro-choice. I think there are far too many abortions and too little birth control. I’ve never had one. I don’t think abortion would be my “choice.” But if you want one…

And that sums up my views on guns as well. There are far too many guns. I don’t own one. I don’t think owning one would be my “choice” But if you want one…