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Debate Score:27
Arguments:32
Total Votes:27
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 Gun Laws (24)

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outlaw60(15368) pic



Gun Laws

Can government ever control private sales of firearms ?

Better yet can government even enforce it ?
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The legal sale of firearms can of course be controlled by government as is the case in most civilized nations. Firstly the wanna be Wyatt Earp or Rambo applies for a licence to purchase a firearm. The applicant would then have to answer a series of searching questions including, the reason for wanting to own a lethal weapon, where it would be used and stored before being subjected to stringent psychological profiling and criminality background checks. If successful, the applicant would be issued with a firearm along with a limited and recorded quantity of ammunition. The weapon and it's ammunition would have to presented at set frequencies to a specialized inspection depot. Failure to meet the inspection criteria on which the firearm was issued should result in the weapon and the licence being withdrawn. Of course the control of illegal firearms being sold to criminals and maniacs would be more difficult, but such measures would reduce the number of guns in circulation with the corresponding decrease in the risk of the mass murder atrocities which has been plaguing America for many years.

outlaw60(15368) Disputed
1 point

So can government control private sales of firearms ?

Show me how they can enforce this.

1 point

If you give them way more power than they have now the American government can control it.

He already answered your question. Your illiteracy is getting in the way.

Winklepicker(1021) Clarified
1 point

I'm really disappointed that you appear to need everything explained in kindergarten terms. Although I had a legally held personal protection weapon,(P.P.W.) for 12 years or so I'm no firearms expert. I live in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, where, in keeping with the rest of the U.K, only a selected number of approved outlets are permitted to sell guns, usually shops specializing in goods such as fishing tackle, and other sporting items including hunting rifles and shot guns. I don't know about America but throughout Europe the sale of firearms is subjected to heavy regulations and strict monitoring. No firearm is sold to anyone without a government issued licence. If a retailer did so the proprietor would be prosecuted and if found guilty would receive a mandatory prison sentence as well as having his firearms sales licence withdrawn permanently. I have never known a case where the firearms retailer once flouted the law. I haven't a clue how the authorities administer the strict control governing the sale and legal possession of firearms, but it works. Maybe you guys can pop into your local off licence for a bottle of whiskey and a .38 Smith & Weston, or the local drug store for a packet of aspirin and an AK 47 but not here. Once again it's a case of ''Only in America''. Yes sirree Bob you guys like your guns and refuse to accept that common sense restrictions on their sale would save lives and I know that I'm certainly not going to change anyone's mind.

Do you mean control all private sales of firearms? Because by nature of current regulations, they have clearly demonstrated they can control some private sales of firearms.

outlaw60(15368) Disputed
1 point

Yep all private sales of firearms. How might they control some private sales ? In what way will government ever know of any private sales of firearms ?

No way government will ever know nor can government ever stop it.

GenericName(3430) Clarified
2 points

You may wish to clarify that in your debate topic then. Of course the government can never control or regulate all private sales of anything. I don't think even the staunchest of gun control advocates claims otherwise.

As for how they might control some private sales, the establishment of laws which many if not most adhere to is evidence that they can regulate some.

Now before responding, remember that I am opposed to the majority of gun control regulations that the Left proposes and am a strong supporter of the right to bear arms.

1 point

A federal government powerful enough to take away our constitutional rights and freedoms, is a government the founders set out to prevent. No one even knows how many hundreds of millions of guns are in this country. By what means other than tyranny against our freedom, would such control be created. NONE is the answer.

If gun control legislation was introduced the first measure would be to offer an amnesty to all those who possess firearms illegally, most of whom would undoubtedly qualify for a licence. That would reduce, not eliminate, but in my opinion, substantially reduce the number of guns in circulation. Then all firearms manufactured in the U.S, along with all weapons imported into Country would have to be registered showing the manufacturer, the model, it's full specification and serial number, this probably is already happening. The wholesaler would be required by law to maintain for inspection the details of all sales made to retailers, who in turn would keep records of all weapons sold to the general public along with their address and firearm licence details. Licence holders would be required by law to renew their firearm certification every three years, advise the appropriate authority of any change of address or medical condition. This is not the banning of firearms, but is a common sense approach to regulate their sale to those deemed by experts to be suitable individuals to be in charge of a lethal weapon. If we follow some arguments to their logical conclusion then we're being asked to believe that America's founding Fathers would support the provision of any type of weapon to a multi personality schizophrenic psychopath with a criminal record for shooting children. If it is argued that such a 'nut job' shouldn't be issued with a firearm licence and denied ownership of a weapon then you are already going down the road of government regulating the sale and ownership of guns. I rest my case.

1 point

 any type of weapon to a multi personality schizophrenic psychopath with a criminal record for shooting children

We already stop the guy with a criminal record, we don't stop the schizophrenic. The reason why gun owners are against this is because of where we will draw the line at mental problems. What kind of mental problems should be banned from having guns?

Winklepicker(1021) Clarified
1 point

Insofar that most people, including me, have some form of mental illness at one time or other in their lives I can see the dilemma which this could pose to the legislators. Such decisions would be best left to dedicated teams of specialist psychiatrists and psychologists who would know what to look for. In the U.K, 'positive vetting'' where the friends and associates of the firearm applicants are confidentially contacted and asked to divulge any information which they may consider render the applicant unsuitable. There have been a significant number of instances in the U.S. and in Europe where the friends and/or colleagues of mass murderers give accounts of the perpetrator making threats and generally behaving out of character. One important question would be, why do you wish to own a firearm? My personal opinion is that if the applicant has no practical or commercial reason to possess a gun then they should not be issued with a licence. Farmers need shot guns to control vermin and crop destroying pests, others may be members of gun clubs and compete in target shooting. I can't provide a full list of all the categories of people who would/should qualify for a licence but I feel that the gun question is a numbers game, the more guns which can be withdrawn from society the less chance there is of such horrific incidents which occurred today when an eight year old child shot dead a young girl of a similar age because she wouldn't him see her puppy dog.