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Old 03-11-2018, 12:44 AM   #23 (permalink)
redpoint5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf View Post
Yeah, then your "intelligent" driverless vehicle navigation does something like this Cars stranded on Dog Valley Road when Google Maps suggests alternate route to I-80 | KRNV and you freeze to death in the snow.
Sure, there will be tragic scenarios where technology is the cause of harm rather than the cause of safety, but these will obviously be less common than no autonomous systems at all.

I won't let my imagination of worst case scenarios prevent me from moving forward in life.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Xist View Post
As I recall, Mythbusters decided that if you brought a knife to a gun fight, but are within twenty feet, you have the advantage, although that must be situational.
I can think of little else I'd rather have in close quarters with a single attacker than a baseball bat. The kinetic energy of a typical person with a bat is greater than a bullet from a typical handgun, and hitting someone just about anywhere would stun, if not incapacitate them.

Quote:
...I do not understand what arguments against closing gaps in background checks might be, but I also do not understand what arguments might be in favor of the NRA. It seems like they are only concerned with profit.
The NRA is a 501c3 nonprofit organization. I've yet to hear specific compelling criticism of the NRA (although I'm sure there are some). They have historically been advocates for both gun ownership and laws restricting certain types of guns and accessories, and for restricting guns for criminals and the mentally unstable. Most recently the focus of their resources goes towards advocating 2nd amendment rights by way of political lobbying. They have supported both Republicans and Democrats, and have worked with the ACLU. In addition, they support gun education and training.

Having said that, most people, including myself, support background checks. I think this should go a step further and require a license that shows the person has demonstrated proficient gun handling and knows best practices for storing firearms. This would be similar to how the DMV licenses drivers by requiring a certain level of proficiency and administering a written test. I haven't fully committed to this idea yet considering I'm an advocate of responsible gun ownership and opponent of the nanny state.

Quote:
...supposedly, responsible gun owners keep their guns in a safe, but when burglars break in with the intention of murdering your family, your guns are in a safe, so you will be unable to use them to defend your family.

Point taken, but how long would it take for the police to arrive?
Firearms aren't just for personal protection, they are also for recreation. Besides all that, the 2nd amendment says nothing of protecting the individual, but instead says that armed citizens are "necessary to the security of the free state". It says nothing of protecting the individual because that right is so plainly self-evident.

Quote:
The Second Amendment was based partially on the right to keep and bear arms in English common law and was influenced by the English Bill of Rights of 1689. Sir William Blackstone described this right as an auxiliary right, supporting the natural rights of self-defense and resistance to oppression, and the civic duty to act in concert in defense of the state.

While both James Monroe and John Adams supported the Constitution being ratified, its most influential framer was James Madison. In Federalist No. 46, he confidently contrasted the federal government of the United States to the European kingdoms, which he contemptuously described as "afraid to trust the people with arms." He assured his fellow citizens that they need never fear their government because of "the advantage of being armed"
Quote:
...I think it was the Guardian page that had statistics stating that guns were involved in thirty-two times as many murders as justifiable homicides.
The main advantage of gun ownership for self defense is in providing the means to resist attack. How likely is it for a criminal to continue menacing someone after being confronted by a gun? Most will not insist on being shot before they change their behavior. The number of justifiable homicides vs murders is a meaningless comparison, and every death is a tragedy.
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Last edited by redpoint5; 03-11-2018 at 03:54 AM..
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