Morganni Wrote:NRA VP blames video games and movies for violence. Thanks, I'm sure trotting out that old chestnut will help. (I'm pretty sure I've seen studies showing the opposite for *this* one too...)I saw the explosion from it on Twitter. What it seems to have come down to is a basic demand that, if it comes to a choice between eviscerating the First Amendment, versus merely weakening the Second, they're demanding that it be the First Amendment sacrificed on the altar of safety traded for rights. Or, in other words, try to pin the blame on anything and everything they can try to deflect it to.
I've kept track of some of the studies, since console video gaming is one of my hobbies (I collect old systems and games), and there are more than a few that, with everything else factored for, show that video game violence has little to no measurable effect on the relative aggression level of the player.
Do I believe that guns should be banned? No. In too many areas, that gun is your only defense against local non-human predators (I personally know of a couple that live in the mountains, there are bobcats and lynx up there). And in a number of other areas, sadly, because we wiped out the local predators, local human hunters are needed to be the population controls on a number of species.
Do I believe guns should be easily available? No. While a gun can be used responsibly, it is a dangerous tool overall, especially in the hands of someone who does not respect it as what it is. In terms of a gun, if you need something that can spray an area with 30+ rounds in order to actually hit a single target, a gun should not be your first choice for self defense, even against animals. I would definitely accept a "must absolutely be licensed, bonded, and insured" in order to own guns capable of that rate of fire or magazine capacity. I would certainly also accept "you can only own an assault rifle as a permanently demilled collector's piece" as a restriction. Handguns are a little trickier, but I would err on the side of caution because of the ease of carrying such concealed, specifically with licensing and "why do you need this again?"
With that said, would I like to fire an assault rifle for myself? Hells yes. But I would only do so under the controlled circumstances of an outdoor range, under the supervision of a professional firearms instructor, and it would definitely not be my weapon to take home with me afterwards.
I have fired a bolt action rifle, a semi-automatic rifle, and a revolver, in my time. Are they enjoyable? Yes. Are they something I'll be keeping around for myself? No. I don't hunt (although I have enjoyed the product from other people's hunts), I live in the city (so no need to protect myself from four legged predators), and as noted, I don't believe in their self defense usefulness with regards to other people (most of all my own non-violent hands).
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"You know how parents tell you everything's going to fine, but you know they're lying to make you feel better? Everything's going to be fine." - The Doctor