Gun Control

[TJ in Oregon]

I'm generally supportive of gun rights as long as we aren't trying to legalize something dumb like allowing guns to be brought into bars. I support gun rights even though I haven't shot a gun in years and even then I've only shot a .22 at boy scout camp. When I was growing up no one in my family had a gun, but my brother bought a handgun last year after getting mugged at his home in Toledo (and later getting it broken into). Since then, he's convinced my dad and uncle to take up shooting and my dad now has a rifle.

I feel kind of uncomfortable holding a gun and will probably never get one even though I live near some questionable neighborhoods myself. I don't want to have the ability to kill someone because I trust other people more than I trust myself when it comes to that sort of thing. All that being said, if someone (who isn't a convicted felon or mentally unstable) feels the need to have one to protect himself, then I feel he should be allowed to.

[TJ in Oregon]

I'm generally supportive of gun rights as long as we aren't trying to legalize something dumb like allowing guns to be brought into bars.

What, you mean in places like Virginia where the number of gun crimes in bars went down after they legalized concealed carry there?

It dropped by a whopping eight crimes. I was unable to find the number for previous years before the 153-to-145 decline everyone is reporting but I doubt it's stastically significant. My opposition here is four years' worth of watching falling down drunks make fools of themselves. I don't want to picture people in that state of mind with guns.

[TJ in Oregon]

We'll have to give it more time (and more states changing laws) to be able to determine this using statistics. A couple datapoints doesn't show much.

The government doesn't need to 'prove' why bringing guns into bars should or shouldn't be illegal; it just needs popular support for that point of view and a legislative majority to make that the law.

As for my personal position, until I see drunk people suddenly start acting responsible or we get a ton of data in agreement (at least 20 points) I will oppose changing this.

I would consider instead of banning guns in bars to just ban carrying a gun while under the influence of alcohol. If someone is in a bar and can blow under a .02, I'd be fine with letting them have a gun.