That's a much better argument than the "IT COULD SAVE ONE LIFE" argument, yes. Repealing the 2nd amendment is also a much better argument than "gun control", people are just justifiably worried about what that could lead.

From a pragmatic standpoint, ending the drug war would be far more effective towards the end goal(SAVING LIVES), involves restoring liberty not restricting it and is more politically viable while saving taxpayers billions of dollars.

drugs aside, what about the fact that fewer guns = fewer people get shot

Well, I entirely disagree that heroin is produced with no other purpose than to injure/harm. It's pretty clear that's patently false. The physical harm is a byproduct.

So you think all the criminals guns are going to turn themselves in?

People may be predatory in their production and dealing of heroin, and the status quo may make it harmful, but LOL @ saying it's designed to harm. It's specifically designed to relieve.

not all of them, but quite a lot if you incentivise it properly

I cant tell if ikes is arguing that drugs like heroin should be banned or legal bc the last post made it sound like the former which is inconsistent with him also wanting to end the war on drugs which is associated with making drugs illegal and prosecuting people who violate the law.

A pretty great tedtalks video on the roots of addiction, would highly recommend watching for anyone curious about addictions

I think he's somehow trying to conflate the argument for legalization of drugs with the argument for legalization of firearms.

I can respect that. I too am very FEEL driven. Just trying to offer you some advice as someone who has made plenty of mistakes by not thinking things all the way through. You're probably a much more brave person than I and one way you could demonstrate that is to overcome that fear that you know deep down is unwarranted.

Nobody here seems to be arguing that ending the drug war is a good thing and shouldnt be a high priority. The drug war is WOAT.

It doesn't change the fact that we can do that and still make it harder for people to get guns.

Yes I do.

Repealing the 2nd amendment would be great, but we're not going to get close to doing that without a bunch of baby steps first.

Could easily take away certain types of guns while not technically infringing people's 2nd amendment rights.

Much easier to go from A to B to C to D etc than A to Z when Z=2nd Amendment being repealed.

Easier and better are not synonymous though. Just rip the band aid off and repeal the 2nd Amendment. It is the best course of action whether or not people like it. The amendment was written by people in a different era for a completely different world where people were at much more risk of having to deal with armed battles or wars on our soil, ground intrusions from invading forces, threats from local indigenous populations that they had forced off the land, and where an armed militia was a very relevant idea.

I don't disagree with you, but it will never happen that way. Gotta start small.

I've had enough. I was planning on voting Republican in the election because I believe in their fiscal policy but the stuff that has come out of their mouths in the past few weeks has been so abhorrent and I am likely switching my vote.

Which of the Republican economic plans, which are all essentially "massively cut taxes for the rich, and fill in the budget shortfall with magic" did you find sensible?

I mean, if either party can fill a budget shortfall with magic then that is definitely better than any economic plan I have ever seen.

Yes, there should be much higher bars to jump over before taking people's right to life than when we're restoring rights to people's toy collections. C'mon, man.




The purpose for private sellers to have this loophole was to not inhibit the business of gun shows because it was against #FREEDOM to have these merchants better licensed and regulated.

Lotta good that's done.

I won't speak for Biesterfield but I feel the same way as him. I'm speaking in general terms, it's not like I've deeply reviewed the specific plans that anybody is putting forward - but I know enough about the general fiscal policies about the main candidates to have a good idea where they are (likely) coming from.

meaning I have no idea what Bernie's specific plan is, but I do know he's in general so far left wrt fiscal policy that I'm not going to like it. even Hillary, who (for example) is in favor of raising taxes to help pay for people to have kids - fiscally I'm more towards the right than she is.

Fiscal policy has gone pretty well. This could be the first time since Nixon resigned that a president isn't handing over a financial disaster.

Sure, Bush had a surplus, but the tech bubble was being replaced with a housing bubble, so that was a time bomb being handed over.

For all of the talk, the Obama Administration hasn't engaged in relatively crazy spending and the loose Fed money has not looked to have caused the Zimbabwean inflation everyone in 2008-09 said. LOL Peter Schiff and Ron Paul.

Oh, I grant that Republican rhetoric and branding on fiscal matters feels better to a lot of people, but I have no idea why people still believe it based on history and what they actually propose or execute.

Even this wouldn't accomplish what people in favor of it would want it to. If you could somehow get it repealed (and you couldn't) you'd immediately see red states scrambling to enact their own versions of it because STATES RIGHTS and FREEDOM

You'd have to pass an amendment banning gun ownership to affect anything close to meaningful change

So you want superficial changes that don't really change things other than support political interests and agendas rather than practical solutions that significantly make a difference? All while giving the government more money and control?

This is why people say it's knee jerk, people are using a terrorist attack to justify removing citizens' rights without due process. That's scary. If people reacted this way every time there were deaths related to the drug war and spoke out against the drug war this way, we would be a freer country with much less gun violence and gun deaths, but people would rather point to the "scumbag" wipers of our country and tell them they are part of the problem. Have we already forgotten how awful the Patriot Act is?

which would be good, but it should go beyond ownership to possession. should ban ammo possession as well.