I'm sure I have your attention now...controversy! Yay! I don't really like controversy, but I do like to have an opinion on things and I was raised to share - what can I say...so, right into it, shall we dive?:
*splash*
How will open carry law make guns more accessible? The latter part of that sentence seems to be an argument of people against open carry. (BTW, we need catchy nicknames for both sides of this debate...) If you're a criminal and you want a gun, you have one. If you're a crazy and you want a gun, you have one. If you're a normal person who wants a gun for protection only, you have one. It seems to me the only difference with open carry is that the "cards are on the table," if you so desire, but you can still conceal if you wish.
As I was writing this, I realized how similar this issue is to abortion. Many Pro-Choicers say that a choice doesn't mean a decision. Just because they want the option of an abortion, doesn't mean they will abort if they get pregnant. Isn't this kind of the same logic as the open carry law? Just because people have a choice to open carry, doesn't mean they will.
You can even extend this into voting. Every citizen of the US has the right to vote (except for felons and the like, as someone just pointed out to me)...but do they? Of course not. After a quick glance over some sites my ol' bud Google suggested, it doesn't seem federal voter participation has ever been over 70% (Tops out at 60-something, actually). And lately it's been around 50%. AND we're talking federal...state and local numbers are even more dismal.
Generally speaking, more Republicans/Conservatives favor open carry laws, more Democrats/Liberals favor Pro-Choice, and yet both support voting (duh). Can each side just concede the logic in these small statements? Just these statements, not the issues at hand...there are way more points to these issues that I clearly didn't bring up...and that was on purpose. I'm just asking that you don't try to refute an issue with illogic. Open carry will not make guns more readily available. Pro-Choice does not mean you will abort all pregnancies. And just because you have the right to vote, doesn't mean you will.
I don't think the main logic in any of those arguments has anything to do with whether everyone will or will not exercise those rights. It is based on whether or not those issues (carrying a gun, aborting a baby, voting) are fundamental rights (withheld only for reasons which other basic rights are withheld).
ReplyDelete;-)
I know those aren't the main arguments, but main arguments need logical statements to back them, so I was just saying that everyone needs sound facts to back their opinions. Not just the first article they found online to support their point. :-) Thanks for commenting. It felt like everyone was staying away from this one like the plague...ha. I didn't want to get into a "who supports which issues" discussion...just wanting everyone to think about how they support their decisions.
ReplyDelete:-) Okay, I see what you mean. I cringe quite a bit when I hear people supporting an issue that I support with stupid/untrue/illogical statements. Of course, another thing I see people doing is using people's stupid statements to "prove" that the issue those people are supporting is wrong. Still doesn't work. Stupid people will always be on both sides of the argument. It always goes back to whether or not that issue is right or wrong fundamentally and not based on the quality of its supporters.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you posted.