Should Guns Be Banned

In America, certain States are allowed to bear arms, it is in the American Constitution, it is their constitutional right. Now I am not an American citizen nor do I know much about American law and the very constitution the nation was founded upon, however I feel this is a very universal topic and I would like to get your views and opinions on the matter.

If an intruder, enters your home, in the dead of night, whilst you, your Wife or Husband and children sleep; should you have the right to use whatever force is necessary to protect your family and property? In my opinion, as a husband and father of three young children, and former member of the British Army, if anyone jeopardises my families safety I will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening. Should that involve killing a person... then so be it. They way I view this particular situation is, the individual intruding into my home should not be there and they have not been invited.



However, here in the UK, the intruder, nine times out of ten has the law on their side. There have been so many cases in this country where an intruder has been badly damaged whilst in the middle of burglary or trying to hurt another family member and not only has the intruder placed a claim for compensation, but the owner of the property has been charged with GBH, (Grievous Bodily Harm). Many individuals have called for a reform in our laws and some have even asked for the right to bear arms, but no government has stepped up to the plate and even so much as broached the subject never mind change it.

Currently in America, many feel that Barrack OBama and the men stood behind him pulling the strings, have helped orchestrate, terrible atrocities, such as Columbine and more recently the Denver cinema complex massacre, in order to push through legislation that will result in a total gun ban throughout America. States such as Chicago and New York already have gun bans in place and yet the level of gun crime has not receded.

The argument is this, if a gun ban is in place and no individual is by law permitted to own a gun, then the gun crime level will be reduced. However the type of individuals likely to commute a gun crime and not generally law biding citizens and will find a gun regardless. This individual will in turn have an easier time of killing people, knowing that he or she is less likely to meet resistance from a gun wielding citizen. For example, if you where of the mind set to burgle a property, would you do so to a property where you know you will be met by the owner of said property wielding a gun? Or would you go to the house where they have not guns?



So far I am with the group who feel it is their right to have weapons in their property of protection and perhaps legalised sport such as hunting. Before I move onto the next part of this argument I want to make it clear I have served with the British Army for 13 years and as an infantry soldier, am classified as a weapons expert, as all infantry soldiers in the British Army are.

My concern for legalising weapons in any form is this, I fully concur that it is not the gun, that is the dangerous party in all of this, it is the person using the weapon. But if an individual who owns a rifle rack in his home with all the legal protocol in place suddenly has a break down, from whatever pressures  and becomes severely mentally unstable, decides to lift a gun and either kill their family, or kill ordinary citizens in the street, what is the answer in this case. Or what happens if you have children in your house and they happen to get hold of a gun and an accident occurs, what happens in this situation. In both situations, I fully understand that other items can be used to devastating effect, but nothing in the domestic home can ever be as devastating or irreversible as a double barrel shotgun.



Personally I am split beyond belief on this matter. I am right behind any man or women who protects their home and family from the intruders of this world who feel they have a God given right to take whatever they want. To shoot someone in this manner, I have no sympathy for them whatsoever and would not lose a single nights sleep over doing it myself. However I keep coming back to the high risk and probability of mistakes being made with such a powerful weapon.

I would really love to hear from you if you have an opinion on this matter, perhaps you can sway me one way or the other, educate me one way or the other. I must stress that I am not saying one group or the other are wrong. I personally think it is a very serious debate and one that needs all involved to voice opinions and develop a solution.