20 Questions

Japete recently asked gun rights advocates to play 20 questions. Here are my responses to her questions:

1. I do not believe it should be legal for convicted criminals to purchase guns. I do not think it should be think it should be a legal requirement to provide the government with information on gun purchases or ownership unless the government is barred from using that information against the person providing it. I do not have a problem with an easily and freely accessible database of prohibited buyers.
2. I think that a listing of those persons stripped of their right to arms by the courts could be maintained and could be made freely available. Citizens who have not have their right removed though the courts should not be included.
3. I do not believe a process that only verifies that I have not had my right remove is a violation of my second amendment right but I do think it is a violation of my fifth amendment rights if information is collected about me during a background check or gun purchases.
4. I believe that many weapons that should be available to citizens are not (which IMO is any weapon having a legitimate military, self defense, or utility use) and I don’t see any logical point where the prohibition of weapons will stop short of total disarmament.
5. I think the logical path to disarmament is slowly restricting the types of weapons available and possibility requiring a registration likely ostensibly for the purpose of “keeping guns out of the hands of criminals”. The desire of most people to follow the law will do most of the disarmament work if guns are prohibited. But if the location of firearms is know there are several forcible remedies available to the government to deal with dissenters.
6. In specific I would disagree with any violence but in general I think the the right to revolution is justly held by all people.
7. I don't think violence is an acceptable remedy for any kind of speech other than speech as a part of a crime. But some actions such as restricting freedom of speech are acceptable causes for violent opposition.
8. I strongly believe it should be legal but I don't think in general it is conductive to discussion or understanding.
9. If I believed someone was intentionally misrepresenting the facts or ignoring contravening information I think confrontation on that basis is good in person or otherwise. I do not think pejoratives are acceptable but less so in person than on the internet.
10. I do not think that I personally will actually lose the right bear to arms. I do think that it is entirely possible that laws could be enacted to that effect though.
11. I think that current gun laws are overly restrictive on the types of weapons ownable and importable. I do think that in general existent gun laws are enforced as well as any other type of laws if not better.
12. I think that most people are careful with guns and other dangerous things. But in any situation or with any tool some people are going to act stupidly which is regrettable but acceptable to me and I think unavoidable. I do think that many people would shoot someone threatening them or others and I think that is a good thing.
13. I don't think that guns cause suicide and that the category of “gun deaths” is not internally consistent. I personally support an individual right to life and right to control that life including ending it. Thus I don’t think suicides ought to be blamed on the means (guns here) which I think is the point of a gun deaths statistic.
14. I believe accidental injuries and deaths from guns is an important statistic more important and useful that the aggregate number of gun deaths. It is really the only real measure of the life and limb cost of gun ownership since while other forms gun death would shift to other means this category would likely not.
15. Do you mean intentionally pulling the trigger or mechanically operating the trigger? I think guns can fire without the user intending them to. I do not believe that modern firearms in good repair will not fire without the mechanical operation of the trigger.
16. No. I do think that there are to many murders but I don't particularity care what method is used. I think that suicides aren’t caused by guns and that the are among the most human methods available to most people. Also some level of accidental death has to be tolerated (but hopefully minimized) with any activity people are free to engage in.
17. I will continue to educate my relatives and friends in the proper handling of and regard for firearms. I support an end to drug prohibition. I support community growth and support.
18. I do not doubt that the stories you present are real and tragic. I do not think that gun prohibition is the best response to these tragedies. Many stories do call for a response but I think that gun prohibition is the wrong one both from an ideological and a practical perspective.
19. I don't think the ATF is a sinister government agent of oppression just a mundane one. I do think it is an unnecessary and that most of its function could be better preformed by other agencies and that it should be abolished on that basis.
20. It is hard to know what sort of end this could lead to but I have a lot of fun with discussions seeing people present their positions so even if that is all this leads to I am for it.