Political Crossfire Forums

Dylan and I touched on this briefly in another thread but it seems that any significant gun control measure will run afoul of the second amendment, especially in light of Scalia's majority decision in DC v Heller. I'm not even sure something like the assault weapons ban would stand up under the current interpretation of the amendment. So this presents a pretty significant issue in order to get any major gun control legislation on the books it seems like we'd have to revisit, repeal, or amend the constitution.

I'd be very reluctant to do so. Frankly I'm a gun nut. I think that a population's right to personal self-defense, from other individuals and even from their own state, is a pretty important one. Now do I expect the people of the United States will have to exercise their 2nd Amendment right against our own state any time soon? no. But I fear that once such rights are given up they're never coming back.

Perhaps a compromise could be reached where we structure our gun law more like they have in states such as Switzerland?

For those of you that think the amendment should be revisited what, if anything, would you put in its' place?

I personally have no easy answer myself, nor would I claim to have enough legal expertise to propose one.

That said, some type of solution or compromise needs to be found in this country to reduce the level of fear that appears to permeate every strata. When even your law enforcement feels to need to parade itself around like they are about take down Bin Laden, then something appears really out of whack. I think a lot less firearms would be helpful personally. While that wouldn't solve the problem it might be a good starting point, for it seems to me that less weapons everywhere might require people (civilians and law enforcement alike) to deal with situations without such finality.

I also like unicorns.

No, I simply haven't been convinced that there is a problem that limiting the second amendment would solve. The problem is illegal guns and crazy people, not legal guns and sane citizens.

It is a knee-jerk reaction, not a well thought out solution.

most of the massacres committed in the US were by insane people and legal guns. so you're just misinformed here.

to be fair that's irrelevant.

Crazy people, illegal guns

definitely relevant