Firearms

[XLGibbs]

I think that is an extremely valid point point, that the context in which the law was drafted is different to the context today, and laws should be reviewed in the light of the current context (one I wish I had artculated).

That is the problem, many of our laws are antiquated--at best--based on context.

The almost evangelical fervour raised whenever it is suggested changing your constitution seems, to an outsider, to be both the strength and A weakness of your democracy. It is the strength, because the constitution cannot be changed without a thorough debate, and needs to very properly justified. It is a weakness because it allows lobby groups to override the wishes of the majority (e.g. stem cell research), and/or stops the government enacting changes that changing times would properly demand (e.g. gun control).

It is a tremendous weakness of a supposed democracy. It is not by the people as intended at all. It is by the people and industries with the most money and influence over those who craft the laws. Many lawmakers, I sense, would like to change, but the financial support to their political careers and other interests conflict with that...making the whole cycle of the nature of our politics narcissistic and self serving to those in office. Common sense and practicality are strangled by political motivation, ambition and greed.

Guns won't be controlled, because the gun lobby and the politicians they support stand too much to lose personally in the matter.

Herein of course lies the dilemma, the Catch-22. How do you square that circle? I have no idea, I just know that for a civilised country like the US of A to have such free access to guns is wrong, just plain wrong.

I agree. It should not be a fundamental right that is exposed as a need. I equate this to the right to free speech as the media uses it. Just because we have the right to know doesn't make it the need to know. Just like the right to have guns, shouldn't perservere as an argument to need guns.

BTW, how does your governement get away with the freedom curtailing laws they are introducing now? I know how ours does it, we don't have a written constitutiom to measure their actions against.

That is a question many here ask as well. Some in government feel that the laws only apply to those they feel it should apply to. Themselves excluded.

Exactly the point I was making when I said that gun-owning chnges the society.

The thing that worries me most of all is the number of reasonably intelligent people from your country that I hear defending the right to own guns. If they make that argument, the NRA has an easy job.

I long for the day when NRA stands for Not-Relevant-Anymore

All of that went straight over me.

Dora is a cartoon character, very popular, and Boots is her monkey friend. Their storylines often involve solving riddles to get to a destination, usually someplace like "Big Mountain".

It was just my way of saying my daughter wanted me to watch Dora with her.