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Really, I don't think Americans, even gun-owning Americans, "love" their firearms any more than a golfer loves his golf clubs, or a stamp collector loves his stamps.
Sure, hunting and shooting sports are fun to participate in, and some people get really into these activities, spending a lot of time and money on equipment, ammunition, club memberships, and the like. But to say that someone has a "love affair with guns" implies some kind of unhealthy fascination, and I don't think that's true for most gun-owners.
What it really is is a love of freedom. Americans love freedom. We love doing what we want, with the understanding that we can do pretty much whatever we want as long as we don't hurt other people doing it. For example: There are very few roads in the United States where the speed limit is greater than 70 miles per hour. It would be trivial with today's computer-controlled cars to mandate that every new car is simply incapable of driving over, say, 80 MPH. But we don't. In fact, we allow the sale of sports cars like the Corvette, the Mustang, the Camaro, and others that are capable of speeds well in excess of 100 MPH, even though this would be illegal and dangerous in most places. In other words, we allow people to own such vehicles and we leave it up to the individuals to obey the law, only punishing those who don't obey the speed limit.
Most Americans, certainly most firearm owners, feel the same way about firearms. We believe that everyone should be able to own pretty much any kind of firearm they desire, until they demonstrate that they are not to be trusted with that right. We very much resent the concept that everyone should be assumed to be a potential criminal and thus their ability to own firearms be compromised based on that assumption.
Most firearm owners would feel this way regardless of how many crimes were committed using firearms, but when you consider how few crimes are committed with them given the vast number of them in circulation, we become even less tolerant of suggestions of restrictions on law-abiding people.
Do you believe that America should have stronger gun control laws? Why?
No. I believe that the laws are restrictive enough as they are. The only thing I would support would be an opt-out licensing system, but for that concession I would demand the right to buy firearms through the mail without using an FFL middle man.
Should America introduce a strict firearm licensing law like Australia & England?
No. By itself, licensing achieves nothing positive. Giving the government a list of all firearm owners does nothing to prevent a licensed firearm owner from committing a crime with his licensed firearm. It is possible that it could limit access to firearms by ineligible people, since they could not legally buy firearms without a license. But the tradeoff is that the government has a list of all firearm owners, which directly undermines the intent of the second amendment.
I would support an opt-out licensing system similar to what Illinois has, but as an opt-out system, rather than opt-in. Everyone would be issued an FOID when they applied for a drivers' license or state-issued ID, unless they opted out.
Do you believe that by restricting the gun laws it would reduce the crime rate? Why?
No. Today the places in the United States with the highest crime rates are the places with the most strict gun laws.
Should NFA weapons such as machine guns, 50.cal weapons, assault rifles etc., be completely banned throughout America? Why?
Machine guns are effectively banned today. Yes, it is legal to buy a transferable, pre-1986 machine gun, but prices start at around $10,000. They are out of the price range of all but dedicated collectors.
Since virtually no crimes are committed with 50 caliber weapons nor rifles of any kind, let alone assault rifles, I would not support banning them. According to the FBI UCR, about twice as many people are killed every year using hands and feet than all rifles combined. And 50 caliber rifles start at around $5000, making them not very popular as a choice for criminal use.
Instead of each state having its own gun laws, should there just be one federal law? Why?
As long as it was pro-firearm, I would support a single federal set of laws concerning firearm ownership.
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