ATTN. SPECOPS AND GECKO45 my secret username is CIDDECEP and I am your S2. My authorization code is Six Wun Quebec Oscar Fife. Your presence here is tactically dangerous and compromises our overall mission parameter. Cease and desist all activity on this board. Our "enemies" are deft at computer hacking and may trace you back to our primary locale. You have forced me to compromise my situation to protect your vulnerable flank. This issue will be addressed later.

While turning what was once a crime (marijuana use or possession) into a legal act will eliminate the instances of crime for that act (obviously, since it's no longer a crime), don't kid yourself into believing that anyone in the drug trade will suddenly pick up their newspapers and look for a legitimate job. Criminals do illegal things for profit because they are more profitable than the same amount of effort in a legal enterprise, and they feel the benefits outweigh the risks of getting caught. Legalizing drugs will not completely eliminate the illegal drug trade, nor will it put any significant dent in the violent crime rate among career criminals and the collateral damage their activities produce.

Old data on defense uses of firearms, from 1995: http://www.guncite.com/gcdgklec.html I haven't done the research recently but since concealed carry permits are available in more states now than 1995, I might be inclined to think the defensive use has gone up, or at least been maintained with population growth. The problem with data like this is, generally a victim that deters a crime with no witnesses might not even report the crime ever happened. You'd be surprised how many failed crimes don't get reported, regardless of the reason for the failure. Child deaths, 12 was off the top of my head. It ranges depends on how you view the data. Here's the stuff I've found for 2002/2003. If you count all firearm related deaths (which include intentional homocide, accidental police shootings, suicides, etc) they're only 2.73 times more likely to die from motor vehicle. If you only count accidental deaths, they are 50 times more likely to die by automobile. Sorry for spreading misinformation. http://www.childdeathreview.org/Nat'l%20Data%20Webpage%202002_files/US2002.pdf http://www.childdeathreview.org/2003%20Data/US2003.pdf I personally find it interesting how consistent the data is from year to year.

You also don't hear about the over 2 million crimes stopped every year from law abiding citizens using their right to self defense. Or that those children are 12 times more likely to die in an automobile accident. Just accept what the media and the government tells you and all will be well.

'Yuppie sports', that (aside from perhaps biking) grew directly out of survival and exploration skills? As opposed to stick-and-ball sports that serve no purpose except for recreation and exercise? I guarantee I've learned many more useful skills through camping, kayak fishing, climbing, and hiking than any sport involving a ball. REI might market to the urban wannabe adventurer, but the products they carry are actually quite good and the sports they promote are far more intriguing than any spectator sport.

If you'd like some reading that presents the facts about the history and context of the second amendment, I suggest A People Armed and Free: The Truth About the Second Amendment. The guy offers a disclaimer that he does believe the 2A supports an individual right. However, he presents both sides, with full text quotations, not the partial texts that are often offered from BOTH sides.

Your suggestion that you can not tell who or should not have a gun is somewhat well founded. It's true that you cannot pick out the guy with the flawless background (investigated via the FBI) that will someday use that firearm to commit a crime. The same can be said for the guy that will eventually drive his car into the front of a building and kill the mother buying a coffee at 7-11. You've probably heard this before, but I'll say it again. The outright ban of firearm ownership from law abiding citizens in an urban setting leaves you with a defenseless population against a defensive criminal front. Criminals get weapons. They don't go through an FBI investigation to get them.

Also, to suggest that an armed populace is not a deterrent to a tyrannical takeover, well, history says otherwise.

And even if you disagree with all of these things, I have one more question. Why are you so quick to take away what I enjoy so much? I shoot more in a month than most people do in their whole lives because it's FUN. Across all disciplines: trap, skeet, sporting clays, high powered rifle, rimfire target, steel plate pistol, practical pistol, bullseye pistol, cowboy action renactments, the list goes on.

The 'gun rights' folks are one of the few 'activists groups' that never wanted to CHANGE anything. We want to keep what we have. That has been the stance since the beginning. Why can't you just leave us alone? These laws are treating a symptom of the criminal leniency in this country, not the underlying problem. Let's kill unborn children, but let violent criminals skirt the death penalty. Let's 'reform' inmates so they can be let out and turn them into repeat offenders.

There's a reason the political left chose 'assault weapons' as their term of endearment for the target of choice in their continued infringement on civil liberties. I have asked a number of legislators in New Jersey why they feel the need to ban modern firearms. Their answer is that they have never heard of such a ban.

'Assault Firearms' are nothing more than MODERN firearms. The so called 'evil features' do not make it any more lethal. 'Why do you need a flashhider?' Because when I shoot at night matches, I don't like being blinded by the first shot. Ignore the fact that flashiders do nothing to hide the flash seen by the TARGET. That would be too rational.

'Why do you need a pistol grip?' Ever seen a good hunting rifle? They have thumbhole stocks. Remove some wood, and you're left with a pistol grip.

'Why do you need a bayonet lug?' Why the fuck not? How many people have been bayonetted by a dude with a firearm?

Come on people. Start thinking for yourself. Stop asking 'why do you need....?' Start asking 'Whats the problem with having...?'