I believe this phenomenon is what is called "projection" and is as much a reflection of what the arguer thinks they might do if they are allowed unrestricted access to a handgun.shootthesheet wrote:Some of those we have sent to Austin seem to think we aren't trustworthy. I have heard that the restrictions are put on us because of the public and the reaction some may have to things like open carry and school carry. I personally believe it is because they themselves are the ones afraid. They do little to do away with these restrictions because they feel we are all potential criminals or something little more than children.
Quite honestly, I don't understand most of the anti-gun arguments. The basic guiding principle should be (as many here have pointed out) that the actions allowed or forbidden (e.g. - killing someone) are illegal regardless of the tool used. The fact is (as was pointed out by a PhD & professor at Va Tech) criminals by their very nature don't respect laws and don't follow laws. Restrictions on firearms only restrict the law abiding people, not the criminals.
Making it illegal to carry into places only makes those places more unsafe for the majority of citizens who are law abiding. If you look at the recent history of this country, the majority of the mass killings are happening at places where the criminals KNOW there are no defensive weapons available. Yesterday's incident in Bailey, CO and the incident in Ontario a few days ago are illustrative. The gunmen in both incidents picked places where they were CERTAIN there would be no initial opposition. What do you think the real likelihood of someone going into a classroom and firing a warning shot would be if they thought the teacher and students were armed? They wouldn't do it because the return fire would be withering. Areas where firearms would be likely to end up in the hands of felons (like jails) SHOULD be off llimits to carry, but placing restrictions on carry to other locations makes no real sense.