[M-Chubak]

It’s my impression that many Americans buy handguns, and I feel that this contributes to the problem of crime on the streets and in homes in the United States. Is this an accurate perception, or do gun owners feel that drug addicts and poor people who need money are the main source of handgun crimes in the States?
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Name : M-Chubak, City : Tokyo, State : NA, Country : Japan, 

[Stu W.]

I don’t think handguns create anymore crimes than cars or knives or people getting thrown out of windows. Although I do not fully understand your culture, I believe that handguns were as much a part of my culture as swords have been to your culture; the only difference is that we have more stupid people than you do. I talked to one woman who lives on a ranch. She said her father taught her how to shoot rattlesnakes when she was nine; that way she could protect herself. In your culture, the Samurai were there to make sure nobody stepped over the line, and if they did, justice was immediate. Today in the United States, if someone commits a crime, he or she goes go to jail for a little while, and then, BAM, they’re back out to do it again – if they go to jail at all.

User Detail :  

Name : Stu W., Gender : M, Age : 31, City : Cheyenne, State : WY, Country : United States, 

[Todd B]

I think you would be surprised at how many Americans do not own guns. More that you think. I do not, and nevere have, owned a gun. I have mixed feelings on our gun control issue. To get to the heart of the matter, I think gun ownership does have a place in American life (but a better level of familiarity with the Constitution would help all you gun owners out there be taken a little more seriously). I have lived in Israel, where many people own hand guns and guns are seen in a variety of forms every day, and can tell you that their crime problem mdoes not approach what we have here in the US (not yet, anyway). I won’t deny that we Americans have a problem with violence. I just don’t think guns are the problem.

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Name : Todd B, Gender : M, Age : 30, City : Jersey City, State : NJ, Country : United States, 

[Cal23824]

I think your impression of Americans is innacurate. I don’t own a handgun and I don’t know any of my neighbors that have a handgun. I am not opposed to guns. When i was a boy, i lived in a rural area and I used to hunt and shoot targets. Now that I live in an urban area, there is not much opportunity to shoot, so I no longer own a gun. I feel relatively save in my neighborhood. I don’t fell the need to be armed for my personal protection. If I did, I would not bother with a handgun. A shotgun is the only way to go for home protection. Handguns are terribly inaccurate even in the hands of a trained shooter. There are numerous examples of gunfights between two individuals with handguns exchanging a dozen shots and never hitting the intended target. Unless you find yourself within spitting distance, hanguns are pretty ineffective. I know there are lots of you out there who are very good shots on the practice range, but it’s way different when it’s dark, you’re scared and someone is shooting back. The problem with banning handguns is that it probably would not be effective. We have lots of laws regarding guns that are not being obeyed or adequately enforced. If a handgun ban were effective, it would force the bad guys to use more effective weapons such as shotguns and rifles.

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Name : Cal23824, City : Lakewood, State : CA, Country : United States, 

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