Shooting in Florida

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irving

[snip]

EDIT: With your emphasis on the culture, I suspect that we're saying similar things. I also suspect that you'd, correctly, point out that the culture of piano ownership and gun ownership are different.

Yes, we probably are.

While I don't think firearms are magical talismans that ward off criminals and crime, I do think they are a tool that people who have objectively good values have or want to have. I think laws reflect that too... Castle Doctrine vs. expectation to retreat, for example. A society that controls/bans guns is effectively revoking a natural right to self defense. That makes it easy for criminals. And the easier it gets, the less of a check on their behavior we have.

So fewer guns = less opportunity to balance crime = more crime

Not because the guns are magical metal but because they are tools in the hands of decent people. Decent people can't practice their values witout tools anymore than a construction worker can build a house without his tools.

I also think it's more than a hobby for this reason and why it's a Constitutionally protected right.

The concept of owning guns is not just a hobby, but I stand by my statement that for the vast majority of gun owners, it's a hobby.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irving

The concept of owning guns is not just a hobby, but I stand by my statement that for the vast majority of gun owners, it's a hobby.

Understood.

I hope everyone sees it as a right first, fun second.

I would classify shooting sports, plinking, and hunting a "hobby". That's not what the authors and ratifiers of the Constitution had in mind.