@R1600Turbo stated that a gun has only one function - to shoot something. A gun's only practical purpose is to harm, maim or kill something. It's not a tool, it's a weapon. That's not "prejudice" - it's not a misinformed opinion - it's a fact. No matter if you're pro or anti-gun, I don't see any reason to dispute that fact, much less try and compare it to being bigoted or racist. Of all the ridiculously way off-point posts I've seen on GTP, that ranks fairly high.
Thank you for clarifying. I did not realize (and I should have) that you were both using the perspective of the gun itself, in which case, that
would be a terrible analogy. I was under the impression that there was fear and/or disdain for gun owners, which, if you didn't know them and were afraid/hated them, would
indeed be prejudice.
Where on earth was anything like this even insinuated in the post you quoted? It's like reading two different arguments. All
@R1600Turbo has stated, again, is that a gun only has one function. That function is to shoot things. You shoot something to kill it, maim it, damage it etc. That's a pretty valid reason to not like something - he's not saying a gun can't have novel uses, or can't be used responsibly, he's simply stating a fact. I don't know why you clutch at straws to try and counter argue it.
I was quoting Lucas, not Turbo, so you kind of were reading two different arguments? Again, I was under the impression we were all talking about guns as well as the people that use them to do harm. Not about guns alone, hence my responses. Guns, in all of their killing efficiency, are harmless when they just sit there on a desk. If you'd like to argue otherwise, I'm willing to be entertained.
So you do acknowledge that guns are designed to kill?
I own a gun, so this is not some great mystery you are revealing to me.
Guns are a massive responsibility. Statistically, their owner is more likely to use it on themselves than someone else and others simply do not have the self control or mental fortitude required to realize that using it is a massive decision. Many people realize this and do not purchase firearms because they fear them and what they represent. If you do not wish to own a gun then I respect that choice and would not want to make a political example of you by forcing one into your hands.
...Because guns are deadly. They require responsibility to use.
Cars are designed to get you from point to point. They carry some inherent dangers, but they have a prime purpose. That prime purpose is not to injure, kill or damage something. A gun, no matter how many novel uses you can invent for it, is a weapon. It's a terrible comparison.
I was under the impression we were talking about fear and prejudice due to the lethal nature
not lethal intent by design (in which case, you would be right). Ergo, why are you not afraid of something that is more likely to kill you, even if it isn't designed to? I think it's a good comparison given the subject, but could be conceived as bad if you want to change the subject.
Naturally, I realize that fear is not logical, and again, understand why you would be more afraid of a gun than a car, even when it should be the opposite. I, myself, am afraid of scaffolding and am frequently the butt of jokes due to my phobia. My brother even told me "Don't be afraid of scaffolding, be afraid of standing on a roof." Which gave me pause, because I was not afraid of standing on a roof.
I'm glad that you have a use for a gun that differs from its intended purpose. That doesn't change what a gun is, or what it's designed to do.
Indeed it does not, but it brings my mind comfort that most of the three hundred million guns in the US are used the way I use mine, and not the way psycho's do. And therefor, reduces my fear of them.
I completely understand why a gun ban wouldn't work. Guns are far too ingrained in American culture, and you couldn't impose a ban without criminalising hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people. Even if you get them out of the average home, there's still a huge amount of them that would be in storage or circulation.
However, if the arguments above represent a typical stance against someone who simply says they don't like the idea of guns being widely available, or just guns full stop, it's no wonder the pro-gun groups often appear as a laughing stock to the rest of the world.
Well as I stated, it seems we were just all involved in a big misunderstanding in terms of perspective on each other's opinions. I made it clear multiple times that I wasn't trying to attack Turbo or make him feel bad, and now I realize why he thought I was, due to said confusion on my part (and I only assume your parts).
