Difference between revisions of "Gun"
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The cultural issues surrounding guns are many and widely debated. [[Conservative]]s generally prefer to reserve for the [[individualism|individual]] [[the right to self-defense]] through the use of guns and other weapons. [[Liberal]]s generally prefer to delegate this right to guards, police, and the military.{{fact}} | The cultural issues surrounding guns are many and widely debated. [[Conservative]]s generally prefer to reserve for the [[individualism|individual]] [[the right to self-defense]] through the use of guns and other weapons. [[Liberal]]s generally prefer to delegate this right to guards, police, and the military.{{fact}} | ||
| − | + | While some decry the level of firearms homicide, comparisons don't always match up. While the United States of America had 11,350 firearms related homicides in 2005<ref>http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/05cius/data/table_01.html</ref>, and the United Kingdom had 50 in the UK, which heavily restricts the civilian possession of all firearms.<ref>http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0207.pdf</ref> While the United States of America has a population approximately 6 times greater than the UK, the number of individuals with firearms in the USA far outweigh those in the UK. For instance, the UK has approximately 36.6 firearms per 100,000 residents while the USA has approximately 41,000 firearms for 100,000 residents. <ref>http://www.wfsa.net/adobe_documents/Cross_Sectional_Study.PDF</ref> This indicates that an individual firearm in UK is 30 times more likely to be used in a homocide than an individual firearms in the USA. | |
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| + | Some studies have shown that law-abiding citizens carrying guns are statistically an effective deterrent and defense against lawless or criminal individuals. Further comparison between different states in the USA indicates that states that have more permissive gun laws have distinctly lower crime rates, violent crime rates, and firearms homicides than states with more restrictive gun laws.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lott] | ||
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[[Second Amendment|Guns are also a defense against a tyrannical government.]] Theoretically, if a person has the power to take the life of another, other people will not perpetrate criminal offenses against them. In practice, few existing civilian militias are strong enough to withstand sustained warfare by a government's army. Also, countries with high rates of gun ownership, such as present-day [[Iraq]] or many countries in sub-Sharana [[Africa]], are not guaranteed to have a low crime rate. | [[Second Amendment|Guns are also a defense against a tyrannical government.]] Theoretically, if a person has the power to take the life of another, other people will not perpetrate criminal offenses against them. In practice, few existing civilian militias are strong enough to withstand sustained warfare by a government's army. Also, countries with high rates of gun ownership, such as present-day [[Iraq]] or many countries in sub-Sharana [[Africa]], are not guaranteed to have a low crime rate. | ||
Revision as of 20:57, May 4, 2007
A gun is a weapon which fires a bullet, dart or other projectile.
The three main types of modern firearms today are bolt-operated, semi-automatic, and automatic weapons. In a bolt-action weapon, each new round must be chambered manually, by moving the breech to eject the empty casing. In semi-automatic weapons, each pull of the trigger fires a bullet. In fully automatic weapons, bullets will be fired as long as the trigger is depressed until either the trigger is released, or the ammunition is exhausted.
Science fiction, such as Star Trek, has postulated many different types of directed energy weapons. These are guns that fire beams, waves, or packets of energy. Some energy guns can be set to stun, not to wound or kill.
The cultural issues surrounding guns are many and widely debated. Conservatives generally prefer to reserve for the individual the right to self-defense through the use of guns and other weapons. Liberals generally prefer to delegate this right to guards, police, and the military.[Citation Needed]
While some decry the level of firearms homicide, comparisons don't always match up. While the United States of America had 11,350 firearms related homicides in 2005[1], and the United Kingdom had 50 in the UK, which heavily restricts the civilian possession of all firearms.[2] While the United States of America has a population approximately 6 times greater than the UK, the number of individuals with firearms in the USA far outweigh those in the UK. For instance, the UK has approximately 36.6 firearms per 100,000 residents while the USA has approximately 41,000 firearms for 100,000 residents. [3] This indicates that an individual firearm in UK is 30 times more likely to be used in a homocide than an individual firearms in the USA.
Some studies have shown that law-abiding citizens carrying guns are statistically an effective deterrent and defense against lawless or criminal individuals. Further comparison between different states in the USA indicates that states that have more permissive gun laws have distinctly lower crime rates, violent crime rates, and firearms homicides than states with more restrictive gun laws.[1]
Guns are also a defense against a tyrannical government. Theoretically, if a person has the power to take the life of another, other people will not perpetrate criminal offenses against them. In practice, few existing civilian militias are strong enough to withstand sustained warfare by a government's army. Also, countries with high rates of gun ownership, such as present-day Iraq or many countries in sub-Sharana Africa, are not guaranteed to have a low crime rate.
Military Usage
In the military, the word "gun" is usually used to describe a weapon with an area effect. Examples include some indirect fire weapons such as field guns, large-caliber cannons (greater than 20 mm), and machine guns.[Citation Needed]