I sit here rubbing my head looking for something..........

[First-light]

I am a liberal gun owner. Voted for obama the last two elections. I am putting myself out on a line here. look, this is a hunting website with some very passionate gun owners. i just want you to know that I, explain the reason to anti gun activists why people enjoy shooting "the assault weapons" the media portrays as the bad weapons of choice. I am out there telling people what it is like to behind a weapon like that and to shoot at a target. I do my best to explain it but we are on opposite sides of the fence. I don't know where we all fit in, the hunting community. You, I, we or something else??? Our guns will not be taken away, but some liberties will be lost.

At what cost?? Human life, is it worth it? I say yes. This whole tangled web of gun control is running its course right now. You go and march on state capitals on Jan 19th is your choice, I won't do it. Some type of compromise has to take shape. I am not going to nit pick, too much of that going on, but to walk away and say no compromise is not an option. I hope one day I can look out upon America a know that private gun owners have their weapons in a safe place. That their families are known for mental illness and they don't have access to these guns. High capacity clips are outlawed for the reason we don't need them. A hope that inner city hand gun violence is tackled the same way as assault weapon violence in America. I applaud your passion for what you believe in but at times I don't understand at what cost. I didn't write this to get a rise out of you right wing gun owners. Hunters (right or left) own guns so we are one within. It is just a very complicated issue especially in the times we are in right now.

[WNYBuckHunter]

I agree, doing nothing about the problem will solve zero of the problems we face. Guns and magazines are not the problem, and gun laws or bans have never put an end to the problems.

[Pygmy]

Our rights under the 2nd amendment have nothing to do with hunting..

Our God given rights to defend ourselves, our families and our property have nothing to do with hunting.

[ELMER J. FUDD]

Tell you what. Go ahead with the nics checks, but lift all restrictions. Deal?

[Lawdwaz]

I am a liberal gun owner. Voted for obama the last two elections. I am putting myself out on a line here. look, this is a hunting website with some very passionate gun owners. i just want you to know that I, explain the reason to anti gun activists why people enjoy shooting "the assault weapons" the media portrays as the bad weapons of choice. I am out there telling people what it is like to behind a weapon like that and to shoot at a target. I do my best to explain it but we are on opposite sides of the fence. I don't know where we all fit in, the hunting community. You, I, we or something else??? Our guns will not be taken away, but some liberties will be lost.

At what cost?? Human life, is it worth it? I say yes. This whole tangled web of gun control is running its course right now. You go and march on state capitals on Jan 19th is your choice, I won't do it. Some type of compromise has to take shape. I am not going to nit pick, too much of that going on, but to walk away and say no compromise is not an option. I hope one day I can look out upon America a know that private gun owners have their weapons in a safe place. That their families are known for mental illness and they don't have access to these guns. High capacity clips are outlawed for the reason we don't need them. A hope that inner city hand gun violence is tackled the same way as assault weapon violence in America. I applaud your passion for what you believe in but at times I don't understand at what cost. I didn't write this to get a rise out of you right wing gun owners. Hunters (right or left) own guns so we are one within. It is just a very complicated issue especially in the times we are in right now.

I'm thinking you aren't going to be doing this then?

[SteveB]

Some type of compromise has to take shape.

But it doesn't mean banning anything for feel good reasons.

There is no compromise needed - except for the banners realizing the things they want will do nothing to effect the problems they see.

[tony m]

liberal right wing

Why follow the right/left paradigm that only confuses? How about a political spectrum that is much easier to understand and with less confusion.

I started studying and researching history five years ago because I wanted to understand why are things so bad. Granted, I was inspired to do so. But that is in a good way.

The results from those studies have left me with no choice but to move from being a person who was for more authoritarian, to having less.

Most people that research, start seeing a bigger picture where causes and solutions are not what we are exposed to in schools, on TV, and in newspapers; which is the smaller picture.

Edited January 14, 2013 by tony m

[MACHINIST]

No offense first light,but I am sick of people telling everyone you don't need that.If thats the way the world would soon become we wouldn't have big truck,fast cars,big macs,1000 channels of tv,thousands and thousands of acres of state land,suer fast bows,new broad heads or any other technological advances that have come into our hunting community in the last 10 years.I cant stand it when someone tells me "you don't need that",well who gives a s*** what I NEED its what I want.I have never been in trouble with the law,I pay my taxes,I work my ever lovin azz of,so why am I restricted to have some enjoyment in life.If you don't want it in yours then fine,but don't restrict or dictate mine.

[ncountry]

Lets ban cantaloupes .. They killed more than 30 people last year. The list of things we could do to make our lives and our children's lives safer is endless...But at what cost ??

I know I absolutely will not feel any better about sending my little girl to school after an assault rifle ban or a ban on large capacity clips has been passed.

[Doc]

High capacity clips are outlawed for the reason we don't need them.

My blood-pressure raises a little everytime I hear somebody saying "we don't need them". Who has the right to say what I do or don't need? I really don't need any home defense ..... unless somebody is breaking down the front door or crawling through a window. Who has the right to dictate that I am legally required to be less well-armed than your average home invader? Who do we trust with those kinds of life and death decisions in our lives? ..... The anti-gun crowd? If they can guarantee that those that would do me or my family harm would abide by any laws (existing or proposed), then maybe some negotiations might occur. Until that time, I have no interest in having people tell me what I need.

[MountainHunter]

First-light you most certainly have a right to your opinion. I don't own an AR, I have no interest in owning an AR. I personally can't relate to anyone else's desire to own one. Yet I have people that I respect that do own them.

Having said this I know banning them and banning high capacity magazines will have no influence on gun crime statistics. It didn't from 1994 to 2004 and it will not now. I have no issue and would support more stringent background checks that include a greater mental health component, longer waiting periods etc.

The reality is that by far the vast majority of gun crime takes place in inner cities with illegal hand guns. I believe that is where any additional efforts should be directed. I think there is a purposeful lack of acknowledgement about the disproportionate amount of urban gun violence because it doesn't serve certain politicians well.

Look at Vermont as an example. One of the most permissive states in the nation related to gun laws, (concealed carry without permit) yet they are either second or third lowest in gun crime violence in th US.

There is a lot more to it than "the gun".

[ants]

I agree that its a lot more than "the gun". Way more people are beaten to death, with blunt objects or bare fists then are killed with all rifles combined. Not just "assault rifles"

[pewlodar]

I will compromise. You can ban automatic weapons and in the spirit of compromise you agree to hold criminals accountable and not reduce their sentences, follow through on the death penalty. Sounds fair to me.

Edited January 14, 2013 by pewlodar

[joe12]

You say what we don't need high capacity magazines. In NY they are proposing a further restriction from 10 rounds to 7 rounds. As a knowledgable (I assume) gun owner, do you honestly believe that a reduction of three rounds in a magazine will have any impact whatsoever on gun violence? Do you think that it would have made any impact on the Sandy Hook tradgedy if he loaded his pockets with 7 round clips instead of 10 or 30? He was targeting a school filled with women and children that could not fight back. I think that everyone on this website would be willing to compromise if the compromise actually made sense and had a meaningful difference. It sounds to me that you just want to comrpomise for the sake of compromising, and hope that a reduction of 3 rounds in a magazine will end violence and result in the liberal utopian world. This proposed legislation will do nothing, and will then lead to the next evil assault weapon to blame and then ban.

[virgil]

I will compromise. You can ban automatic weapons and in the spirit of compromise you agree to hold criminals accountable and not reduce their sentences, follow through on the death penalty. Sounds fair to me.

Now that sounds like a good idea.

[josephmrtn]

the only real safe place for ANY gun is in the hand of a responsible human being, PERIOD

[ELMER J. FUDD]

I still like ya Burt.

[First-light]

Thanks Elmer! We all have our opinions and I speak for myself. I totally understand the passion some of you guys have for your firearms.

Fight the good fight for what you think is right.