~~~Obviously anything in the wrong hands can be prove to be harmful, and of course something that gives someone as much power and authority as a gun does can make a major difference one way or another.~~~
This is very true...In fact I often prove this point by demonstrating how many ways I could kill a human with a piece of paper (don't laugh, you'd be surprised). However it isn't a 'gun' that does this, it's any power. Who is more powerful, a man with a crossbow, a man with a gun, or a man with enough money to buy either to kill the other? Anything that tips the power scale is dangerous (including training or education).
~~~And also..a gun is something that I would think you never really want to use, and when the moment comes up, who's to say it will do what you want it to? Under the stress of the situation, you can easily misfire, and shoot a victim instead of a suspect. In your first instance, with the woman, who's to say you couldn't have missed and hit her isntead. Who's to say that you someone else in a similar situation, who's going to use their gun for the first time doesn't make a mistake? Obviously none of it happened, but easily "could have", and has in the past.~~~
I, for one, am aware of this. That's why I've put hundreds of hours into training, including professional training. That's why I've fired more rounds through my weapons than an average military unit. There are training programs to simulate stressful situations to prepare you for real encounters. Even with all that you can never be sure what will happen, some people aren't meant to defend, it's a personality thing. It's nothing to be ashamed of either. If someone finds that they are unable to use their weapon that's fine, just don't carry one from then on. Find another solution. But for those of us who can (and in all the situations I've been in I know I'm one) we deserve the right to do so.
~~~Could crime occur in a world without guns? Definitely, but it would change things a whole lot.~~~
No it wouldn't. At all. Guns are new, crime is old. If there was no gunpowder, if you could snap your fingers and it didn't work on the planet anymore, crime wouldn't change in the least. Just like hundreds of years ago people would kill with bows, knives, swords, bare hands. The difference is that there is NO 70yr old woman with arthritis in the world that could stop me from taking her purse in hand to hand combat. But there is no one on the planet that can take a purse away from a 70yr old woman with arthritis in a wheelchair who has a gun and knows how to use it.
~~~You must agree that metal detectors as airports are for the benefits of the passengers, as it takes out the possibility that someone could do harm in that manner.
It doesn't remove the possibility, it lessens it. Very recently (like a few years ago) even in America people found ways to get guns onto planes. It's just a good step in the right direction.
~~~Without a gun, it'd be nearly impossible to take over a plane, do harm to other passengers, or otherwise commit a harmful crime. Someone definitely could hurt someone else with the bare hands, but a gun would make it a tad easier.~~~
Not at all...in fact a gun isn't that useful of a weapon compared to others, especially in plane takeovers. A gun can accidentally discharge, accidentally depressurize the cabin, it can be jammed, taken away, dropped, your sites could be off, you can also shoot someone many many times without any affect. My personal preference would be a failsafed explosive device with multiple detonation controls. Overall it's the best success rate.
~~~Some schools even have them, do you agree that despite the inconvenience of it all, that it would be a safer place there without any possibility of someone carrying a gun on campus?~~~
Nope, not at all. I personally like thinking that in case of emergency there may be backup available. Until campuses began specifically prohibiting guns I always had mine. Furthermore even after the bans I am always armed (throwing knives and some form of melee weapon mostly). I refuse that the government or a company, or a school can demand that I be unsafe while refusing to punish criminals. I won't have it. I'll go to jail, in fact I'll die before I allow another person to dictate my level of security.
I actually agree with much of what you said for the general populace, but we're not all the general populace and laws are notoriously without exception. As I've stated, it's irrelevant because this is not a country that will ever surrender it's weapons peacefully...and anyone who wants them to had better be prepared for the carnage that could follow such a demand.
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