Well, ladies and gentlemen, it is time for me to touch on a subject on which many debates have reached the level of fighting: gun control.
As I have stated many times now, I side with liberals. And, I do support the advancement of gun control laws. But before you hate me, hear me out.
I have a gun of my own. As an American, I support the second amendment right to bear arms, and I don't want your guns taken from you, any more than I want mine taken from me. However, as a liberal, I also see the very real need for more control.
Many accusations have been thrown at liberals over this topic, some so far as to blame us for the school shootings as a way to push "our agenda". Well, this is a conspiracy theory, and I do NOT support it. These shootings are horrible. The violence can not be condoned. So, if I don't support violence, but I also don't support taking away weapons, what do I support?
It all comes down to one word: EDUCATION. If we have stricter regulations on who can legally purchase a gun of any sort (I'm talking about required safety classes and the like), then we take them out of the hands of those who should not have them. If you handle your guns safely, you know what you're doing, and you stay within the confines of the law, I see absolutely no reason why you should not own guns.
So then comes the argument of "bad people will always find a way to get guns". And yes, this is true. I am not trying to say my plan is perfect, because the truth is - there is no perfect plan. Yes, there will always be illegal guns in the hands of bad people. But by doing SOMETHING to at least try to keep the guns in the hands of good people, it can become at least a little more difficult for the others to get them.
The other half of my "plan" goes against everything most liberals believe: support gun ownership. The more likely it is for good people to be armed AND educated, the less likely the bad people are to think they can easily get away with this. Nobody wants to run into an ambush, unless they have a death wish.
Just my two cents. Gun control is needed, confiscation is not the way to go about it.