ignoring using a gun for suicide which may sway your bias, where do you stand on owning guns

[WildAtHeart]

title says it all

 

[lamargue]

i can't really give an adequate judgement. i live in a country where owning a gun requires a special permit, so it's exceedingly rare for there to be gun ownership and consequent gun-related violence here. having said that, i think owning one would give me a lot of comfort outside of using it for suicide

 

[avoid]

I'm not opposed to owning a gun in a country where gun violence is rampant. I understand the unsafe feeling when ambiguous people around you may posses a gun while you lack one. But I advocate for more gun ownership regulations to prevent questionable characters from obtaining a gun or gun license. And I don't want mass gun ownership in countries where the lack of guns is the primary reason for the lack of mass gun violence—let's not introduce more problems. You don't need a gun if no one else has a gun.

My country has stringent requirements for obtaining a gun license. The law is complex so the examples below provide by no means a full picture.

• Gun license is provided by the police or Ministry of Justice only (henceforth mentioned as the government).
• You need a valid reason to own a gun. Ex. sports, hunter, dog trainer, etc. The type of weapon must suit its purpose.
• Provide the government with 2 contacts or a recognized gun association membership to vouch for your character.
• There should be no reason the government can't trust you or for you to misuse the gun or ammunition — not going against the common interest of the people.
• Pass a mental health screening test with 80 diverse questions. And no history of mental illnesses.
• Pass a government regulated exam both practice and theory.
• No criminal history in the last 10 years.
• Gun and ammunition must be stored separately in an anchored gun safe at all times when not in use.
• Agree to mandatory unannounced visits by the police for a gun safe inspection every 2 years.