IRS Gets G-20 Tool Against Tax Cheats; Guns in America

The epitomy of a free society

It is easy and convenient to shine a spotlight on headline incidents to further an agenda. While the tragedies cited are indeed atrocious and indicative of out of control psychotic behaviour, to use them in calling for further infringement of constitutional rights and freedom is naive. Any aspect of society involving dangerous elements lend themselves to sporadic, undesirable consequences. The driving of vehiclas is a very dangerous proposition, yet 100s of millions of folks engage in the activity daily. The risk/reward proposition precludes not doing so in that freedom of mobility is paramount in today's society. Private ownership and use of firearms is likewise a dangerous proposition, yet 100s of millions of folk engage in that too. Many would challenge the risk/reward equation in this one though. While many espouse that only officials of power wielding governments and institutions should engage in such and activity, the absolute necessity of a check and balance for such power is imperative for the purpose of individual rights and freedoms. Regardless of voracity or concentration of such an arguement, to ignore the history of mankind inasmuch that the powers of governments and kingdoms frequently misuse their domain to place the governed under duress demand that an option of a viable counteraction be realized. The second ammendment to the constitution and more importantly the exercise of it by the citizenry is a benchmark characteristic of a free society to not be abused by a tyrannical power. Even if a person hates guns, they should own one to exercise so powerful a freedom and demonstrate its essence in the cause of free people.

Response to- Getting to the Source of the Problem

People with common sense are paying attention to what is going on in Government and believe it or not, your own neighborhood.

The Comment by ( gun control ) above is right on.

Right now our gov't is doing everything possible to take away every freedom you have under the Constitution. Obama has listed the most simple of people as extremist. WHY, so that he has a reason to put anyone and everyone that oppose's his idea's in prison.

As a gun owner, I have looked and tried to purchase ammo lately. It is near impossible.

Now, assuming that we, as american's can longer purchase ammo/gun's. The Gov't can and is already running rampant believing that they will have no opposition.

As of today, ALL of you Liberal's can laugh. But soon, you will calling your friend's COMRADE.

As a society, we are in BIG trouble, as an American, we are doomed unless we stand up and let this idiot's know that we are tired and we are NOT going to take their BS anymore.

CB

Our love of guns is driven by our love for freedom and our knowledge that americans are the biggest instigators of violence in the world. Most of the gun violence you have seen recently has been done by people who bought their own guns not people who stole them from gun owners as you said. So your social cost analogy is kind of crazy. Nobody said about protecting their house from violence. What about theives and rapists or do you not consider them criminals? Your stat is just an attempt to blur the truth. The gun manufacturers have never had to worry about keeping demand up. FYI there will always be other places to sell to regardless of America. Only one if you can aim.

gun control

I don't really expect a pro gun response here at the us news web site. I'm afraid that the articles you read every day are no doubt biased towards the gun control crowd. I know they just favor "common sense" law and "its for the children". Wake up! I'm going to give you a few pearls of wisdom and please research for yourself. The problem will be finding an unbiased source. I suggest googling John Lott. His evidence is solid. The anti gunners have resorted to out and out lies. Anyways.

1 It's not about the guns...it is about the liberty.

2.The second amendment isn't about sport. It is about govt tyranny.

3. Firearms are used 2 million times a year in the us to deter a crime without ever firing a shot.

In summary. Ask a friend with a firearm about them. Go to the range. In time you will form your own opinion. That my friends is liberty.

Getting to the Source of the Problem

Finally, a comment with thought,truth and good sense! Thanks CB of Az for pointing out the root of the problem: greed. Yup, without sales the gun mfgs. don't make money. Since guns are so durable & seldom wear out the only ways to create more demand & increase sales is to increase the fear that drives people to buy more guns, or make the guns more lethal, or find new markets. As usual, it's all about money. As long as they get paid enough, they don't care who they sell to or how they're used. They're like the war profiteers who help create wars so they can reap the profits. In the end we are the ones who'll pay for their excessive greed and immorality.

Time to grow up on this issue

By 2007, the gun owners in the US accounted for 270M of the worlds 875M known firearms. Basically translating to 90 guns per 100 citizens. Now, I know we love our guns but one has to ask the question how many do we really need? Yeah yeah "it's my right to own a gun..." I get that but, it's still a juvenilistic [sic] response to a grown up question. The US seems to have an unquenchable thirst for firearms, accounting for nearly half of the worldwide new gun sales. What drives our love of guns?

"Bad guys will always get guns. Why punish the honest person?" Well, because the bad guy gets the guns by stealing them from the honest guy. So, there is a social cost to gun ownership that might be somewhat ameliorated by front loading the cost of owning a gun in the form of taxes/fees and then injecting that money back into the system in the form of gun safety courses, public health,etc. Sorry gun guys, this is a good idea.

The fear-based argument of "I need to protect my home" seems to come off as little more than misplaced paranoia given that the number of firearm related crimes has been relatively unchanged in 20yrs (see: Bureau of Justice Statistics). Of course, one might argue that if we have more guns today than 20-30 yrs. ago and violent gun related crime isn't going up then what's the problem. OK, I'll somewhat accept that position.

But I regress, why does the US NEED more guns than anybody else. I propose that it has nothing to do with Constitutional rights, home invasions, drug cartels, etc. No, it has everything to do with good old fashioned sales and marketing. The gun manufacturers need for people to keep buying. A gun can only shoot so straight, so quietly, so quickly, hold so many rounds etc. before it becomes a military style weapon only with no other feasible use than military operations. So how do you convince your buying public to keep buying? "Violence is on the rise" "Obama is going to take your guns" and on and on. America has been duped. When the bad guys show up at my door how many guns do I need?

Act-react

In both cases, taxes and guns. People who want to cheat on their taxes or get their hands on a gun for illegitimate use will do so. To me, it makes more sense to set up realistic standards by which people can comply and make it easy to monitor that compliance. In that way, taxes get paid, guns belong to those "with" the right to bear arms and the job gets done.

The trouble comes when you try to solve issues about crooked tax evaders or law breakers by penalizing the solid citizen.

Its kind of like going to Iran and politely asking, Mr. Ahmadinejad are you making a nuclear weapon? His response is: of course not.

Should we believe him and why not? Its called "Common Sense". Something that left the american education and political system years ago...

Guns

To this date, in thirty five states that allow concealed weapons, not one incident or shooting has occurred by a law abiding citizen carrying a concealed weapon. This data spans the last TWENTY FIVE YEARS!

Equal Playing Field

A four tier flat rate tax without deductions for low, middle, high-middle and high income brackets. That gets rid of all of the bogus tax shelters like pumping money into private foundations, trusts and foreign accounts.

Criminals can always get guns, period. Unstable people can always get guns, period. People will die from car accidents, drownings, stabbings and AIDS, period. The common factor in all of these types of death are people. So let's outlaw people and the problems are automatically solved (sarcasm meant).

Guns are essential for those who wish to protect their homes from invasion by criminals or should foreigners decide to invade. It's our constitutional right, right? The fact that in most cases people who are killed by gunfire are known to the murderers is collateral damage (sarcasm meant). War is just that way - it ain't fair and it ain't equal.