Take My Freedom, Not My Gun?

The recent spate of shootings in the United States inspired a discussion of gun control and gun rights on HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" last week, with the most perceptive comment coming from the great stand up comedian and former writer for "The Simpson's," Dana Gould, raising issues about the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the right to keep and bear arms that I address in this video.

Although the April 24, 2009, episode of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher" from which I took two short clips for my video is not available on the HBO website, you can find out more about that program at http://www.hbo.com/billmaher/episode/index.html

You can find the old, archived argument about gun rights on the defunct ACLU message boards to which I refer in this video at http://tinyurl.com/GunArgument

You can find the fakesagan video titled "latest drama and my first kalashnikov" from which I briefly used an image in this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N2Q2eY58f0

And, finally, you can find a lot more information about the federal attack on the Branch Davidian complex at Waco along with the photo of it that I briefly used in this video on the PBS website at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/waco/tanks.html

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Bill
• maher
• gun
• rights
• real
• time
• control
• shooting
• weapons
• regulation
• dana
• gould
• national
• rifle
• association
• nra
• howard
• dean
• Bethany
• McClean
• fakesagan
• branch
• davidian
• complex
• waco
• texas
• david
• koresh
• ruby
• ridge
• second
• amendment
• liberal
• viewer
• liberalviewer

[aqinthe]

@JNDarkness Just because having a gun may be dangerous. Should we get rid of the 2nd Ammendment? Should we get rid of freedom in the name of safety? I own guns for protection and because I enjoy shooting.

People scream about certian rights being taken away but then don't seem to care about others. The left and the right each have rights they care about and others they would like to see go away. I want ALL of my rights. I don't want to have to pick a few to keep. 

[mrfishy1098]

Your point of view that hardcore gun owners(over 50 guns)would rather give up their freedoms instead of their guns(although the whole purpose of guns is defense from oppression)is quite intriguing as I have never thought about it that way. I do not agree completely however, as most people will eventually decide to draw a line in the sand, and decide to keep their freedom AND their guns.

[AK107DX]

It's utter bullshit how the government thinks they could choose our rights. We should each choose our own rights, by choosing what you want and don''t want to do.

[Khyrid]

@giftedkidrules In addition who's to say the military will always be around? Nobody knows the future, there could be a nuclear war we could be left to fend for ourselves. I don't want to be left defenses. Having guns is not just about incase we need to shoot the government.

[LancePoint9]

Guns may possibly preserve some of your freedoms during some future uprising or doomsday holocaust, but there not very useful in persevering freedoms during other times. By all means, have guns. But there are other tools to preserve freedoms during peacetime like speech, protest, and assembly. Be as diligent in preserving these as any firearm. Also remember to help preserve the freedoms of others. Never know when they might return the favor.

[aqinthe]

@ImNotADoctor5 OK, I do agree with you about very strong checks needed before owning a gun. I think owning a gun is a great responsibility.  How do you feel about owning a gun for personal protection.

[ImNotADoctor5]

@aqinthe Sorry, I wasn't talking about guns designed for legitimate purposes. Reading over my comments, I can see I didn't make that clear. I understand that some guns do have completely legal and reasonable purposes (like hunting), but I'm talking about handguns, not hunting rifles that size make it difficult to use illegally, and some aren't even powerful enough to kill a human.

I do understand that some guns have legal uses, but I think very strong checks need to be made before ownership.

[aqinthe]

@ImNotADoctor5 Guns are also designed for target shooting and for hunting. Or should we oultaw hunting and force everyone to buy cage raised processed meat?

I'm not talking about absolute freedoms. I'm talking about the bill of rights that both parties pick and choose from. I agree total freedom would not be a good idea. But how about keeping the freedoms that were decided to be an important part of this country. Freedom to protest, freedom of speech for example.

[ImNotADoctor5]

@aqinthe Cyanide is a very good example, because it's illegal and it's universally understood why, and isn't ever contested. It's illegal because it's extremely dangerous and it's only designed purpose is to murder. Just like guns (only difference? They're legal).

At the end of the day, no one wants absolute freedom, they want safety. Governments pick and choose freedoms because that's what people want. I'm sure no one debates against withdrawal of "freedoms" to download child porn, for example

[aqinthe]

@ImNotADoctor5 Cyanide isn't legal to own, my guns are. So that isn't a good example. I get your point thought. Why should legal gun owners be punished for the actions of criminals.

The main point I was trying to make was about the Democrats and Republicans picking and choosing what rights they are for.

[ImNotADoctor5]

@aqinthe I should be able to have cyanide to play tiddlywinks with. Just because they're manufactured to, and very easily kill people doesn't mean I can't have fun with them. I safetly use them for fun. And if you think that's irresponsible, then you're just infringing my rights.

Sound ridiculous? While I don't doubt you safely handle guns, the correlation seen globally with the strictness of gun control and the decrease in gun crime is undeniable.