I do like playing with guns, but surely the easier it is to get hold of guns, and the more guns there are in circulation, the more chance there is of gun related incedents. It's OK saying that it's a good idea to have them for self-defence if someone breaks into your house, but that just means that the burglar is more likely to carry a gun. Therefore the people who choose not to keep a gun are in more danger.
Also, what happens when someone who has a gun for self-defence has a breakdown? It is so much easier for him to go on a rampage and kill lots of people.
^^ Everything you just said is basically true, but it's impossible to fight it. Having morals is fine, but the world is going to be harsh .
especially this part
"Therefore the people who choose not to keep a gun are in more danger"
It's not a moral issue for me. I think society is safer without guns being readily available. I'm no expert on gun culture, but over here few housebreakers carry guns. They know the homeowner is unlikely to be armed, and it's not worth the extra time in jail that carrying a gun brings.
Yes, criminals over here can get hold of guns, but they tend to use them against other people who are likely to have guns.
We do have a problem with knives. A lot of people carry knives. A lot of them say they carry them for protection.
In a way this whole arrgument reminds me of an arms race, with guns=nuclear weapons. Some people think the world is a safer place with the deterrent that nuclear weapons bring. Others think the world would e a better place if all nuclear weapons were scrapped.