[Uncle Billy]

This debate is getting tiresome. My position is that I'm a firm supporter of the 2a and the individual right to guns. In most other issues I would be considered a "liberal", but not on that one. Call me whatever you feel is proper, I don't care how you classify me, I'm not anti-gun; whatever you think I am, that one is wrong.

Here's what I believe to be true. Take it or leave it:
Not all "liberals" are against guns, it's not inconsistent with liberal philosophy to be in favor of individual gun rights- individual freedoms, unencumbered by the wishes or bigotry of others, is a primary tenet of political and social liberalism. Take a look at other divisive social and political issues, like civil rights, or gay rights, or abortion rights, or gender rights, and see where the liberal perspective is. While most of those are odious to others, their "take" on gun rights is congruent with those philosophies and that ought to be recognized. And others ought to realize that "liberal" isn't as monolithic as "conservative" is; there are liberals who would disagree with their fellows on this; liberals are unique in this way.

I believe that gun control legislation, that has the intent of making guns harder or impossible to obtain, only inhibits the activities (and rights) of those that follow the law, and they aren't the source of gun violence. It's the actions of people, not the tools they use, that create the difficulties.

I believe it is invalid to blame the ills in a society on its artifacts.

Many people who don't like guns, or are afraid of them, have those attitudes because they only know of guns from the news, the media, the movies and TV because they haven't had any first-hand experience with the positive aspects of guns, especially those who live in high crime urban areas where their most immediate experience with guns may have been shoot-'em-ups in their neighborhoods with illegal guns. That's just the way it is, there's no condemnation due them, they aren't to blame for their attitudes because they came to them legitimately.

With an increase in the number of CCers, there is a greater possibility of accidents and mistakes with guns than with fewer CC permit holders. That ISN'T an argument against individual 2A rights, it's an argument in favor of CC permit holders learning all they can about how to CC legally and how to use their weapon (or not) in the most legal, disciplined and appropriate manner, when a circumstance occurs to them wherein the gun comes into consideration. Such discipline and competence doesn't seem to be universal, given what some have posted here.