RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Depends on which felony was commited.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I am kinda on the fence about this one .:eek:While I agree with Devil Dog.I think that some case by case situations might deserve review.Seems like it was said waaaay back. That person paid their debt to society"PAID".Why hold it against them for the rest of their life .Most people deserve another chance,Not all mind you but some JMHO.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I've thought about that too, and it always comes back to "who's left to decide"? Some parole-type board? Unfortunately, even felons who "paid their debt to society" don't exactly have stellar rates of recidivism. And what kind of consistency can we see from state-to-state? We see that already in sentence lengths where you can plan on a couple years in one state, and they'll throw away the key in another. And what penalty will be involved if the felon newly clothed in all his/her new "rights" goes out and commits another crime? One state willslap them on the hand, whileanother would probably behead them publicly.

Maybe I just don't trust the judges, juries, and parole boards enough anymore to give them the power to put the right people in jail for a long time, let alone toput anARMED felon back on the street. If they didn't want to forfeit their second amendment right, they shouldn't have violated someone else's rights. Do these people ever think of all they'll give up before they commit a crime? Maybe they should?

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

That is a touchy one and I'm not sure how to go on it. Both sides make very good points. Something to consider is it is pretty easy to get a felony now a days. You don't have to hurt someone to get a felony, just commit a few misdemeanors in a row and you get one. Heck I know a guy that got put on the sex offenders list because he peed behind a dumpster in a parking lot in the middle of the night. That seems a bit severe doesn't it? Mean while we have convicted drug dealer walking the streets. Makes perfect sense to me.

Here is a good case in point for what we arguing. My cousin years ago shot a guy in his front yard because he was brandishing a weapon and making threats. This guy was drunk, and a bit crazy I would assume and it was out in the country, not in the city or suburbs. And this was like 25 years ago mind you, when you could leave your doors unlocked supposedly, not two or three years ago. Any way this guy is yelling and screaming making threats and then fires a shot into the air. My cousin had already called the cops, but they hadn't shown up yet. Things escalated to the point where my cousin made a decision. He opened up a window and shot the guy with a 12 ga. Dropped in the yard and he died later. When the cops showed up they arrested my cousin and charged him with manslaughter, and he went to prison.

He got charged with a felony for protecting his family from crazy guy in the front yard, and went to prison for it. Guess who can't hunt or own a gun anymore. And the worst part is he was living with my uncle at the time and they took all my uncles guns as well.

I bet you dimes to dollars if the other guy would have lived he would still be able to own a firearm. Doesn't quite sound right does it. But it happens all the time.

I can think of many more instances not quite as tragic as that one.

I bet there are plenty of people on here that can own guns simply because they didn't get caught doing something stupid when they were younger. ;)

I have done a few things when I was younger I am not proud of, however that doesn't make me a dangerous person that shouldn't own a firearm. At least I don't think so anyway.

Paul

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

If they want to hunt , let them take up Bow hunting. I have a friend that was convicted of a felony, afterabout 10 DUI's and was sent to prison for six months and he is in the process of gettinga judge to get his right to own back and he has been bow hunting for a couple of years now . With good results (meat in the freezer )

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

well I hope if it is to be it is right in no small part to the perp who has shown their self bot a threat. Then yes.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I dont know!, maybe I had it easy growing up a cops son, maybe I had it hard!, I learned the laws at a young age. Not to say I never did anything wrong" sometimes I had to go a little farther to proove myself to my friends", but I knew were to draw the line!. Now in the case of the young man and the shotgun, well Im sorry, but he and his family were not in innament danger to take ones life, if the drunk would have made it into the house! it would have been pure self-defence and he would still have his rights. Bottom line IMO, I dont think a convicted fellon should have the same rights that I have earned by not breaking the law!.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

A "felon" is anyone who is convicted or pleads guilty/no contest to any offense for which he/she can receive a sentence of more than a year incarceration. It does not matter whether the offense was a violent one, or even if there are actual victims. Take Martha Stewart, for example. Her offense was a "victimless crime" if ever there was one. Should Martha be permanently barred from being able to hunt or defend herself? (Not that she'd want to hunt or use a firearm for protection, since she can no doubt hire people to do her shooting for her!) But you get the point! This is a very complicated/complex issue! Not one that can be answered simply. I believe the case-by-case response is the most appropriate one. And it is exactly what is in place at the present time. The Courtsdecide, on a case-by-case basis exactly who will get this right back.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

I don't think they deserve the right to own firearms, just my personal opinion.

RE: Should Felons own Firearms?
 

Taking away all of a persons right/priviledges because you guys want him to pay even more or want his life totally ruined is rather silly don't ya think. Where's the limit? If someone commits a felony that has nothing to do with violence, or a gun offense, and you take away his right to ever have a gun, where's the limit? Take a way his right to hunt or obtain a license? Take away his right to drive? Take away his right to have a job? Take away his right to own a business and obtain a business licence?. Take away his social security? Where does the beating end.