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Originally Posted by willravel
Guns are not tools. Guns are weapons. I'm not sure one can say that weapons (in the same way a gun is a weapon) have been around since before language. Where alcohol represents decadence or addiction, guns represent cowardly combat. Guns are the modern equivelant to blinding powders and poisoning. Apples and oranges.
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Guns most certainly are tools. They are an inanimate object designed for different purposes (despite what others would say). Many are designed for target shooting and target competition, some for hunting, and, yes, some for killing. There are many implements that were designed for one thing and later made into a weapon (the nunchaku of Japan for instance). What makes a weapon a weapon is the intent of the user. Police can charge someone for using a weapon when they use a beer bottle. Why? Because of the INTENT of the user and the capability of the "weapon."
"Guns represent cowardly combat." Interesting phrase, may I inquire as to your line of thinking with that? As a law enforcement officer, I have always viewed it as the last line of defense of life. During my time in the military, I viewed it, and myself, as the instrument of government policy. I don't view a firearm as a representative of anything. It is a tool that follows the intent of the user and nothing else. Guns are the modern equivalent of bows and arrows, there is nothing "sneaky" about their use and it sure served our purposes when we needed to put Hitler out of business or hold Joe Stalin at bay.