The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum The Depravity of the Left

I thought I would deal with a few of your points.

1. Appeal to Other Countries

You point to countries like Australia and Norway as success stories. That’s a common move: “If it worked there, it can work here.” The weak spot is that national histories, cultures, and constitutional frameworks differ greatly. The U.S. has a Second Amendment tradition, far higher rates of civilian gun ownership, and a different frontier/cultural ethos. So “copy-paste” solutions don’t transfer neatly. Also, many of those countries still struggle with other forms of violence (stabbings in the U.K., sexual assaults in Scandinavia, etc.).

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2. Black Market Argument

You minimize how accessible illegal firearms really are. The statement “For Average Joe, it is not easy to obtain a gun on the black market” ignores that most criminals are not “average Joes.” They live in circles where black-market guns are much easier to obtain. Criminals, by definition, don’t go through legal channels. So stricter controls often end up burdening the law-abiding rather than cutting off supply to bad actors.

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3. Framing Gun Control as ‘Common Sense’

Notice the rhetorical move: “I don’t want to take your guns, I just want them stored properly, people vetted, guns registered, etc.” That sounds reasonable—but “registration” and “vetting” have historically been stepping-stones toward tighter and tighter restrictions. Many gun owners see this as “death by a thousand cuts.” In other words, the end result is disarmament of law-abiding citizens, even if couched in terms of safety.

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4. Law-Abiding Citizens vs. Criminals

Their challenge—“Why do you say it’s about taking guns from law-abiding citizens?”—is central. The answer is: because criminals ignore registration, training requirements, and safe storage laws. The only people who comply with such rules are the law-abiding. So when politicians add restriction after restriction, the practical effect is reducing legal gun ownership while criminals remain armed.

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5. Underlying Philosophy

Their comments reveal the difference in worldview. On the left, there’s generally more trust in government: “If we regulate it harder, it will be safer.” On the right, there’s more skepticism: “Government control leads to loss of freedom, and criminals don’t follow rules anyway.” That’s the clash—safety through government vs. safety through individual responsibility.