Well said!

First, because the laws do not provide safety to the general public, they leave them unarmed against the criminals who are always armed. Second, the 2nd Amendment states very clearly that the right to bear arms is an inalienable right not to be infringed upon. It's as simple as that.

Modifications to the laws do not leave citizens unarmed. That is not what is being proposed and if you noted my first sentence that is not what I'm opposed to. I was raised with gun training. I'm opposed to auto assault weaponry in civilian hands. Specifically the hands of someone that is mentally unstable. I cannot believe any law-abiding citizen believes that is safe---especially an automatic weapon. The NRA is trying to scare gun owners with their rhetoric.

The Second Amendment was written 200 years ago when this was a very different country. Citizens needed weapons to protect themselves. Hand guns were their weapons of choice, not automatic rifles that can kill 50 people in the blink of an eye. Technology has provided our citizens with weapons our forefathers never dreamed about in their wildest imagination. These laws need modifications because we are now living in a more modern society.

So again, I'm baffled as to why gun holders would be against laws providing safety to the general public.

Teena, in an effort to try to educate ( I do not say that with any sarcasm but pure sincerity)
The Constitution for reason like many other things in our lives takes on a belief that is beyond or completely false of its origin,

The Constitution has NO concern about material things.... it is completely concerned with how man interacts with man.

To think that there is a concern about the type of guns is completely wrong.

The Constitution is concerned with the heart of man, more specifically how man has the capability to institute a tyrannical government.

Tv and the Internet were not things our forefathers ever dreamed of either. Should the 1st Amendment not apply to them? It's not the NRA that's trying to scare gun owners, it's people like Dianne Feinsten and Robin Kelly who are trying to scare people who know absolutely nothing about guns. 200 years ago the handgun was the weapon of choice?? These people (and you) have no idea what they're talking about. A semi-automatic weapon will not kill 50 people in the blink of an eye! Good grief. Do some research before saying "something must be done!"

AW, Thank you for sharing. Below is the text of the 2nd Amendment:

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The 2nd Amendment was ratified on December 17, 1791 along with the other nine amendments that make up the Bill of Rights. While it is a very short amendment, its exact meaning in terms of what types of weapons are protected is still in contention today.
Text of the 2nd Amendment

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
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So what you are saying is that the Constitution and Amendments only guide us. We need to put laws in place to protect our citizenry. Is this correct?

I only say this, because somewhere along the timeline over the last 200 years, I feel we have lost our way with regard to guns. While we regulate cars and license the owners, we do not do that with guns. I don't believe anyone is saying that regulation will stop violence completely, just as rules and reg for cars and drivers haven't stop accidents completely, but to provide more control for law enforcement to provide a tool to assist in protecting the public. Just some common sense that seems to be lacking.

I respectfully disagree, Debbie!
I've never used a machine gun, but depending on the size of the magazine or belt, I understand many people can be killed very quickly. And I did not use the term "semi-automatic". As I understand it, that simply reloads one bullet into the chamber, which I think could be helpful to a hunter that just missed that buck and wants another chance at it.

Noun 1. automatic weapon - a firearm that reloads itself and keeps firing until the trigger is released

Read here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automatic_firearm

Every one is entitled to their opinion, and mine is that something needs to be done to protect the general public from unhealthy people with guns....not healthy, law abiding citizens.

At the time the Bill of Rights was writtten, well regulated meant well practiced. There were no such things as government regulations. And machine guns, which can kill 50 people in the blink of an eye, have been highly regulated since 1934. Dianne Feinstein wants to ban semi-automatic rifles because they look scary. Read the 2nd Amendment closely. It does not bestow the right to bear arms. It assumes that right is given to us upon birth; an unalienable right. The 2nd amendment says the government shall not infringe. Yes, there are laws, and common sense says that mentally ill people should not have a gun, however, the price of living in a free society is that sometimes we will suffer from tragedy. The Sandy Hook shooting has caught everyone's attention, but that mentally ill person would not have been stopped by any of the proposed gun control laws! He was crazy and determined to kill. At the point that he shot the window out to enter the school, the only thing that would have stopped him is another armed person.

Diane,
Thank you for sharing that information.
I understand that just because machine guns are "regulated" does not mean that people on the street cannot own them. They can. And do. Maybe we should rethink this. For instance, in Sandy Hook, if that weapon had been outlawed, the shooter would not have had access to it to murder so many children.

And the second Amendment says, "keep and bear arms" it does not say specifically what kind. Here is where I believe there could be some regulation.

I realize this is simplistic, but this is what many voters are thinking. Myself included.

Many voting citizens like myself are tired of all the murders, especially of children. Sandy Hook was a sort of last straw for many of us.

"Youtube" Sandy Hook news Tom.... there is an uninterrupted helicopter video, showing that rifle being pulled out of the trunk of the killer's car. I think that is more than enough confirmation.