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The failed drug war has taught us you can regulate and draft laws until it's illegal to even think about making a gun let alone get a hold of one without the ap

The failed drug war has taught us you can regulate and draft laws until it's illegal to even think about making a gun let alone get a hold of one without the appropriate credentials, but it won't change a thing at the end of the day. While it can be argued that we might see people printing their own guns in the future when 3D printing becomes affordable, what's stopping people from printing knives and other sharp pointy objects that could be used to kill or maim someone else? If someone wants to get hold of a gun, they will and no amount of laws or enforcement will ever change that. If someone doesn't get hold of a printed weapon, they'll get their hands on a legitimately made metal one (or whatever material it is they build guns out of these days). The benefit of 3D printing is that at least you have a better chance tracing a home printed weapon than you would an illegally purchased street firearm with no serial number.

mr-ron 14y ago
If someone wants to get hold of a gun, they will and no amount of laws or enforcement will ever change that. > Except the lack of guns The benefit of 3D printing is that at least you have a better chance tracing a home printed weapon than you would an illegally purchased street firearm with no serial number. > Except smart filesharers already can't be caught
- DigitalSea 14y ago
  There will never be a lack of guns. America is too big to police efficiently. The drug war which has well and truly failed is a perfect example of this. Filesharing is different. Printing a gun from a 3D printer requires materials, materials which can easily be traced back to their purchase point of origin. You could argue said materials could be obtained on the black market as well as the printers, but you have a better chance of tracking a created gun back to a particular type of 3D printer. I'm not saying it would be that reliable, but at least law enforcement agencies would stand a better chance than they currently have. Tracking a gun without a serial is like treasure hunting in the pacific ocean without a map.
shardling 14y ago
There are plenty of illegal things that are, in fact, hard to get, so clearly this argument is not universal.
sliverstorm 14y ago
The failed drug war... I find it particularly amusing that many of the people I hear calling for the legalization of all drugs on the grounds that banning them doesn't work, are the same people calling for the outlawing of all guns.
- DigitalSea 14y ago
  No part of my comment mentioned calling for the legalisation of drugs nor am I calling for the outlawing of guns. Please do not misconstrue my words, and lets not confuse the real issue here. We are talking about people being able to potentially print functional firearms in the comfort of their own home using a 3D printer.
  - sliverstorm 14y ago
    Sorry, I did not mean to imply anything about you. Just a passing observation tangential to your comment.
- Daishiman 14y ago
  Except that gun control laws can actually be extremely effective, and the same cannot be said for drug prohibition. And, honestly, there is nontrivial difference the ability to consume certain substances and owning instruments made explicitly to kill.
  - jessedhillon 14y ago
    Additionally, there is a very good argument for being free to take substances which release/alter your voluntary control of self. What are the arguments to own any gun? Imaginary civil war, fantasy home defense, pride of ownership, and practicing marksmanship? For this, we have to suffer the fact that any crazy can buy push-button killing machines, or that any sane owner thereof can subsequently lose his shit and kill the rest of us? There doesn't seem to be much of an upside for the rest of us.
    - sliverstorm 14y ago
nwienert 14y ago
I've thought about this one, and I think drug prohibition is an unfair comparison. Drugs bring a immediate and addictive reward, that the user seeks continuously. This drives up their demand. Not to mention they have higher profit margins, and are a temporary good. If gun's were illegal, owning one would be a constant threat to the owner. Drugs can be easily disposed, and are not permanent. Decent guns are made by manufacturer's, which is much easier to regulate than drugs which are made in labs and farms. Finally, gun's are metal and therefore much harder to smuggle... metal detectors and such. Not saying I can prove any of this, but I think the comparison just doesn't work.
- jkubicek 14y ago
  Also, drugs are designed and sold for personal pleasure. Guns are designed and sold for killing. The comparison between the two doesn't hold.
brianobush 14y ago
I always hear the argument "If someone wants to get hold of a gun, they will and no amount of laws or enforcement will ever change that..." In the heat of the moment can you easily get a gun? Especially if you are looking for banned weapons? How many incidents have occurred due to guns being easy to access?
- sliverstorm 14y ago
  How many school shootups have been "in the heat of the moment"? Every time the police follow up, it looks pretty apparent they were planned. I mean, who has full body armor available "in the heat of the moment"? (Aurora and the most recent shooter were both in full body armor)
  - brianobush 14y ago
    Even when these events are planned, there is still a time when you go "I need a big gun" to getting one. If mom has one in the closet, this obviously makes that event happen instantly. If there are more roadblocks to the process of acquiring an assault rifle, wouldn't it be worth it even if it saved a single life?
    - sliverstorm 14y ago
      If there are more roadblocks to the process of acquiring an assault rifle, wouldn't it be worth it even if it saved a single life? How can we know if it would save even a single life? How would we even know if it was worth it? You attempt to simplify far too much. In a country of 300 million, can you say with certainty it would not (for example) cost even a single life?

mr-ron 14y ago

If someone wants to get hold of a gun, they will and no amount of laws or enforcement will ever change that. > Except the lack of guns The benefit of 3D printing is that at least you have a better chance tracing a home printed weapon than you would an illegally purchased street firearm with no serial number. > Except smart filesharers already can't be caught

DigitalSea 14y ago
There will never be a lack of guns. America is too big to police efficiently. The drug war which has well and truly failed is a perfect example of this. Filesharing is different. Printing a gun from a 3D printer requires materials, materials which can easily be traced back to their purchase point of origin. You could argue said materials could be obtained on the black market as well as the printers, but you have a better chance of tracking a created gun back to a particular type of 3D printer. I'm not saying it would be that reliable, but at least law enforcement agencies would stand a better chance than they currently have. Tracking a gun without a serial is like treasure hunting in the pacific ocean without a map.

shardling 14y ago

There are plenty of illegal things that are, in fact, hard to get, so clearly this argument is not universal.

sliverstorm 14y ago

The failed drug war... I find it particularly amusing that many of the people I hear calling for the legalization of all drugs on the grounds that banning them doesn't work, are the same people calling for the outlawing of all guns.

DigitalSea 14y ago
No part of my comment mentioned calling for the legalisation of drugs nor am I calling for the outlawing of guns. Please do not misconstrue my words, and lets not confuse the real issue here. We are talking about people being able to potentially print functional firearms in the comfort of their own home using a 3D printer.
- sliverstorm 14y ago
  Sorry, I did not mean to imply anything about you. Just a passing observation tangential to your comment.
Daishiman 14y ago
Except that gun control laws can actually be extremely effective, and the same cannot be said for drug prohibition. And, honestly, there is nontrivial difference the ability to consume certain substances and owning instruments made explicitly to kill.
- jessedhillon 14y ago
  Additionally, there is a very good argument for being free to take substances which release/alter your voluntary control of self. What are the arguments to own any gun? Imaginary civil war, fantasy home defense, pride of ownership, and practicing marksmanship? For this, we have to suffer the fact that any crazy can buy push-button killing machines, or that any sane owner thereof can subsequently lose his shit and kill the rest of us? There doesn't seem to be much of an upside for the rest of us.
  - sliverstorm 14y ago

nwienert 14y ago

I've thought about this one, and I think drug prohibition is an unfair comparison. Drugs bring a immediate and addictive reward, that the user seeks continuously. This drives up their demand. Not to mention they have higher profit margins, and are a temporary good. If gun's were illegal, owning one would be a constant threat to the owner. Drugs can be easily disposed, and are not permanent. Decent guns are made by manufacturer's, which is much easier to regulate than drugs which are made in labs and farms. Finally, gun's are metal and therefore much harder to smuggle... metal detectors and such. Not saying I can prove any of this, but I think the comparison just doesn't work.

jkubicek 14y ago
Also, drugs are designed and sold for personal pleasure. Guns are designed and sold for killing. The comparison between the two doesn't hold.

brianobush 14y ago

I always hear the argument "If someone wants to get hold of a gun, they will and no amount of laws or enforcement will ever change that..." In the heat of the moment can you easily get a gun? Especially if you are looking for banned weapons? How many incidents have occurred due to guns being easy to access?

sliverstorm 14y ago
How many school shootups have been "in the heat of the moment"? Every time the police follow up, it looks pretty apparent they were planned. I mean, who has full body armor available "in the heat of the moment"? (Aurora and the most recent shooter were both in full body armor)
- brianobush 14y ago
  Even when these events are planned, there is still a time when you go "I need a big gun" to getting one. If mom has one in the closet, this obviously makes that event happen instantly. If there are more roadblocks to the process of acquiring an assault rifle, wouldn't it be worth it even if it saved a single life?
  - sliverstorm 14y ago
    If there are more roadblocks to the process of acquiring an assault rifle, wouldn't it be worth it even if it saved a single life? How can we know if it would save even a single life? How would we even know if it was worth it? You attempt to simplify far too much. In a country of 300 million, can you say with certainty it would not (for example) cost even a single life?