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Originally Posted by Lisnaholic
Motor cyclists statistically run a heightened risk of brain injury, therefore all of them wear helmets. It's not really saying to each individual cyclist, "I don't think you're capable of riding safely." In a similar way, I'm guessing that felons fall into a group that are statistically more likely to be involved in violent crime, so denying them access to guns should statistically lessen that risk to society.
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Helmet and traffic rules are applied universally, as opposed to rules applied exclusively to felons. If our laws were consistent with the idea that felony=violence, I'd be on board but that's not the case. I think it's more realistic to address gun laws and culture than to legislate restrictions against a specific class of citizens. The restrictive nature of the law and the social norms that it influences against ex convicts plays a big role in making them desperate enough to commit crimes again. It's a self fulfilling prophecy, especially if you're told that you can't be trusted to not be violent. When you're told that often enough, it makes violence seem like your true nature.
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Underlying my argument is also the assumption that you can lead a full and active life without owning a gun, that the lack of one doesn't make you a second-class citizen.
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You can absolutely live a full life without owning a gun, but if you have a separate set of rights from the rest of the populace that inherently makes you an unequal citizen (aka a second class citizen). That applies to gun rights, however dysfunctional American gun culture is.