I think we are on the same side here, although we have different ways of approaching the subject. For that reason, I digress.

Also it not a fine line to walk to say that the government can not take away my GOD GIVEN rights. I am not beating around the bush when I say that. Government rules with the permission of the people. The people don’t serve government, government serves the people. Like any employee we can fire their ass without a second thought if we believe that to be the best course of action for the country (our business in which the government is employed). As soon as you have decided that you serve the government and not the other way around, you have resigned yourself to slavery.

Basically, what I was getting at is, people need to look beyond how they view it at how others view it. If we pretend everyone sees it the the same as we do, we can never truly change the mis-conception others have.

Ithaca,

You make good points, but consider this. If I lie and cheat, I have a bad image. But what happens if I start stealing as well? Doesn’t the image others have of me grow worse?

The statements in your last paragraph bother me for two reasons. First, if it shouldn’t matter what anyone thinks, then why does it matter what you or I think? That is flawed logic, because if we want our voice to be heard, we have to be worried about it.

Second, the Constitution was drafted by the founding fathers of our government. It was the very creation of that government that granted us the Second Amendment. We aren’t able to effectively argue that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right no matter what the government says if we say that it is constitutionally protected. Of course, we can say that the current government doesn’t have the right to take that right away, but there is a fine line to walk in the way it is presented. I hope that makes sense.

There is a big difference. Personally I think they should NOT reflect negatively but I know that they do. So by looking at the question I would have to say YES it does but I definitely don’t think it should.

Hope that makes sense.

Frankly it doesn’t matter what people think of various weapons (be they “civilian” or “military”) and whether or not people should be able to own them because it is constitutionally protected and is a fundamental right of every person whether the government chooses to acknowledge it.