Conflicting political views and ethics - Is this a problem to you too?

[Lycanthromancer]

Also if you're talking about a gun, in D&D thats probably better off as something like a Necklace of Fireballs or some other use activated magic item. A crossbow isn't even going to reliably kill a cat at point blank.

But then, cats are like min-tarrasques, but far more lethal at that ECL.

[edit] Also, I've had a few DMs that pulled crap like this. For one, I was a baby gold dragon, not a paladin. I'd read in the source material (Dragon Magazine) that baby dragons tend to be a lot more chaotic and gung-ho than adults, and so I wrote CG on my character sheet. The DM didn't think I was playing my PROPER alignment of LG, so he kept making my breath weapon burn down forests and catch other players (explicitly because, 'we don't have a battle map, so you can't aim') and gang-raped my baby dragon by a clan of ogres and hill giants to punish me for it. He then went on to make everything I did to help others backfire in the most ludicrous ways possible because apparently everyone in the world was hyperbolically Chaotic Stupid.

[Solo]

Thinking historically, weren't the English citizenry at one point or another required to own and practice with longbows so they could form an effective militia or something?

While it is our right to own a gun I do think that nation wide they should require a safety training course as well as a basic test to own a gun, much like driving a car. I know it would be shot down as unconstitutional, but there are too many stupid & irresponsible people with guns.

Bad idea for the same reason that the poll tax was a bad idea.

[archangel.arcanis]

Thinking historically, weren't the English citizenry at one point or another required to own and practice with longbows so they could form an effective militia or something?

While it is our right to own a gun I do think that nation wide they should require a safety training course as well as a basic test to own a gun, much like driving a car. I know it would be shot down as unconstitutional, but there are too many stupid & irresponsible people with guns.

Bad idea for the same reason that the poll tax was a bad idea.

Well not entirely, as this isn't intended to keep weapons out of the hands of the poor and illiterate (at the time that was mostly free slaves), just the irresponsible. I still get why it is a bad idea, I'm just disappointed that I would even have to consider such a thing. IIRC studies showed most injuries and deaths due to guns weren't because of violent crimes, the majority were accidents due to poor gun safety.

[weenog]

So why not make gun ownership mandatory and let selection pressure gradually weed out lack of respect for gun safety?

[Solo]

That would also be a bad idea because it does not allow people to make their own personal choices anymore.

While people do not have complete freedom to make lifestyle choices (ie, no committing treason) this is not one of those instances in which people should be forced to make a certain choice.

[weenog]

You just don't want to be taxed to pay for foolish people to eliminate themselves if they can't afford to buy their own guns.

[skydragonknight]

Merciful weapons are great for Paladins. Someone trying to mess with you? Knock them down in nonlethal damage until next Sunday. You are showing them both the justice and the mercy of your god. (Plus, while they are unconscious, you appropriate the majority of their stuff as their heartfelt atonement for their misdeads.)

[Lycanthromancer]

So why not make gun ownership mandatory and let selection pressure gradually weed out lack of respect for gun safety?

It's not generally the stupid person that dies.