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Should US citizens accused of domestic abuse lose the right to bear arms?
Results so far:
| No | 36% | 211 votes | Total: 580 votes | |
| Yes | 64% | 369 votes |
No
by Maria Brogna
Created on: March 24, 2009
A United States citizen accused of domestic abuse or violence should not lose their rights to bear arms or any other constitutional rights there for provided. To be accused is not the same as being convicted and unfortunately the media can make it seem that one accused is already guilty. Attacking those accused without proof or a conviction is unjust and is nothing more than a witch hunt.
Though it may seem strange and unpopular for a woman to vote on the no side of this issue, i certainly have my reasons. I was involved in a relationship where the man in question liked his liquor and loved his violence. Unprovoked he took his pleasure inflicting pain and intimidation on me or any one else around him. No remorse, not apologies, just the narcissistic practice of treating everyone else around him as if they didn't matter, and to him they didn't.
Yes he was a violent man, and yes he should never have a weapon and due to his many convictions with drugs, violence and abuse, he has lost his right to be thought of as a decent human being. He also lost all custody of the child we have together and has supervised, urine tested supervision, which he has never used. He keeps his distance and I keep mine. He should never have a gun or be allowed to have a gun for so many reason there is barely room on the page. The convictions that he has should make the decision for that easy.
My argument here is that he tried to accuse me of domestic violence towards him and my child. He just accused me with the accusations of course being unfounded. Though if the rule is based souly on the accusation of domestic violence my rights would have been stripped unjustly. I have no plans on buying a gun, or owning a gun ever, but my right to have one should not be taken from me based on accusations from someone looking to hurt me once more.
In our society accusations are lead by the media to be made into a conviction before a court date is even set. Ignorant assumptions by those who haven't any grasp of the situations at hand lend nothing more than gossip and biased judgement. Though these things are not supposed to sway judges, often time it does. The judges are compelled by the mob mentality of these United States who have replaced their torches and pitchforks with blogs and podcasts. Having an opinion and making accusations are dangerous things when dealing with peoples rights and privileges.
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Yes
by Kristen Donalson
Created on: February 20, 2010 Last Updated: February 21, 2010
As a victim and survivor of domestic violence, I strongly agree that those accused and convicted of the crime should lose the right to bear arms. People convicted of nonviolent crimes lose their right to bear arms, so why should an abuser be any different? Allowing an abuser to carry a firearm is like leaving a child molester on the street to commit such heinous acts again.
All the murder cases of women in an abusive relationship somehow or another involve a weapon. And many times it is not the first time the victim made a report of the abuse. Not only should the government take away the right to bear arms, they should also pass down harsher punishments for abusers.
I reported abuse numerous times, though he was only convicted twice. Both times he received two weeks in a county jail. Even after I received my order of protection, which within one week he violated 4 times, he was finally arrested when he was caught red-handed on my porch with a metal pole waiting on me to arrive home.
If I wouldn't have had the police follow me home that evening I would have became just another statistic. Yet he still only served 61 days in the Department of Corrections.
Once he was in jail I had to leave my apartment because 61 days of him being able to decide what his next move was, the best thing for my safety was to leave. Because the law is truly designed to protect the abuser.
Many women have been through what I experienced, yet a lot of them never lived to tell their story. Many because their abuser was released from custody and returned with a vengeance. I firmly believe if the laws were stricter and designed to remove the right to bare arms as well as carry any kind of concealed weapon, the acts of domestic violence in this country would lessen greatly.
Abusers would be scared of the punishments that they would face, instead of feeling like they face no real jail time. The laws should also be designed to protect the victim more.
When an officer of the law can look a victim in the face and say without a witness there will be no way they can arrest the abuser, that shows you who the law is set up to protect. Innocent until proven guilty?
Without the government regulating the laws and enforcing them better, domestic violence will grow increasingly more common. There will be more stories of abuse victims dying and their abuser having gotten plenty of slaps on the wrist prior to the finale.
Learn more about this author, Kristen Donalson.
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