General Poll - Guns, Balanced Budgets & the Two Party System

[Rooster71]

With the upcoming election, I am curious how posters in this forum feel about these three topics.

[El Barto]

The only real problem I have with the political system is Gerrymandering, which allows the party in power in each state to manipulate election results by how it creates districts.

Fortunately the Presidency and Senate can not be Gerrymandered, which is why I feel that the Senate is the most representative branch of the legislature.

[Rooster71]

[ QUOTE ]
The only real problem I have with the political system is Gerrymandering, which allows the party in power in each state to manipulate election results by how it creates districts.

Fortunately the Presidency and Senate can not be Gerrymandered, which is why I feel that the Senate is the most representative branch of the legislature.

[/ QUOTE ]
Good point. I think the longer term of office also helps.

[Rooster71]

It would be interesting to know who the 1 person is who thinks that the fereal government having a balanced budget is not important.

[benfranklin]

Quite a wide variety of topics for a single post.

As to guns, a symptom of insanity is repeating the same action expecting a different outcome. Guns laws have no effect on people who don't obey laws. More guns laws will have no effect either. (Wait! Let's try double secret probation!!) Several times in the last few years, major big city or state crackdowns based on existing laws greatly decreased guns crimes and deaths.

The two-party system at the national level is encourage by the Electoral College structure, but certainly not mandated. Even without the Electoral College, having a President, as opposed to say a Prime Minister, encourages a two-party system. There are plenty of opportunities for change, but these changes are more likely to occur at the state and local level. The current two major parties are certainly not the same Dem and GOP parties that elected the JFK (the real one) or Nixon. When the parties do not change, strong third parties spring up, change the Big Two, and get re-absorbed.

[CORed]

[ QUOTE ]
When the parties do not change, strong third parties spring up, change the Big Two, and get re-absorbed.

[/ QUOTE ]

Usually. However, the Republican party was originally a third party, but I haven't seen too many Whigs running for office lately.

[Rooster71]

[ QUOTE ]
As to guns, a symptom of insanity is repeating the same action expecting a different outcome. Guns laws have no effect on people who don't obey laws. More guns laws will have no effect either. (Wait! Let's try double secret probation!!) Several times in the last few years, major big city or state crackdowns based on existing laws greatly decreased guns crimes and deaths.

[/ QUOTE ]
I am not in favor of additional gun laws. It is my opinion that gun violence in this country has more to do with lack of responsibility (and lack of sense) than it has to do with guns themselves. I have owned and shot guns since I was 8 years old and the thought of killing someone for no reason (with a gun) has never crossed my mind. For those who advocate more gun laws, I am curious of their thought process. Let's see....what else is illegal - drugs, prostitution, etc. Criminalization really stamped out these activities....LOL. This is aside from the fact that law abiding citizens have every right to own firearms.

Also, I wonder if many gun control advocates know that it is already a felony for any felon to be in possession of a firearm? I urge these people to look at their local county court records and see how many parolees have their parole revoked for this reason. The number is considerable.

If an average citizen was forbidden by law to own guns, then criminals would have a lock on the firearms market.