Owning guns- Right or Privilege?

[u/Low_Bar_804]

So obviously here in Canada our government sees private firearm ownership as a privilege rather than a right. My question is, how you guys feel? Do you think gun ownership is a right or a privilege?

When you look at other things people view as rights, such as abortion, freedom of expression and freedom of religion etc. These are all viewed by most as inherently “good rights”, but in many countries these rights are restricted. I think, along with many others, that it is justified to ignore unjust laws that restrict human rights.

I personally believe that firearm ownership is a fundamental human right because it protects all of our other rights and freedoms from being taken away. So even though legally speaking firearm ownership is a privilege that can be taken away at any time here in Canada, I don’t agree with the way our country and many others treat firearm ownership.

[u/Jayardia]

I don’t see this issue quite as simply as “right or privilege”.

My scope and perspective would include the words “obligation”, “responsibility”, “conditional”, and “duty” -along with the “right” and “privilege”.

(If it’s a binary, “either-or” question, I’d certainly lean to “privilege”… but with much explanation needed.)

I generally despise the bad-faith ridiculousness that has happened with Canada’s firearm laws in the past decade or so.

Nor am I a fan of the loose, irresponsible nature of the American format of gun culture overall.

I’m a pretty big fan of thoughtfully meshing freedoms and responsibilities in a way that is meticulously sensible, and fosters human flourishing and competence- both as individuals and as a whole.

There are people who- (by example of their established patterns of behaviour) -shouldn’t be trusted with a burnt-out match, let alone a firearm.

There are others, who- through practice, training, ability, and long-term demonstration of peak human sensibility, -I would trust to carry generally any firearm (openly or concealed) on their person at any or all times, at their discretion.

Most of us recognize that the problems that have existed (and continue to exist) as a consequence of “humans with firearms”, -it’s the humans that are invariably the problem factor at issue.

I believe in varying forms of official licensing when it comes to firearms… the training, responsibilities, and allowances would increase at each level. …I’d be thinking of 4 to 5 levels in this notion. I have a base, general framework in mind for the requirements/allowances of each level, but the details of those levels would be worked out by those more knowledgeable than myself. I’d view the “Level 1” as something that approaches a “common right of passage” toward base human competence… similar to learning to swim, or basic cooking. -Not everyone is capable of all these things, -for a variety of reasons, and that makes sense.

You wanna use firearms for basic independent target/training shooting or hunting? …Level 2. That’s going to be much more advanced than 1.

Sport / competitive shooting and wilderness carry permit for handguns? Level 3.

And so on… the highest I’d be interested in would be 3. …4 and 5 would be quite different, and likely “lifestyle-altering” levels of duty, competence, and ongoing recertification training.