On the point that one can have urban development AND urban gun control; that’s true (and obviously does happen), but the latter inevitably tends to cloud arguments for the former and siphons off valuable funds that could go to a more useful purpose.

I don’t see how you’re conflating the individual right to defend oneself with relying on a police force to protect you; I’m no anti-police anarcho-capitalist, but I think you’re treading into dangerous territory when you cede your right to self-preservation to a corruptable third party.

And lastly, what is this about new Say Anything album download? Linknaoplzkthxbai, as your favorite internet grammar speaking cat images would say.

The major problem with your main argument is that you’re offering a false dichotomy. It’s not EITHER urban gun control OR urban leg-up iniatives; it can be BOTH.

I guess it is (at the moment) our constitutional right to own a gun, but just ’cause it’s in the Constitution doesn’t make it right, as much as your hero Ron Paul would tell you differently. After all, there was a lot of bullshit about slaves/Prohibition in there at one point. The strength of the Constitution lies in the fact that we can amend it (i.e., recognizing black people and women as human beings), not in standing by it unquestioningly.

I also dispute that owning a gun is a “fundamental” right. I guess you have a right to protect yourself, but I thought that was the whole point of society; we pay taxes so we have cops and laws who do that for us. Owning a gun is only a “fundamental” right in some sort of post-apocalyptic, “Mad Max” world. And don’t give me that “I use it for hunting” bullshit. Sports are not a sufficient reason to allow unfettered gun use in America (perhaps I will make an exception for mountainmen, who need to hunt for their survival, although I frown on them not using the more traditional method of knife or clever traps).

I generally agree with you on other matters, though; I just think that this particular belief is dangerously insane and irrational (that, and I’m trying to kill time until the new Say Anything album finishes downloading). Keep up the good work, broseph.