This is the part that sticks out for me. I would say "Before I answer Why not, you answer me why."
Responses like this are just like saying "Because" to a question of "Why did..."
Just "because" isn't an answer and neither is this.
Before someone assumes, no I'm not an anti-gun nut. Actually enjoyed shooting while in Air Cadets and the occasional time when out with my father when I was a kid. Just because I have no guns now doesn't mean I'm anti-gun. Nor do I think people should turn in their weapons if they have them now unless they volunteer to do so. There's too many out there right now TO have people held accountable for them, and too many nuts out there who'd refuse anyway. What I am for is (better) regulation - whether you hate the word or not - of if not the weapons themselves, then who gets them and how they're handled, AND the ammunition that goes with them. To use a pro-gun quote, "Guns don't kill people!" - nope, they don't, but loaded guns even in the hands of a "law abiding citizen" can.
For the sake of the question itself: "
No civilian needs a grenade launcher or Gatling gun." "
Why not?"
In my opinion:
Because you don't NEED them.
That's not to say collectors should give up their uber-special weapons of choice; if you want to collect a grenade launcher or a gat gun (or whatever else), so be it. However, if these things actually "Work", that's a whole other issue and if you DO have these things in your possession, I don't see why that shouldn't be known to law enforcement at least and there should be something more done to make sure that you, your kids, someone you know, or some idiot who comes into your house doesn't get their hands on them and use them to kill someone.
I don't know about a lot of people but when I was a kid, just because I wanted something doesn't mean I automatically got it. When I would ask "Why not?" the answer was "You don't NEED it."
To me, that is the crux of the whole gun debate. Do people actually NEED a dozen types of weapons, assault rifles,
rocket launchers (as was turned in to an LA gun drop a couple weeks ago) and who the hell knows what else? More to the point, do you NEED hundreds or thousands of rounds of ammo FOR these things?
Obviously the answer is "No". But just because some people want it, they think their entitled to it with no strings (or very little strings) attached. And no, gun ownership is NOT a right just like a dozen plus other things aren't a right. It's a privilege that has been abused and misconstrued long enough.
That's when you need bear hugs the most. ;-)