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Jokes aside, alcohol his little to no redeeming value (outside of medical and industrial uses). Yet we, as a democratic and free society, have agreed that the pleasure of alcohol outweighs the pain and suffering it causes (which outnumbers the pain the suffering caused by firearm ownership in this country).
At least with firearms, there is objective value, e.g., 1) self defense, 2) a commodity that can be traded and sold (if the shit hits the fan, guns and ammo will be worth more than gold, 3) safe recreational use among family and friends, 4) keeping the government in check (no, I'm not a right wing nut, but it is a hell of lot easier to deal with the lemming if they aren't armed).
Freedom is expensive and produces horrible results. But you gotta take the good with the bad. We'd all be safe if we lived in a world where guns, alcohol, cigarettes, fast cars, and other "vice enabling" products/services were banned. But then you live in some strange world out of a Star Trek episode. No thanks.
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