Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site randvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!ittvax!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!randvax!rohn From: rohn@randvax.UUCP (Laurinda Rohn) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: handgun control Message-ID: <2229@randvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 3-Jan-85 15:40:07 EST Article-I.D.: randvax.2229 Posted: Thu Jan 3 15:40:07 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 7-Jan-85 01:45:31 EST References: <> <265@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <2223@randvax.UUCP> <2228@randvax.UUCP> Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica Lines: 30 > > from randvax!rohn (me) > > I'd be interested in answers from the control advocates to the following > > question: Assuming some sort of national handgun control is instituted, > > why do you think that that will prevent criminals from getting handguns > > illegally, just as most of them do now? > > from --- das (David Shlapak) > That's the whole point of NATIONAL gun control...making it harder to > get a handgun anywhere. One of the most pernicious characteristics of > a handgun is its size; it's not at all difficult to carry one from > point A, where there are no or lax gun control laws, to point B, > where stricter regulations may exist. A national law could be quite > effective in preventing this traffic in semi-legal weaponry. > > Remember, most "illegal" handguns were legal at some point in their > travels... I don't deny that nationally controlling handguns would make them harder to get. I'm just not yet convinced that criminals would have a *much* harder time getting them. Heroin is illegal everywhere in the US, but it does seem to turn up a lot, and from what I'm told, if you have the money, it isn't hard to get. Why would handguns be any different? (That wasn't meant as a rhetorical question...:-) ) Lauri rohn@rand-unix.ARPA ..decvax!randvax!rohn "Never test for an error condition you can't handle."