Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site osu-eddie.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!osu-eddie!karl From: karl@osu-eddie.UUCP (Karl Kleinpaste) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: handgun control Message-ID: <23@osu-eddie.UUCP> Date: Wed, 2-Jan-85 11:13:43 EST Article-I.D.: osu-eddi.23 Posted: Wed Jan 2 11:13:43 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 3-Jan-85 03:58:03 EST References: <245@gargoyle.UUCP> <259@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> Organization: Society for the Advancement of Raw Weirdness Lines: 48 ---------- >As to whether or not the government is ``entitled'' to ``force'' people >to dispose of their guns, let's note that the Morton Grove handgun ban >has been upheld by the US Supreme Court. I guess the government IS >entitled. ---------- This is incorrect. What the US SC did was to decline to hear the case, partly at the request of the NRA, in order that it might be heard by the Illinois SC first. This is drastically different from having the US SC "uphold" the decision; they actually decided to ignore it officially for the time being. ---------- >Polls show that handgun control is desired by 60 - 70% of the American >people. What Renner should have said is that handgun control will pass >when the NRA ceases to be a major influence on legislators. ---------- Two points: (1) This is much like the polls which show that well over 85% of the people favor a verifiable nuclear freeze. But such polls (I've been polled on that question twice now) usually forget to ask the related question, "Do you think such verification can be achieved in the reasonably near future?" I don't think so, and hence I don't really favor a freeze at this point. Similar thoughts apply to handgun control; just because it's favorable to get firearms away from criminals doesn't mean that I support the mechanisms currently available to deal with limiting firearms in the general case. (2) The NRA is a major influence on legislators because it represents (in several ways) an incredibly large number of people. It is, firstly, a sporting organization, but the NRA-ILA (Institute for Legislative Action) is supported by (I think) 1/3 of the $15 yearly membership fee. Since the NRA has 3 million members, that means that it can claim an extremely large base from which to work, both for volunteers in doing election- and lawmaking-related activities, as well as dollars for advertising campaigns to support candidates. When the gun control advocates can claim that many people in an organized group who really care one way or the other about it, then I'll consider them a viable force with which to deal. Until then, the support of those who care enough to do more than sit back and complain is weighted on the side of the NRA by at least 2 orders of magnitude. Think of it as "Government by the People" in action. -- From the badly beaten keyboards of him who speaks +-best address in textured Technicolor *TyPe* f-O-n-T-s... | | Karl Kleinpaste @ Bell Labs, Columbus 614/860-5107 +---> cbrma!kk @ Ohio State University 614/422-0915 osu-eddie!karl