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From: mag@whuxlm.UUCP (Gray Michael A)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: handgun control
Message-ID: <636@whuxlm.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 5-Jan-85 19:52:04 EST
Article-I.D.: whuxlm.636
Posted: Sat Jan  5 19:52:04 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 6-Jan-85 03:57:25 EST
References: <> <265@gargoyle.UChicago.UUCP> <2223@randvax.UUCP> <2228@randvax.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Whippany
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>     Well, if it IS nearly impossible to legally carry a handgun in New
>     York (which may or may not be true...I've heard conflicting stories
>     about this), 

True.  Permits to legally carry handguns are almost unobtainable.

>     but it's easy to get one in, say, New Jersey, Pennsylvania,
>     or Connecticut (which, again, may or may not be the case), it seems like
>     a pretty simple job to acquire an "illegal" handgun in, Philly, and take
>     the traim back to Manhatan.
> 

Why on earth would one bother?  There are MILLIONS of illegal handguns
available for sale in this country.  Try this: go to any bar in upper
Manhattan.  Remark that you need a piece and have the money to pay for it.
Wait about 15 minutes.  You may need to wait 20 minutes.

>     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...
> 
> 					    --- das

As I said, there are millions of guns around. ANYBODY with money can get
one if s/he wants to, easily, without traveling.  If you stopped all
manufacture, importation, and legal sale of all guns tomorrow, it would take
100 years before the supply started running low, by which time netnews
would have long since published instructions for making a portable
laser at home that was far more devastating than handguns!

Sure, if you can't get guns, there might be fewer crimes committed
with them.  BUT YOU CAN GET THEM!  You'll be able to for the
forseeable future!  I hate guns, I wouldn't own one, I wish they
didn't exist!  But, they are too easy to hide, too easy to make,
and too popular in this culture to be gotten rid of.  If you want to
reduce handgun deaths, try another approach.

Any really creative ideas out there, netters?

Mike Gray, BTL, WH.