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From: ems@amdahl.UUCP (E. Michael Smith)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.rec
Subject: Re: Merry Christmas from the NRA
Message-ID: <903@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 9-Jan-85 14:21:33 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.903
Posted: Wed Jan  9 14:21:33 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Jan-85 01:13:21 EST
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> > >Fact is, Handguns never kill anyone.
> > >People kill People, and they use a variety of tools to do so.
> > You're right!!
> > BAN PEOPLE.
> When people are banned, only outlaws will be people.
> -- 
> Gene E. Bloch (...!nsc!voder!gino)
> Extend USENET to omicron Ceti.

Here is my problem with 'gun control'.  (I am in favor of the *IDEA*
of limiting guns in a society... just doesn't seem to work yet.)

1. Cost - do you realize that you are talking about a multi-million
dollar operation?  Couldn't we save 10k lives easier by spending on
other projects?

2. Guns can be MANUFACTURED or SMUGGLED very easily.  Witness the gun
trade into South American nations. (And Humbolt county, Ca....)

3. The persons most 'hurt' by restricting citizen access to guns are the
old, the weak, the small, and women.  The big bruser bully can get by
just fine with a knife, club, or just plain old size.  (Yes, I have
been beaten up before, no I don't carry a gun because of it, yes I
do understand some lady friends who have a gun in the purse... )

4.  'Gun nuts' are not going to comply, from those I have talked to.

5.  Criminals are not going to comply.  (In the Humbolt area of California
the most popular weapons for defending Pot farms are full automatic
assualt rifles.  Highly illegal.)

6.  Enough laws already exist.  Say one walks into a store for a stick up
and has a prior record.  What laws were broken?
  a.  Possession of a gun by a felon.
  b.  Conceled (spelled wrong..) weapon. (A gun in a holster is
      is considered to be hidden.)
  c.  Loaded weapon in city limits (usually a separate crime)
  d.  Assult with a deadly weapon
  e.  Brandishing a weapon
  f.  Use of a gun in the commision of a crime
  g.  And several others I'm sure... Like fireing the gun is two more
  crimes; the first is discharging a firearm in city limits, the other
  is murder or aggravated assult or some such.

Do you really believe that adding possession of an unregistered gun
to the list will stop any one?  As for cause to arrest someone before
they commit a 'crime'.  Possession of a loaded gun in plain sight or
not is already covered by several of the above laws.  We can already
lock them away.

7.  It takes about 10 minutes if you are slow to put a hacksaw to
a shotgun and make a more leathal weapon that is cheaper and just
as small as most handguns.  Also easier to buy.  The handgun is
notoriously inaccurate and low in power when compared to rifles
and shotguns.  (which is why many sportsmen prefer to hunt with
handguns - adds chalenge.  And keeps more deer safe :-) )
I don't want the criminal element learning to use sawed off shotguns
rather than handguns.  Ronnie was shot at close range by a hand gun
and lived.  Kennedy was shot at long range with a rifle and died.
Ford was completely missed by a handgun.  Keep criminals ignorant
and using handguns.


-- 

The early bird catches the worm, but the early worm gets eaten.
So which are you, a worm or a bird brain? (Me? I sleep in...)

E. Michael Smith  ...!{hplabs,ihnp4,amd,nsc}!amdahl!ems

The opinions expressed by me are not representative of those of any
other person - natural, unnatural, or fictional - and only marginally
reflect my opinions as strained by the language.