Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site amdahl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!decwrl!sun!amdahl!ems 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 References: <2974@allegra.UUCP> <1912@sun.uucp> <243@harvard.ARPA> <1925@sun.uucp> Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA Lines: 74 Xref: watmath net.politics:6730 net.rec:200 > > >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.