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!cbosgd!ihnp4!zehntel!hplabs!sdcrdcf!randvax!david From: david@randvax.UUCP (David Shlapak) Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Gun Control Message-ID: <2256@randvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 17-Jan-85 21:37:06 EST Article-I.D.: randvax.2256 Posted: Thu Jan 17 21:37:06 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 22-Jan-85 04:46:28 EST References: <1192@drusd.UUCP> Organization: Rand Corp., Santa Monica Lines: 28 > > A serviceable lethal pistol can be made from a piece of wood, a rubber band, a > couple of nails, some wire and a piece of a car's radio antenna. > > How do you outlaw the zip gun? > > - Phil Lavette What's the lethal range of the zip gun, Phil? How many "rounds" can you get off in a crowded room before someone takes you down? What's the mortality rate among those shot with zip guns? Sheesh! The main thrust of the pro-gun people on this net appears to be "People will kill each other no matter what." Well, maybe true, maybe not. All I know is this: among industrialized countries, the U.S. has just about the highest murder rate. Now, either we're just an incredibly violent bunch of folks ("give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to fire away..."), or there's something really different about the way we do business over here that causes us to be more successful in turning the proverbial "urge to kill" into the act of homicide. The first candidate to leap to my mind is our laws (or, more precisely, LACK of laws) restricting ownership of firearms. Tell me, all you "right to bear arms" proponents, why do YOU think so many people kill each other here? Because EVERYONE doesn't have a private arsenal?? People do kill people...guns just make it easy. --- das