Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site brl-tgr.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!bellcore!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!think!harvard!seismo!brl-tgr!wmartin From: wmartin@brl-tgr.ARPA (Will Martin ) Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Re: rape and firearms Message-ID: <11602@brl-tgr.ARPA> Date: Mon, 15-Jul-85 17:11:25 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.11602 Posted: Mon Jul 15 17:11:25 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 18-Jul-85 08:36:39 EDT References: <191@cuuxa.UUCP> <2919@sdcc3.UUCP> <2301@sun.uucp> Distribution: net Organization: USAMC ALMSA Lines: 19 Another point that I should have added to the "Wild West Theory" discussion: The point about an armed society becoming a polite society is NOT due to everyone running about in fear of being shot by someone else. It is due to the changes in the armed people themselves. When you are armed, you become *LESS* free to indulge your angers, not *more* free! You cannot yell at incompetent drivers, casually insult strangers, etc., because *any* confrontation has the potential to escalate to a conflict with the element of deadly force involved. This is one of the basic principles taught by those all-too-few schools that instruct people in the use of guns for self-defense, like the Chapman or Ayoob academies. This desirable state *can* be reached without everyone going about armed; merely teach every person to act as if every other person was armed. (Of course, we can't even teach people to keep to the right side of sidewalks, so I hold no real hope of anything that depends on teaching and learning...) Will