Bernie,
I think you have this wrong ...
On Sun, 5 Mar 2000 12:00:26 +0100 (MET), Bernie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
<snip>
> It's also hard comming home late at night knowing that you can get
> accidently shot by your own parents.
> Sadly this idea that every one should have a weapon and "shoot first and
> ask questions later" is spreading, it wasn't that long ago that a man here
> in Sweden got shot to death just because he was close to someones house.
> IIRC the man who shot him is beeing acused of his crime as murder.
Arming people doesn't mean telling them to shoot first and ask
questions later. If every child grew up in a home with weapons that
they had been shown the effect of, the reality of bullets and capability
of killing, there would be far fewer deaths by guns. Those who do the
most damage with guns are those who are afraid of them -- i.e. those who
have not received training on the weapon. Once you *know* you know how
to use the weapon, and what it will do, the chances of accidental
shooting drop way down.
And then there is the law. In Texas I was told if I had to shoot
somebody on my property, I should make certain they fell *inside* the
front door. That was because I couldn't "post" my property, since the
mailbox was on the front porch. But just posting "no trespassing" signs
isn't an adequate reason to kill. I don't know about where you live,
but around here you aren't allowed to shoot or attack someone in *any*
way if all that is at risk is property [real or personal]. You can only
shoot when you feel you [or member of household] are/is in "right now"
danger of being killed ... not "beaten up" not "raped" -- only "killed."
>> In this day & age of the US gov'ts trying to disarm the people, one town
>> -- and one town only -- has had a 75% drop in burglery, rape, break ins
>> to homes, etc. It is a small town that *requires* every household to
>> have at least one loaded gun at all times.
> By increasing the number of weapons the "bad guys" also will get their
> hands more easily on weapons. And this *is* the reason why the US has so
> many murderers (especially mass murderers). I doubt that it's in your blood
> to kill inocent people.
This is one of the biggest lies anti-gun people tell themselves: "If no
one is allowed to have guns, then the bad guys can't steal and use
them." The 'Bobbies' in GB don't carry guns because personal ownership
of guns is very strictly controlled. Lately that hasn't stopped bad
guys from getting and using guns to commit crimes. And they didn't
steal the guns from legal owners.
That "if there are no legal guns" argument holds about as much
validity as someone saying I shouldn't own a car, because if I own a car
then some bad guy can steal it and kill someone while being chased by
cops, or driving drunk, or whatever.
Year ago I saw one of the most truthful bumper stickers ever places on a
vehicle: When guns are outlawed, outlaws will still have guns.
You want a gun? I can show you how to make a single fire .22 from a car
antenna, a clothes pin, and a nail. You want a gun? Go to the right
park of the right street and you can buy an Ozzi -- and they are illegal
already.
And if you live with your parents, and you're supposed to be home by
midnight, and you come barging and banging into the house at o'dark
thirty, you probably deserve to get shot for failure to respect the
wishes of the people who birthed, raised, and supported you all those
years. [Not really, but there are time's I've been tempted .....]
I have been saying it for decades now, but I'll say it again. YOU
CANNOT LEGISLATE MORALITY. And you cannot legislate intelligence or
"street smarts" or [not yet, at least] minimum requirements for
parenthood. The majority of the people do not deserve to be, and should
not be denied freedoms, or otherwise punished, because of what "the bad
guys do.
l.d.
-- Arachne V1.60;b1, NON-COMMERCIAL copy, http://arachne.cz/
