No one here has mentioned non-lethal weapons. The Taser has come a long way, and fufills all of the requirements of a pistol or rifle, except for the range, which is limited to 15 feet. However, for home defense, 15 ft is acceptable, since this is the typical bedroom length. Modern tasers also have features of fast reload, and for those times of close combat, it will stun on touch, without firing. I believe that this fulfills the requirements stated so far for home defense, and addresses the safety concerns brought up related to gun ownership. Here is a list of features of newer tasers: http://www.surveillance-security-protection.com/air_tasers.html
KEY FEATURES OF AIR TASERS The ONLY non-lethal remote defense system that can immobilize an attacker from a distance of up to 15' away Touch stun back-up for one-on-one direct contact if needed Non-lethal; no long term injuries Stopping power of a .357 magnum Now legal for personal use; no permits required in most states (check local laws) Compact size - easily fits in a woman's purse Up to 15 minutes incapacitation duration Laser sight option Automatic Timing Anti-criminal tracking Double-safety slide Reloads in less than one second Highest quality (before you attack the features listed, visit the site first, they support every statement made here) Tasers are also less expensive. The deluxe version, with pistol grip and laser sight is under US 500.00. Imagine combining D. Brin's vision of survailance cameras with automated tasers. An intruder trips a motion detector, a brief warning, and any movement triggers the taser to fire. The liability is minimial, requires no interaction from the home owner (one not even need to call the cops, the alarm will do it automatically), and immobilizes a criminal long enough for cops to show up. Now I support owning any type of gun one wants. I assume the liberal position of Evolution in Action - those people who use guns, or allow their children access to guns are allowing this meme to limit their reproductive success. It is truly sad that some children are involved in gun accidents. http://www.childstats.gov/ac2000/hlth6b.asp This indicates that children (ages 5-14 , an accident after 14 is considered suicide) are at the same risk of being murdered, and 4 times more likely from dying from traffic accidents than from dying from an accident from a firearm (1.4 per 100,000). It is very extremely rare. I agree with D. Brin that guns are primarily a macho thing. This may soon pass, but only when it becomes distasteful to own a gun. This won't happen with current Hollywood archtypes (Cop shows MUST Die! Anyone care to start a thread - I especially like CSI - a cop show without guns...). Interestingly enough, a new highly anticipated First person shooter PC games to release this month, Deus Ex: Conspiracy War, highlights that one can go through the game without killing a single NPC. There will be enough non-lethal means to dispatch evil guards to make this happen. Perhaps this is a turning point - the new challenge is to NOT use guns to win. Nerd From Hell _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
