🚀 go-pugleaf

In article FA2@Faximum.COM, pajari@Faximum.COM (George Pajari) writes:
:>jstrickl@cs.sfu.ca (James Strickland) writes:
:orion@aroga.wimsey.com (Orion) replies:
:
:(I normally manage to ignore the various (mostly unsuccessful) attempts at 
:reasoned discussion on the gun control issue, but Orion's recent post was 
:just too silly to let pass.  I know I'm going to regret rising to the bait 
:but here goes...)

Hope you don't regret it *too* much...

:>  Because (as has been pointed out many times already) explosives can be 
:>dangerous *in and of themselves*
:
:And you're implying guns are not?

Guns seldom, if ever, go off by themselves while lying about.

Guns seldom go off while being handled, injuring or killing the user
or those in the vicinity, unless at least two or three safety rules
have been actively violated.

:>...and have no legitimate sporting, recreational or defensive uses.
:
:(a) As a teenager I enjoyed great recreational fun blowing up small
:    wooden crates etc. with home-made explosives.
:(b) Claymore mines have wonderful defensive uses.

In a military situation, yes. Try using them for civilian self defense
and you will be in a *world* of hurt from a legal standpoint.

:The question all hangs on what is considered legitimate.  And I (and
:fortunately the government) sees few *legitimate* uses for many
:firearms.

Odd...there seem to be a wide variety of legitimate uses for firearms,
including (but not restricted to) various forms of format and informal
target practice, hunting, collecting, and self defense.

:>What if they exploded spontaneously (as they've been known to do)?
:
:What if they went off accidentally (but of course we know guns never
:discharge accidentally, don't we :-)

Not without someone handling them improperly, no.