🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <32880@oasys.dt.navy.mil>, smennitt@oasys.dt.navy.mil (Stuart Mennitt) writes:
> In dc.talk.guns, kevin@clsi.COM (Kevin Cameron) writes:
> >
> >We discussed this one before too. If you wait for people to commit violent crim
> >before doing anything about it, then (innocent) people will die unnecessarily.
> Well, lets not wait any longer!  Let's go whack off _everyone's_ hands.
> Nope, better make it arms, legs, and better remove their jaws, too.
> This is the only way to prevent the killing of innocent people by other
> people.  Seriously.  This attitude that violence and handguns were invented
> at the same time in human history is phenominal.

Yes of course it is not the only way to kill someone, but murder by handgun is
far more common than any other method.

> >The object of (hand)gun control is *prevention*

> Of what?

Death by shooting.

> Much of the violence in DC is drug related.  Why don't we
> control drugs and prevent this violence?  Why don't we spend zillions
> of dollars, enact unconstitutional laws at the federal level, create
> special agencies, even get the Department of Defense and National Guard
> to assist.  Why, this ought to prevent just about anything, right?
> Well, it doesn't seem to have prevented anyone who wants drugs from
> getting drugs, now does it?

You`re right, but we are not discussing the causes of violence only how to
restrict the damage caused.

> >PS If a mugger shoots you (dead) - I'll make sure they go to jail :-)
> 
> Ah, an appropriate smiley, indeed.  I'd like to see a comparison of
> the number of homicides in DC vs. the number of convictions.  Also,
> recient data on the average time served for murder in the District.
> Not sentencing, but actual time served.  My opinion is that a potential
> murderer will base his choice on not whether he can get a cool semi-automatic
> mega-round magazine handgun or assault weapon, but on what will happen
> to him if he does kill.

Once he has killed one person he has little incentive to worry about consequences
of killing more, also if you can't catch them punishment is no deterent.

Kev.
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