🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1olpdsINNnou@sol.tis.com> mjr@tis.com (Marcus J Ranum) writes:
>>Some do.  I don't think that HCI and other gun control groups give a shit
>>about my freedom
>
>	Nope. I suspect that they're even *less* deluded about who they
>are trying to help. Basically, they seem bent on doing us all a big
>favor in spite of ourselves.

You know, the more I've thought about this statement by Marcus, the more
it's bothered me.  What it seems to be saying is that the people at HCI
have the right idea, want to remove the right to own guns from us whether
we want them to or not, and that doing so would be a favor to us.

To me, this idea is VERY reminiscent of the arguments used by the Drys at
the end of the last century and the start of this one, to convince people
and thereby the government that people should be prevented from imbibing
liquor for their own good and for the good of society.  And it is just as
flawed.  Prohibition was enacted, people continued to drink but made
themselves criminals by doing so, were sometimes arrested...and the crime
rates went through the roof.

Similarly, HCI has stated that the Brady Bill is their first step, that
they would eventually like to see citizens prohibited from owning
handguns.  However, people WANT to own handguns, so they will continue
doing so no matter what.  But in doing so, they will be forced to be
criminals.

As for the violence rates, I'm not convinced that they'd decline in the
slightest.  Certainly, DC, NYC and Chicago make handgun ownership VERY
difficult and they have a modicum of violence. :(  Also, I'm convinced
that criminals would become MORE active and predatory, if handgun
ownership were prohibited.  I don't want to get into comparing the violence
rates of Morton Grove, Illinois versus Kennesaw, Georgia before/after they
enacted their respective laws...however, a friend who worked for Domino
Pizza DID tell me that, once that company publicly announced that their
employees could ot arm themselves, robberies against them skyrocketed.

If the government is to be used to reduce violence in  this country, I
think the best thing it could do would be to de-criminalize/legalize
illegal drugs.  I'm convinced that a great deal of the violence around
these days is due to that form of Prohibition...and with what success?
15 years ago in NY State, I knew friends who smoked grass...today, people
I know who like to smoke can't get grass but I know for a fact that 
crack cocaine is trivial to find/buy.

Just some late night ramblings.

    don
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 To quote James Wright:
    "Indeed, I am now of the opinion that a compelling case for "stricter
    gun control" cannot be made, at least not on empirical grounds.  I have
    nothing but respect for the various pro-gun control advocates with whom
    I have come in contact over the past years.  They are, for the most part, 
    sensitive, humane and intelligent people, and their ultimate aim, to
    reduce death and violence in our society, is one that every civilized
    person must share.  I have, however, come to be convinced that they are
    barking up the wrong tree."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Don Baldwin  - e-mail to:  donb@netcom.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------