🚀 go-pugleaf

Tom G <tomg@bnr.ca> wrote:
> positron@Starbase.NeoSoft.COM (Jonathan Haas) writes:
>> [pro-gun arguments]
>
>Pretty well written.  No comments that anti-gunners sell their babies
>or something.

Well, I figured there was no need to include such an obvious comment ;)

>Questions:  
>Do you (or anyone else who wants to respond) support increasing
>the rate of incarceration even more than it has been?

As an absolute rate? No. If I had the power, I would legalize drugs, which
would alone make the incarceration rate plummet.

>Do you believe this helps reduce violent crime?

I believe that incarcerating and/or executing violent criminals helps
reduce violent crime, yes. If nothing else, there's a finite supply of
violent criminals, and every violent criminal that's behind bars is one
violent criminal who's not out committing a violent cirme. With all the 
prison space freed by releasing people who were harming nobody but 
themselves, keeping violent criminals locked up for a long, long time 
shouldn't be a problem.

>More generally, what should be done to reduce the criminal use of guns?

1) Legalize drugs. Were they as cheap and available as alcohol, nobody
   would need to rob to get them. When was the last time you heard of
   someone committing a mugging so he could buy a bottle of Scotch?
2) Tighten penalties for the *real* criminals, perhaps including refinements
   such as triple penalties for the use of a firearm in the commission of
   a crime.
3) Pass a CCW law. You're less likely to criminally abuse a gun if you're
   aware of the very good chance that you'll buy a bullet yourself. See
   Florida.

Followups solely to tx.guns. If any of y'all wants to continue the 
discussion, meet me there.

-- 
__/\__  Jonathan S. Haas          | Jake liked his women the way he liked
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