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Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!hao!kpno!ut-sally!utastro!bill
From: bill@utastro.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: Handguns: we're succumbing to mob ru - (nf)
Message-ID: <614@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Sep-83 14:07:40 EDT
Article-I.D.: utastro.614
Posted: Wed Sep 14 14:07:40 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 17-Sep-83 06:33:49 EDT
References: <316@inmet.UUCP>
Organization: UTexas Astronomy Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 29


	England has handgun control. London has fewer murders than
	any American city of comparable size or density.  I don't
	have the figures to hand, but as I recall the difference
	is an order of magnitude.  British authorities have no doubt
	that there is a relation.

	Also, some Canadian cities (perhaps the whole country) also
	have handgun control.  The Canadian city/cities in the
	Great Lakes metropolitan area have fewer murders than the
	American cities.   Could there be a relation?
 
 [  As I recall, Robert Heinlein's answer to this in "Expanded Universe"
    is that SWITZERLAND, where people go armed to the teeth by LAW
    has fewer armed murders per capita than the US also.  One problem with
    anecdotal evidence is that either once has chosen extreme case,
    or somebody else has a contradicting anecdote.

					- Nat Howard
  ]

I fail to see how the Swiss law that requires citizens to posess
rifles for the defence of the country is relevant to the question
of handguns.

	Bill Jefferys  8-%
	Astronomy Dept, University of Texas, Austin TX 78712   (Snail)
	ihnp4!kpno!utastro!bill   (uucp)
	utastro!bill@utexas-11   (ARPA)