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From: dxp@pyuxhh.UUCP (D Peak)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: Gun Control again... Its done no good for Chicago !!!!
Message-ID: <692@pyuxhh.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Jul-84 11:24:43 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxhh.692
Posted: Tue Jul 24 11:24:43 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Jul-84 00:50:49 EDT
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Organization: Bell Communications Research, Piscataway N.J.
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--> Opening up the Chicago Tribune, I see a lot of shooting incidents
--> reported.
--> 
--> > Here is a question I would like all of you on the net to think about.  How
--> > many of you have witnessed an act of violence that was perpetrated  by someone
--> > with a gun? And what gun control laws would have kept this from happening?  
--> > Compare this with the number of people that you know who own guns and use
--> > them properly.
--> > 						Russell Spence
--> 
--> I have been lucky.  I have had knives flashed in my face on "L" trains
--> in Chicago, and have almost been caught in a Gang Fight, which would
--> have involved shooting.  I have friends that have been shot, and
--> permanently disabled.  
--> 
--> 
--> Walt Pesch
--> 
--> 
    Chi town probably has the second toughest gun control laws in the
country behind NYC.What good has it done Chi town.

    There are basically two types of shootings .

1.  Shooting in the commission of a crime.
    Type of gun used - any that can be stolen or bought cheaply.
    Chicago's gun control laws can not stop this. 
    What is needed here is a mandatory sentence like in NYC(1 year I believe)
    I believe the NRA's position on this type of shooting is for a
    mandatory 5->life sentence.
    Very few if any of the above perpetraters(sp) have any idea of who
    the NRA is, let alone are members.

2.  Domestic shootings - Chicago's gun control laws are fairly strong
    compared to the rest of the country but still Chicago has a lot
    (according to Walt) of gun violence.Due to the scrutiny involved
    in purchasing a handgun(we are talking handguns I believe) Chicago
    probably has a very low percentage of LEGAL handguns in the possession
    of residents.Therefore here again the gun control laws can only restrict
    some of the gun violence.

And there is a third ,ala MacDonalds,which only total banning or full medical
and physciatric exam would reveal.

I agree wholeheartedly with Walt that one shooting is one too many.But unless
you outlaw owning of guns TOTALLY ,its already 1984 and there appears to be
very little chance of that, an immediate non-legaslative measure would be to
pressure judges to really come down on group 1 above. Once that is down we
would be able to tell much more how much (if any) of a problem law abiding
gun owners pose to the public at large . Then and only then could we tell if
their rights to bear arms outweighs the community at larges right to exist
without fear of gun violence.

 At the moment we can't see the wood for the trees.
 If any one can supply data on Legal-vs-Illegal guns used in shootings it
 might be enlightening.

 I am an NRA member .
 I feel we can accept more gun control scrutiny & TRAINING.
 I also appreciate the NRAs fears of outlandish gun control measures,we only
 have to go back 50 years to see how overboard legislation can go and how 
 long it takes to get back to reality(see prohibition 1920-33).



-- 
   
     Dave Peak (pyuxhh!dxp)

Rev Jim - "What does an amber light mean"                                 
Bobby   - "Slow down"
Rev Jim - "What........does.......an.......amber..........light........mean ?"
Bobby   - "Slow down"
Rev Jim - "What............................does.........................."