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From: west@utcsri.UUCP (Thomas L. West)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame,net.legal
Subject: Re: Re: Personal Defense
Message-ID: <1043@utcsri.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 21-Apr-85 23:57:03 EST
Article-I.D.: utcsri.1043
Posted: Sun Apr 21 23:57:03 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Apr-85 02:12:58 EST
References: <350@idis.UUCP> <497@abnji.UUCP> <572@ahuta.UUCP> <498@lll-crg.ARPA> <419@utai.UUCP> <430@usl.UUCP> <478@cybvax0.UUCP>
Reply-To: west@utcsri.UUCP (Thomas L. West)
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 37
Summary: 

Rick Peralta writes:
>In the hands of an incompetent a blender can be dangerous.
>Does that mean we should ban blenders ?
>Impose outrageous penalties for their misuse ?

  Don't be stupid.  People who are incompetent with blenders don't 
kill innocents.  I would not be in the least suprised to find that
more people are killed in family disputes with guns/accidents with
guns/heated arguments with guns than are killed by criminals.  THAT
is what I find so pathetic.  In the rush to protect yourselves from
criminals, you are killing far more of the innocents than would have died
if you had left well enough alone.  But then Truth, Justice and 
Large-Calibre Handguns has long been the American Way.

   How long would it take to see the disappearance of the handgun from 
criminal's hands if handguns were totally outlawed today.  That it would
be illegal to import, sell or own a handgun or handgun ammunition.  My guess
is that the we'd see a dramatic decrease in one year, and none in five.
Handguns, especially in criminals hands don't last too long, and deprived of
the usual source (some good citizen's home...), and NO alternatives, only
criminals far and few between would have them.  
   Gee, it would mean that the only source for Canadian criminals getting
handguns would dry up as well.  Wow! Wouldn't that be nice?

  What is really depressing is that a lot of people are dying so that a 
few citizens who are hand-gun crazy can tote their's around.  I don't
particularily understand a country where a minority can condemn many thousands
to death and injury.
   But hey, it's *your* country.  I only get mad 'cause we get the tail
end.  i.e. Canadians die because of the stupid US policy.  Maybe we
should sue.  Who knows, in the American courts of today, it might win! :-)
(Actually I lie.  I get mad because there are rational types getting knocked
 off in the US as well.  Why must they die for others stupidity?)

  Tom West                          "Some men think..., and some don't"
                                                -A. Regard
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