Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/3/84; site sesame.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!sesame!slerner
From: slerner@sesame.UUCP (Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner)
Newsgroups: net.women
Subject: Re: Re: rape and firearms and death
Message-ID: <216@sesame.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 00:21:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sesame.216
Posted: Thu Jul 25 00:21:00 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Jul-85 04:45:13 EDT
References: <191@cuuxa.UUCP> <2919@sdcc3.UUCP> <2301@sun.uucp>
Distribution: net
Organization: Lotus Development Corp
Lines: 33

> > > I wish to hell people would stop encouraging gun toting.  There is already
> > > so much shooting in my neighborhood that the thought of EVERYONE being 
> > > armed is devastating.  I think if everyone carried a gun in NYC, or any
> > > major city, all it would generate is an increase in the standard of living
> > > of funeral directors.

Unless you agree with the likes of Robert Heinlen. He theorizes that a society
that goes about armed, and is ready to use these arms to "right wrongs", 
rapidly becomes a VERY polite society. (Anyone who can't learn to be polite
and insistes on being a pain in the butt is rapidly eliminated.)  He further
argues that the use of arms is self-limiting, that a person would not shoot
someone knowing that everyone will come gunning for HIM unless he had a VERY
good reason for shooting the victim that everyone would aggree with.

I am not advocating universal armament, but I don't want anyone telling
me that I can't defent myself.  (I suffered through 9 muggings in 3 years
in NYC before I got out.  I was never hurt seriously, and I put the mugger
in the hospital every time.  Laws won't stop the criminal element from
getting guns.  I demand the ability to defend myself with similar
arms.)

Remember, victims have rights too.  

-- 
Opinions expressed are public domain, and do not belong to Lotus
Development Corp.
----------------------------------------------------------------

Simcha-Yitzchak Lerner

              {genrad|ihnp4|ima}!wjh12!talcott!sesame!slerner
                      {cbosgd|harvard}!talcott!sesame!slerner
                                slerner%sesame@harvard.ARPA