From: Michael S. Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Date: Tue Mar 14 2000 - 22:27:38 MST
Zero Powers wrote:
>
> >From: Dana Hedberg <dah@signalinteractive.com>
> >
> >In this debate, people who are against guns (or are for stricter gun
> >laws/enforcement, etc.) I think are missing a vital point. They want
> >blanket "punishments" for the actions a limited few. As well, it seems
> >they can't see the forest for the trees. They continually point to the
> >weapon as the problem. Some go a bit further and say it's access to the
> >weapon, or accountability of the people/dealers/NRA/parents that give
> >them access to weapons. In actuality it's the mentality/psychological
> >make-up of the person that uses a gun (or any weapon for that matter) to
> >be destructive against another person(s). Oh, to be sure, there are
> >people who ask the question why. But the answer is either too complex or
> >too frightening to understand that very little is done on this front.
> >Too many people are willing to pronounce guns as evil and ignore the
> >fact that there was a person behind that weapon using it for ill. There
> >was a person with a *reason* for using that weapon the way they did.
> >That is where the issue lies.
>
> No question. I *absolutely* agree with you. I just figured it would be a
> lot easier to take the gun out of the psychopath's hand than it would be to
> take the pathology out of his head. If you think there's a practical way to
> legislate against pathology, count me in, I'm all for it.
its rather simple: enforce the laws we have, use the current background
check systems we have. In every case of these sensationalized stories,
you will find that numerous laws were broken over an extended period,
that the authorities had been warned about the risk on one or more
occasions, and in the case of the 6 year old, the teacher took a knife
away from him shortly before the shooting, but did not report the
incident to the principle or send the child for punishment. I'm all for
keeping guns out of the hands of people that are not capable of or
willing to handle them legally. Echoing the calls on the left for better
technology, I call for better technology that keeps crooks from getting
guns in the first place, and that makes sure that existing laws are
enforced to the fullest extent. After you've actually tried that for
once and proven it doesn't work can you come cry to me. Considering the
success of Operation Exile, I doubt very much tht it won't work.
Mike Lorrey
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