From: Terry Donaghe (tdonaghe@yahoo.com)
Date: Thu May 27 1999 - 13:44:55 MDT
I've followed this thread a little bit and have noticed what most of
the rest of us have noticed - that this is an issue that many of us
have very strong feelings about.
I share some of your concerns that guns are very good killers and that
gun control advocates too often insist on punishment after the fact
instead of prevention before the fact.
However, consider the following (and correct me if I'm wrong):
There are millions upon millions of guns in this country. Many are
legally owned by peaceful citizens who have no intention of ever
harming anyone. Many are also owned by criminals who gladly use them
to commit horrible crimes such as rape, murder, etc. etc.
Without some draconian governmental involvement which would curtail an
incredible amount of liberty (door to door searches, roadblocks, etc),
criminals will always have ready access to firearms in this country.
Knowing this, what is your extropian solution to this problem? If
citizens are to be denied access to firearms, please explain how they
are to defend themselves from the criminals who still have weapons.
How would gun control fit in with the Extropians principles of Open
Society and Self-Direction?
If I have misread your intentions, I apologize, but it seems as though
you very much wish to restrict peaceful people's access to firearms.
I'm very interested in your response.
===
Terry Donaghe: terry@donaghe.com
http://www.donaghe.com
"If you love wealth more than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, depart from us in peace. We ask not your counsel nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you. May your chains rest lightly upon you and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen." --Samuel Adams
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