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From: sunny@sun.uucp (Sunny Kirsten)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Re: have Gun, will Travel
Message-ID: <1603@sun.uucp>
Date: Wed, 8-Aug-84 04:20:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.1603
Posted: Wed Aug  8 04:20:35 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Aug-84 02:35:24 EDT
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Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Lines: 54

Greetings fellow gunslingers:

	I would like to point out that the majority of people with access
to USENET are a fairly disjoint set from the majority of people who live
in the country.  So what?  Well, if you never spend any time off the
asphalt, you won't have encountered this scenario:

	I lived in the rural mountains adjacent to silicon valley, and
held a consulting job which only required commuting to the valley a couple
days per week.  On other days I would strap on a knife and a handgun,
hop on the tractor, and work the land.  Paranoia you say?

	On days I commuted the one lane road (that's one lane for 2-way
traffic) up and down the rural mountain valley I lived in, I would usually
recognize a half dozen dogs enjoying the sun as they lay in the driveway
of the house of their owners, guarding the castle entrance, as it were.

	On Saturdays and Sundays, when the dog owners were still in bed,
or whatever, it would not be uncommon to find that those nice doggies who'd
only hurt their fleas, had become a dog pack (domesticated wolf pack)
roaming up and down the valley road, and venturing up any driveway of their
choosing.  Think about it... there you stand in front of the chicken coop,
having just gotten off the tractor (where it's rather inconvenient to carry
anything other than a knife &/| gun (like a shotgun or rifle)) facing 12 or
more "nice doggies" who just might be interested in doing yourself or your
food supply (chickens) some serious harm (death).  Would you want all the
people in N.J., N.Y., S.F., L.A., to have taken away your constitutional
right to bear arms?  Are you macho enough to take on a pack of dogs with
your bare hands? your knife?  I'm not.  I was damn glad to be packing a
gun on my belt.  Shotgun?  sorry, I tried a rifle, and you just can't
conveniently keep anything BUT a handgun conveniently at your side to
protect you from the vagaries of nature (wolves (4-legged or 2)) while you
do your farm chores.

	Now, stop and think.  You city gun-phobics could outvote the poor
country folk easily just on the basis of numbers.  You COULD take away
everyone's guns with some stupid-ass law (don't we have enough already?).

	But when you step foot on my farm (my source of food/shelter) you'd
better not have in mind taking anything I don't offer you.  And that goes
for your dog too.  

	Fortunately, the law in the US lets us defend ourselves.

	There is NO substitute for a handgun.  Anything else is
impractical to keep with you at all times.  A gun is seldom needed, but
when it IS needed, it is needed DESPARATELY, and must be within arms reach.

	Don't outlaw "Saturday night specials"
	Lock-up the people who use them to commit crimes on Saturday night.

	'nuff said.
-- 
{ucbvax|decvax|ihnp4}!sun!sunny(Sunny Kirsten of Sun Microsystems)