Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sdccsu3.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!houxm!houxz!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!sdccsu3!taylor
From: taylor@sdccsu3.UUCP (Dave Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.flame
Subject: Naivety concerning gun control....read me....
Message-ID: <2172@sdccsu3.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 10-Aug-84 10:38:05 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdccsu3.2172
Posted: Fri Aug 10 10:38:05 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 12-Aug-84 01:19:19 EDT
Organization: California State University La Jolla
Lines: 50


(Open response to Andrew Shaws' comment that most guns that are in the
  posession of criminals are stolen from homeowners...)

Andrew,

	The reason that I question your comment is that if it is true,
then what you say is also true - that if the average Joe on the street
could not have a gun, then a number of the criminal element would also
be deprived.  However, as must be obvious, I don't feel that this is
the case.

	Even if it is, let's consider what would occur if all weapons
were outlawed.  People who work in 'security' areas would still need 
them (ie people like Police, Secret Service, Security Guards) and so
if a criminal REALLY wanted a weapon, he could either join a security
group and obtain one (a pain) or start a company and then hire a bunch
of 'security' and have the weapon posession approved by the state. (This
second one is more of a Mafia tactic...*gulp*) (I hope they don't read 
this network!)

	There is a third way, which is the way that I think they get
weapons now; contact the local 'chief' bad-guy. There are undoubtedly
caches of weapons hidden all over this 'wonderous nation' that are
controlled by the enemy (as it were).  It's all money.  If some chap
from the Mafia, or some local organized criminal group, offers to
say, Smith and Wesson $200 per handgun and box of bullets, and the
standard rate is $75 per unit (I am guessing), how many people would
decline?  Some middle executive at S&W makes out a fake purchase order
for some 'legitimate' group, sells the weapons to the 'bad guys' and
pockets $100 per unit.  Good deal!  (For them)

	Even discounting that, I think that, unfortunately, gun control
at this stage of the game (ie with the LARGE dissemination of weapons
that we have) is impossible.  I mean, let's face it, every random crook
on the street (not to mention normal decent law-abiding citizens)
HAS a gun AT THIS VERY MINUTE.  If laws were enacted, they would
HIDE them, not give them up!  So what would happen is that only the
criminals would have the weapons.  Alas!

	It's a pretty grim picture, really.

		Oh well, at least we have UNIX!


					Dave Taylor

ps: I don't own any sort of weapons, other than my looks (ha ha)
----------------------
	"And they call this the age of information!"