Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ccice6.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!whuxlm!harpo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!ritcv!ccice5!ccice6!daf
From: daf@ccice6.UUCP (David Fader)
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: handgun reqistration...
Message-ID: <333@ccice6.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 5-Feb-85 18:34:43 EST
Article-I.D.: ccice6.333
Posted: Tue Feb  5 18:34:43 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 9-Feb-85 09:18:10 EST
References: <1871@inmet.UUCP> <433@whuxl.UUCP>  <1339@dciem.UUCP>
Organization: The Wall Of Fog
Lines: 55


> >>The sole purpose of handgun ownership is killing or maiming other
> >> people.  Is it not?

> >No it is not. It has been said many times that there are many
> >reasons other that shooting people for owning handguns.  A brief
> >sample: collecting, profit from trade, hunting, target shooting.

> Let's see...
>    (i) Collecting:  lots of things are collectible.  Why does it have to
>        be handguns?  If some personality quirk insists handguns are the
>        only true collectible, why can't their firing mechanisms be disabled
>        or the barrels plugged irrevocably?

I must agree with you. As a matter of fact I think you should travel to
every museum in the world and explain how you want to modify thier
collections. Since museums are filled with educated people, I am sure
they will agree at once.

>    (ii) Profit from trade: to whom? only to people who might want a handgun
>        for another purpose, so this one doesn't count.

An interesting point. Just like talking. Talking: to whom? only to people
who might want to talk for another purpose, so talking doesn't count.
Just like coin collectors profiting from trade.
Profit from trade: to whom? only to people who might want a coin
for another purpose, like a gumball machine, so this one doesn't count.

>    (iii) Hunting:  Long guns are better if you just want to kill, bow and
>        arrow if you want a challenge.  Who last saw someone stalking through
>        the woods after a deer with a pistol in hand, or awaiting ducks in
>        a blind with revolver at the ready?

Long guns are better if you just want to kill from a distance. Bow and
arrow are challenging. Pistols are not efficient for hunting deer.
Revolvers are not efficient for hunting ducks, neither are automatics.
Valid facts. How long have you been hunting with a revolver?

>    (iv) target shooting:  OK, but then you can keep your gun at the club,
>        as people do with their equipment in most sports.  You don't have
>        to have it at home or carry it around (except to go to competitions
>        away from your home club).

An indesputable point. If the gun was not taken to the competition then
it wouldn't be there, unless it was already there.

> I don't think anyone has effectively disputed the claim that handguns
> are really valuable only for killing or injuring PEOPLE.

Perhaps they are waiting for you to refute the claim that handguns
are used for: collecting, profit from trade, hunting, target shooting.

-- 
The Watcher
seismo!rochester!ccice5!ccice6!daf