On 22 Sep 2000, at 12:30, RobBurn@xxxxxxx wrote:
> In a message dated 9/21/00 8:35:29 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
> jmaynard@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> << For an excellent argument as to why that view is at best inconsistent
> and at
> worst morally wrong, check out the essay A Nation of Cowards, by Jeffrey
> Snyder, at http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/guns/cowards.html . >>
>
> Excellent reference, Jay. Well-reasoned. Well-written.
>
> Robert
Sorry, but I don't get it! Someone (a non-US list member) stated that
it's a shame you live in such a violent, dangerous place, and suggested
perhaps you should move. To which several US list members replied
that the U.S. is *not* violent and dangerous, it's just that every US
citizen has the God given right to arm him/herself, and all the gun
owners are doing is exercising that God given right.
Then, the "Nation of Cowards" reference is offered, and you state it's an
excellent reference to help us non-believers understand. So, being a
non-believer but really WANTING to understand, I start reading the
"excellent reference." And, what to my surprise do I find not too far into
my reading???
"Do You Feel Lucky?
In 1991, when then-Attorney General Richard Thornburgh released the
FBI's annual crime statistics, he noted that it is now more likely that a
person will be the victim of a violent crime than that he will be in an auto
accident."
Come on, guys, you CAN'T have it BOTH ways! Either:
1. America IS a dangerous place, the criminals are running rampant,
the cops aren't plentiful/visible/fast enough to protect you in the event
you're vicitimized (which is GOING to occur SOMETIME in your life,
according to the "reference")
OR
2. America is NOT a dangerous place.
If it is the latter (America is not a dangerous place), then two questions
immediately come to my mind:
A. How does increasing the number of people carrying concealed lethal
weapons while sauntering down the street DECREASE the "danger" in
a non-dangerous place?
AND
B. Are those people who feel the urgent and over-powering need to arm
themselves in order to feel safe in a non-dangerous place just a teensy-
weensy bit paranoid???
So, which is it Rob??? IS America dangerous or isn't it??? And if it is,
what's the answer to the resulting questions???
This is my last post on this subject. As I said in my original post,
debating about gun ownership with gun owners is like debating religion
with a priest (or feminism with a feminist... YOU pick the analogy!).
There's NOT going to be any agreement, and the debaters are NOT
going to change their beliefs. So, why bother???
Frankly, I think it's a SAD day when someone has to carry a lethal
weapon (and park another one by his/her front door, and put a third one
in the glovebox or trunk of the car, etc., etc.) in order to feel safe and
secure, whether that feeling is justified (in an unsafe America) or
unjustified.
Personally, I do NOT want to live my life that way and so, many years
ago, I left the States and moved to a more civilized (if not "free" although
we could argue THAT point to!) Canada. Here, I have felt MUCH safer
than I did in Los Angeles, even in the most "dangerous" parts of
Canada's largest cities. (And, by the way, it's alot CLEANER up here,
too!).
Do I lock the doors of my car and house? Of course! One should
ALWAYS exercise prudence, right? Would I put a "this is a gun free
zone" sign on my front lawn? No need to! Just as there is no need to
put a any of THESE signs on the front lawn:
"protected by XYZ Security"
"beware of attack dogs"
"the owner is armed and will blow your f***ing head off if you get to
close"
Having stated that, I do NOT begrudge you the right to arm and protect
yourself if you truly feel that need. I just think it's rather sad that you
feel that way. And, I'm DAMN glad that I live where I certainly DON'T
feel that need!
I really doubt our Founding Fathers (yes, I'm still a U.S. citizen)
envisioned the present situation when they wrote the Constitution. The
right to bear arms was drafted at a time when the lethal weapons being
carried about were musket loaded. I truly wonder if the Founding
Fathers would have been so generous with their prose had they known
that the right to bear arms would eventually be interpreted by some to
include AK47's and such other weaponry?
By the way, my desire to get as far away from Los Angeles (and
anywhere else as dangerous) came shortly after having a sawed-off
shotgun stuffed in my face during a hold-up where I worked. It's
amazing how HUGE a rifle barrel looks when it's that close to your
eyes! Had I been armed at the time, that would NOT have prevented my
having the opportunity to learn what the business end of a rifle looks like
up close, nor would it have prevented the subsequent robbery.
My point is that criminals, generally speaking, do NOT send an
invitation or wave their arms and yell "get your gun ready... I'm about to
rob you!" By their very nature, most criminals are themselves cowards
and prefer to approach from behind or in some other manner so that you
don't realize what's about to happen. And, the "smart" criminals (if I can
use that oxymoron) will search you once they have your ass face-down
on the floor, and take your weapon away from you (if your lucky) or
"neutralize" you (if you're not).
No, I don't have any fancy statistics nor eloquent web sites to back up
my assertion, but I'll say it anyway... carrying a weapon (particularly a
concealed one) is NOT likely to prevent you from being the victim of a
crime, if you're unluky enough to have that opportunity in life. But it
MIGHT get you killed if you either attempt to use it or the perpetrator
discovers you have it.
'Nuff said! (By me, anyway!)
Regards,
Chris
(former marksman, but now can't be in the same room as a rifle without
shaking like a leaf)
-------------------------------------------------
Chris O'Neill (coneill@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Web: http://www.nucleus.com/~coneill
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