From: cmort@NCoast.ORG (Christopher Morton)
Subject: Re: Fire fighters and whatifs  (Was Re: Sanity arrives ...)
Reply-To: cmort@ncoast.org (Christopher Morton)
Organization: North Coast Public Access *NIX, Cleveland, OH
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 13:36:01 GMT
Followup-To: talk.politics.guns

As quoted from <1992Apr7.090454.10224@matilda.vut.edu.au> by db@matilda.vut.edu.au (David Bowman ):

> >But does your government encourage or discourage each household to buy
> >and keep their own fire extinguishers around the house or in their
> >car, against the 'what if' of a fire starting that they are able to
> >put out by themselves? Are you claiming that the best response to a
> 
> Yep, moderately. The govt has better things to do than worry unduly
> about it.

Then I submit that they're negligent in promoting the public safety and 
welfare.  Encouraging people to buy smoke detectors and fire extinguishers 
costs little or nothing and saves lives.  Maybe lives aren't that important....

> >grease fire on your stove is for you to run off and call the fire
> >department, then run out of your house and let it burn until the fire
> >crew shows up?
> 
> No. Why do you postulate such a silly thing. But of course all
> things in moderation. No use being a hero and getting burnt. 
> Houses can be rebuilt; people cannot.

Are you REALLY so dependent on others that you're incapable of putting out a   
small grease fire?  Are you so incapable of fending for yourself that you
would rather endanger the lives and property of others, than exercise a MINOR
amount of personal responsibility?

Are you also against civilians knowing CPR?  After all, there are para-medics
who know such things.  A person dieing of a heart attack MIGHT live long
enough for them to come.  Then again they might not, but what the heck, all
things in moderation eh?  Including survival....

> >
> >A house fire is going to burn for a long time; the fire crews show up
> >to prevent it from spreading to nearby houses as much as they do to
> >put it out. An assault or robbery happens quickly; it's usually over
> >by the time the police can arrive. At least in the US, the government
> >encourages citizens as a matter of common sense to purchase fire
> >extinguishers -- and more is better -- in order to defend themselves
> >and their property against fire before the fire department can arrive.
> >The same common sense applies to purchasing firearms in order to
> >defend yourself and your property against criminals before the police
> >can arrive, but the government is apparently scared of what might
> >happen if its citizens accepted the responsibility for their own
> >protection -- they might decide that they don't need a huge,
> >economy-strangling bureaucracy, and put lots of government officials
> >out of work.
> >
> OK. Then how come the police are against private gun ownership
> for self-defence. After all firefighters encourage people
> to have preventative equipment.

Most of the INDIVIDUAL officers that I've known WEREN'T.  Chiefs are in 
POLITICAL posts who must follow the POLITICAL dictates of their superiors.

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