From: mikeh@starnine.com (Mike Haas)
Subject: Re:  guns
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 04:38:50 GMT
Organization: StarNine Technologies, Inc.

In article <1992Dec4.173759.4912@ugle.unit.no> eyvind@Lise.Unit.NO (Eyvind Bernhardsen) writes:
>
>Why do you want a gun if you're not going to kill someone?  Did I miss a possible
>use for a gun besides this?  I mean, does a gun double as a handy multi-purpose
>kitchen implement?

It is typical... those who want to take them away know nothing about it...

Most Americans that have guns do not want to kill anyone, but want to
protect themselves if someone goes after THEM.  It's called self-defense,
and women and the elderly often put the power of the
firearm to great use.

Other reasonsto own guns...

People like them... they love to target shoot or hunt... many are
professional and earn their living from them... gunsmiths, range owners,
instructors (OF GUN SAFETY), hobbyists, farmers, etc. etc.

None of these uses are concerned with killing any person.

>
> > going to make you do something.  The waiting period assumes whomever is
> > buying the gun is going to take offensive action with it.  Now, if I get
> > threatened, is the person doing that threat going to wait three days for me
> > to be able to defend myself?  Are the police going to give me 36 hour
>
>This would be a case where having a gun would make me kill someone.

Bull.  The only thing which determines whether you kill someone is you.

>Assuming I
>was a good shot and my potential attacker was slow enough to let me get it out
>from my shoulder holster (or wherever).

How 'bout the hole in your head?

> > two places are not easily changed.  If someone is out to kill you, it makes
> > you an easy target.  The person attacking you makes it a decision of whether
> > you should have a gun or not.  If you need one and do not have it, you are
> > too late.  A person can live a long and rewarding life without a gun if
> > someone does not attack them with intent to kill.  So, when you go into
>
>So having a gun is the only defence against a murderer?  Heard of unarmed combat?

You really are a fool, huh?

It is a mens of defense and I have the right to use it.  Period.

Maybe YOU want to take on a person who has a gun or a knife unarmed...
not me!

>If you're so worried about being attacked, learn karate or something.

Tell that to a 90-year old lady or a handicapped person.

>
> > military service, do you intend to attack another country with your gun or
> > defend your country with it?  It can be used for both.  If the weapon is to
>
>I don't intend to do ANYTHING whith the damn thing...  In any case, I'd not be
>attacking a country, I'd be attacking (say killing, please) OK, killing other
>people.

Well, then YOU should not ever be allowed to own a gun.  I'm sure the NRA
would agree.

>
>In any case, that would be a war situation and clearly defined as such.  If the
>criminality problem gets so serious that a war is declared between 'nice people'
>and 'nasty people' (I can see the declaration now:  "War declared on bad
>guys", "Goodies say 'No more mr. Nice Guy' to baddies" :), I'll get a gun.  More
>to the point, I'd learn to use it and, specifically, when NOT to use it.
>
> > With a gun, you are a potential threat to those threatening you.  They
> > tend to re-evaluate attacking you when you pose a risk to them.
>
>With a gun, you're a threat to ANYONE.  

Not if you're a law-abiding person.  You're a threat to no-one.

>A person with little experience of guns,
>carrying a loaded weapon at all times (as you pointed out, you can get attacked
>anywhere and at any time), is a threat.  Say he's walking down an alley in the
>dark.  He hears a noise and, wielding his .45, turns around, sees another person
>who notices the gun and makes a sudden move (probably to get his/her own gun), and
>pulls the trigger.  Assuming he hit his target, what are the odds that the other
>person was, in fact, another perfectly innocent person who was simply walking
>down the alley?

How old are you?

Xref: sparky comp.sys.amiga.advocacy:31771 comp.sys.amiga.misc:18835