From: draughn@iitmax.iit.edu (Mark Draughn)
Subject: Re: Recent Richard Reeves Column
Keywords: gun grabber
Organization: Illinois Institute of Technology
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 92 18:46:26 GMT

In article <Sep.1.22.56.27.1992.15252@romulus.rutgers.edu>
kaldis@romulus.rutgers.edu (Theodore A. Kaldis) quotes a recent
Richard Reeves newspaper column for our enjoyment:
>                Drastic Steps to End the War at Home

[Typical murder and bloodshed in L.A. omitted.  It's nothing we
haven't all heard before.  Reeves' suggestions:]

>     * Repeal the Second Amendment to the Constitution because it is
>now insanity to give all Americans the right to bear arms.

I'm curious which Americans Mr. Reeves thinks should have the right to
bear arms.  No doubt, he wants to reserve that right to the "good"
people of America only, much the same way many southern states used to
reserve voting rights to the "good" people.

>     * Establish a federal agency to regulate handguns as the Food and
>Drug Administration regulates pharmaceuticals--to register and trace
>domestically manufactured and imported weapons and ammunition.

Ha!  What a dickhead!  Mr. Reeves has completely forgotten that there
is already a federal agency that administers firearm regulations: The
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.  

I'm neither surprised nor angered when the average pro-control
advocate is unaware of existing laws on gun ownership.  Most people
don't spend the time to investigate the issue, because it's really not
important to them.  I'm happy to explain things to them.

I think, however, that members of the media should be held to a higher
standard.  Before Mr. Reeves presumes to tell the rest of us what to
think about gun control, perhaps he should learn enough about the
subject to discuss it intelligently.

>     * Review all handgun licenses and licensees, with the idea of
>revoking most of them.

Textbook gun grabbing: He doesn't specify any criteria by which to
evaluate licenses, or even goals for which to design criteria---he
just wants take away gun rights.

>     * Declare an amnesty period in which handguns could be turned in
>to recycling stations without penalties or questions.

Given the other steps he'd like to take, this is quite reasonable.

>     * Use emergency police powers (and military powers, if necessary)
>to sweep neighborhoods for illegal weapons.

If Mr. Reeves can show me a legal source of these emergency police
powers I'll make a $100 donation to HCI or the American Nazi Party
(his choice).  I guess Mr. Reeves would also like to repeal the 4th
Amendment.  Prick.

>     * Establish an automatic 10-year sentence without parole for
>illegal weapon possession convictions.

Why not just round up all NRA members, and put them into camps with
really impressive-looking shower facilities?

>     Draconian?  Really?  And what do you call it when Americans have
>to risk their lives to pull up to a stop sign or take the kids out for
>hamburgers?

Life in Daryl Gates' L.A.?

-

Excuse the flamage, but I just had to vent a little steam.
-- 

Mark Draughn    | <draughn@iitmax.iit.edu> or <SYSMARK@IITVAX> on BITNET
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