From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
Subject: Re: the US elections...
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1992 08:37:07 GMT

altheimm@nextnet.csus.edu (Murray Altheim) writes:
: 
: You did bring up a good point regarding magazine size. Why do these
: people always assume that even a semi-automatic "legal" assault weapon
: should be legal? Do hunters need a magazine of 50? A pretty stupid 

So, limit the magazine size.

: argument. The incidents of both automatic and semi-automatic weapons
: abuses (such as the schoolyard killing in Stockton, California a few
: years ago, the Texas restaurant attack, or the recent schoolyard incident
: in Sacramento, just to name a few I'm familiar with) involve non-hunting
: style weapons, ie., automatic or semi-automatic weapons designed for
: military use. I still fail to see ANY argument justifying public access
: to these weapons. And this ignores the issue that many semi-automatics
: can be easily modified to become automatics; in fact, there are small
: pamphlets on how to do so.

Wrong. It is not easy. It takes a fairly well stocked machine shop to
be able to do so.

: The most recent incident involved some lone nut who wasn't making it
: in the real world, so he blamed one of his high school teachers. He
: got all outfitted Schwarzenegger-style complete with combat boots,
: camouflage, assault rifle and boxes and boxes of ammo, then walked 
: nonchalantly onto the schoolyard, into the classroom and blew away the
: offending teacher. Then he proceeded to shoot a few kids and hold the
: rest hostage for half a day before finally giving up. Usually these
: jerks shoot themselves in the head when they're done, which is what I
: wish this guy would have done. 

Yes, there are crazies out there that do such things. Some of them use
automobiles, or gasoline bombs. Fortunately, they are a very minute
part of the population.

: Bill, maybe it will take one of your kids (if you have any) getting killed
: by a nut case or a drive-by shooting before you start considering some
: gun control legislation. I'm not for an all-out ban, but I sure as hell
: would like to see it harder for people to get a gun without demonstrating
: responsibility and ability, and of course no criminal record or mental
: problems. This would not stop the problem, but as things stand right now,
: they can't get a whole lot worse, especially in some parts of the country.

I am all for mandatory firearms training in school, starting about the
fifth or sixth grades. 

I am also in favor of an instant background check of someone wishing to
purchase a firearm. This would at least minimize the criminal or crazy
obtaining weapons through legitimate channels. It will do nothing to
stop the purchase of weapons through the black market. Nothing that can
be done by government will stop that. It is unfortunate - but true.

If a person uses a firearm in the commission of a felony, I am all in
favor of locking them up for the rest of their lives. They have proven
that they do not belong in society with the rest of us. I am opposed,
however, to the law abiding citizen having to suffer because these
people do exist.

Bill
Newsgroups: alt.pagan