From: sch@unx.sas.com (Steve Holzworth)
Subject: Re: Gun control and abortion - with a little different 'twist'
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 18:33:41 GMT
Organization: SAS Institute Inc.

ge@mcnc.org (George Entenman) writes:

>In article <sasrer.721022999@cinnamon> sasrer@unx.sas.com (Rodney Radford) writes:
>>How can people on one hand say that a 24-hour waiting for the purchase of
>>guns is a 'good thing', and that is not an "infringement on the right...",

stuff deleted

>Two things come to mind:

>1) First, I believe that many people who oppose a 24-hour waiting period

stuff deleted

>	than to get an abortion.

>2) The second thing that comes to mind is the fact that ALL women have
>	the right to abortion, but not all people have the right to buy
>	guns.  The purpose of the waiting period in the Brady bill is to

All people who are not convicted felons or mental patients, and are of 
legal age, have the right to buy guns. Period. Note that convicted 
felons can't vote, either (pseudo-citizens?)

>	determine a person's eligibility (criminal record).  The Brady
>	bill specifically does NOT apply to states like Virginia, where
>	the information is available on-line for immediate access (at
>	least, that's what Bill Clinton said during one of the debates,

The MAIN purpose of the Brady Bill waiting period is to make it a Royal
Pain to buy a gun. The stated goal of Handgun Control Inc. (HCI - Sarah
Brady's backers) is to eliminate ALL gun ownership (they don't even
pretend only handguns anymore).

The massacre in a CA McDonalds was done by a KNOWN mental patient, who had
been arrested (but not convicted) on several occasions, who ACTUALLY
WAITED THE DESIGNATED FIFTEEN DAYS in California and was APPROVED despite
the above. Waiting periods didn't do anything useful here.

In N.C., you apply for a handgun purchase permit (N.C. doesn't have
concealed carry permits for ANYONE except law enforcement). You must
apply in person at your county's sheriff's office, with a non-relative
resident of the same county to vouch for you. They process your 
application, and, after seven or more days, give you a "pistol-permit".
This permit is good for ONE handgun purchase, and is surrendered to the
seller when you buy a handgun. The permits are valid as long as the
issuing sheriff is still in office.

>	as I recall).

>Your point is well taken: we must be extremely careful before taking away
>anyone's rights, even if "just" for 24 hours.

The right to keep firearms is in the constitution, abortion is not.
(note: I AM pro-choice). If someone intends to argue the "militia" clause
in the 2nd Ammendment, please don't waste the bandwidth. There are volumes
of literatue demonstrating why all of the Ammendments are *individual*
rights, including letters written at the debates where the Ammendments
were developed.

Before you send hate mail:

I am NOT a member of the NRA (but was at one time). I disagree with some
of their positions.
I do NOT object to background checks. I personally think that either
Virginia's "dialin" method, or N.C.'s "permit" method are reasonable.
Waiting an arbitrary X days every time you wish to purchase or
do ANYTHING is not reasonable IMO.

Washington, D.C. and New York City both ban handguns totally. Between them,
they have the highest murder rates in the nation.

>I hope this helps answer your question.

>>Rodney Radford          || Computer Graphics/Imaging
>>sasrer@unx.sas.com      || SAS Institute, Inc.
>>(919) 677-8000 x7703    || Cary, NC  27513
>>

>################################################################################
>#  George Entenman				"Don't ever speak more         #
>#  ge@mcnc.org					   clearly than you think."    #
>#  Standard disclaimers apply.			  (Attributed to Neils Bohr)   #
>################################################################################
--
Steve Holzworth
sch@unx.sas.com
x6872
SAS Institute - Open Systems R & D
Cary, N.C.
Newsgroups: triangle.politics