From: PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu (David Veal)
Subject: Re: Lawrence Mass.
Organization: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 17:55:29 GMT

In article <105573@bu.edu>
merritt@macro.bu.edu (Sean Merritt) writes:

>I must admit that the anti-gun control people have pointed out
>flaws that I had not considered with restriction of availabilty
>of firearms and ammunition. I do however feel that mail order
>ammo is ridiculous.

        I can, and have, bought pistol ammunition at K-Mart, without
filling out any forms, signing any papers, or showing any licensenses.
Now, Tennessee is lenient compared to a lot of states, but exactly how is
this "better" or "safer" than getting ammo through the mail?  I can see
some sort of objection to shipping something like gunpowder through the
mail unless it is properly noted (at which point, like a lot of things so
labeled, it will probably disappear in transit.)

>Guns are not the only weapons that kill. 2 men have been killed
>in the greater Boston area in the past month in traffic
>disputes where someone pulled a knife. 6 people have been
>killed with guns in ambush style attacks with guns.
>No guns are not the only weapons out there, but they
>are by far the weapon of choice with criminals.

     I don't know about "weapon of choice," of criminals, but guns
have certain advantages over knives, most specifically range, ease of
use, and negating of physical advantage, which, while it might make
them popular among some criminals, most violent criminals don't need,
and in fact don't use, this advantage to the degree that the victim does.
      A six foot three, two hundred pound assailant attacking a five foot
two hundred and ten pound victim isn't going to suffer the lack of a weapon
like the victim is.

>Still,being more Anarchist/Libertarian minded, goverment controls
>of any kind are diststaful to me.
>
>So that leaves me with the Anarcho-Capitalist Enclave.
>A place where you can lower probabilities of crime.
>
>Consider what the Police in Lawrence Mass are doing now:
>
>In a for 4 block area known for drug dealing and prostitution
>they have "sealed off" the area. Residents are given "passes".
>There are checkpoints where the police will ask to your
>license and registartion,

        Yes, have your papers ready, citizen.  *Shudder*

>they give you a card explaining why
>you were stopped and they record your licence plate number.
>The first effect is on Suburbanites who come into the
>city to buy drugs or sex. Not activities you want veiwed
>in the harsh light of day. The second is that the high visibilty
>of the police has also reduced the number of people loitering
>(of which might be drug dealers and prostitutes).

        And of which might not.  Reminds me of the "anti-cruising"
law enacted on the local "strip" beside campus.  Passing the same point on
the road more than twice in two hours is sufficient to have you thrown in
jail.  Yee-hah.  Or the police in a nearby town concerned about possible
football rivalry related violence were picking up any highschool age
kids they saw and charging any that were from out of town with trespassing.
        Go law and order.

>It seems to be working. Streets where children dared not play
>or old people dare not venture are now safe.

        See relevant Ben Franklin quote.  I could, if you let me, make
this country safe from the criminal element.  You wouldn't like it.
Some people are willing to give every scrap of their freedom away to
have someone else take care of them.  Some of us aren't prepared to have
others give our freedom away, too.
        What's next?  Routine searches of citizen homes just to make sure
none of the nasty things are getting in?  (Hey, don't laugh.  It's happened.)

>It may not last:
>The ACLU is taking legal action against the Lawrence Police.

       I find it strange that you talk about disliking government restrictions,
then go on about the actions of some police.  Police are part of the
government, you realize.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Veal     Division of Continuing Education Information Services Group
               University of Tennessee, Knoxville
               PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu