From: PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu (David Veal)
Subject: Re: Dressed for Rape
Organization: University of Tennessee Division of Continuing Education
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 16:50:13 GMT

In article <9301052253.18@rmkhome.UUCP> rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly) writes:
>In article <PA146008.598.726250373@utkvm1.utk.edu> PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu (David Veal) writes:
>>In article <9301041915.56@rmkhome.UUCP> rmk@rmkhome.UUCP (Rick Kelly) writes:
>>>>>In article <1992Dec31.194027.1838@cbnewse.cb.att.com> random@cbnewse.cb.att.com(David L. Pope) writes:
>>>>>>> The police would like to know who has guns.
>>>>>>  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>>>>>>And it is our duty to restrict that knowledge.
>>>>>
>>>>>Why is that?
>>>>
>>>>       The same reason we don't require the police be informed for
>>>>every object that could be used as a deadly weapon.  Because it's
>>>>none of their business unless I use that object in a crime.  As
>>>>agents of the government, the police should be watched closely.  When
>>>>they get to keep records of everything that *might* develop into a crime,
>>>>they might start thinking it's their job to jump in whenever somebody
>>>>has the capability to commit a crime, rather than when they actually do.
>>>>       In fact, it's already happened.  My favority being the quote
>>>>from a Florida police officer on the war on drugs and civil forfeiture.
>>>>He said, "When you take away someone's money, you take away their
>>>>ability to purchase narcotics"
>>>>       As someone who A) has money, and B) has never purchased narcotics
>>>>I find this very, very scary.  What, then, if they decide that can
>>>>prevent shootings by confiscating guns, beating by confiscating baseball
>>>>bats, and child abuse by confiscating children?
>>>>       And where exactly did good intentions turn into a police state?
>>>
>>>This could easily be an anti vehicle registration and insurance debate.
>>
>>        Bingo.
>>
>>        Vehicle registration is primarily a revenue generatining thing above
>>and beyond anything else.  This is apparent even more in those states where
>>you have to register a car and pay taxes on it even if you aren't going to
>>use it on public roads.  (Thank heavens not here in Tennessee.)
>
>Usually, this type of thing is a community law rather than a state law.

      Registration taxes and a few other goofy ones are state taxes in 
Tennessee.  The Counties have been known to add their own taxes.  But that
isn't the point, and you've switched topics yet again.  It doesn't matter
*who* the taxes are for.  The point is that they *are* a tax measure, and
not a measure to restrict the ownership of automobiles to the "right"
people.

>I know this because I've had to argue with town governments in various
>places that I lived when I had 2 or 3 unregistered cars.

       Then, perhaps, your state does things in a different way.  Or maybe 
you have to be registered at both the state and local level.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
David Veal               University of Tennessee Div. of Cont. Education
                         Information Services Group
PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu  (Mail to VEAL@utkvm1.utk.edu will bounce.)