From: harkcom@spinach.pa.yokogawa.co.jp (Alton Harkcom)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.japan
Subject: Re: Japanese exchange student killed in Louisiana...
Date: 10 Nov 92 04:22:12 GMT
	<1992Oct31.041635.13444@nntp.csl.sony.co.jp>
	<kimata.720734120@convex.convex.com> <Bx61H8.3G1@ncifcrf.gov>
Organization: Yokogawa Electric Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
In-reply-to: masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov's message of 4 Nov 92 00:31:56 GMT

In article <Bx61H8.3G1@ncifcrf.gov> masuda@fcs280b.ncifcrf.gov
   (Michiaki Masuda) writes:

 =}In article <kimata.720734120@convex.convex.com> kimata@convex.com (Hiroki Kimata) writes:
 =}>In <1992Oct31.041635.13444@nntp.csl.sony.co.jp> kono@csl.sony.co.jp (Shinji Kono) writes:
 =}
 =}>>A society of reasonable citizen never needs gun. In this sense, Japan
 =}>>is a little more reasonable than US.
 =}
 =}>Absolutely.

   Notice that "never needs guns" was used.  In this case, Japan needs
guns about as much as the US does.  The US allows those guns, Japan
doesn't.  Which do you see as more reasonable in light of this?

   The statement above is to point out the fallacy of using your own
biases to claim 'reasonableness'...  Even the most twisted of individuals
is reasonable in light of their own beliefs...

 =}   After the exchange student incidence, there seems to be a lot of
 =}pressure from the Japanese side regarding the gun control in the US, but
 =}I doubt its effect. Americans would not be willing to listen to
 =}what "unreasonable" Japanese are chirping unless it accompanies money.

   I don't think money is even a factor.  Most people won't listen
unless what is being said has some merit.  And having merit is not
enough sometimes.  If Japan (the government and media) doesn't have
any suggestions that haven't already been discussed a few billion times
then I doubt Americans will see any merit in what they are saying...

 =}Probably, we should live a daily life by assuming that everone around us has
 =}a gun in his/her pocket and learning how not to be shot. I'd rather get 
 =}paranoia than be shot.

   I lived in the US for 23 years without being paranoid about guns.  I
guess city folk might not have the same luxury but that's what they get
for making cities what they are...

 =}Second, the Japanese government as well as we Japanese living in the US
 =}should inform other Japanese who are planning to visit the US what 
 =}kind of danger they have to expect. Many Japanese understand the danger
 =}of some specific areas, but no one ever tells us about the possibility that
 =}an ordinary American citizen could shoot us with a gun. Knowing how
 =}dangerous it is in the US, some Japanese will change their destination
 =}of a vacation trip. Some Americans depending on Japanese tourists may lose
 =}their business, but that's their problem.

   So maybe the Japanese should give as much press to the rapings/beatings/
murders of US citizens in Japan...  Then Americans would have the same
chance of reconsidering their vacation plans...

 =}Finally, we should support the more strict gun control in the US, but not
 =}too persuasively nor too effectively. (Since we don't have a civil right
 =}here in the US, we cannot say an effective word anyway.) Pushing the
 =}gun-happies by insisting the ban of gun possession could have even an
 =}adverse effect (they might even shoot us!). 

   Very few anti-gun-ban people are gun-happy.  And they usually avoid such
ignorant attacks when discussing the issue...

Al
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