Date sent: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 07:32:18 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian D Williams <talon57@well.com>
To: extropians@extropy.org
Subject: [GUNS\ Re: g*n c*ntr*l
Send reply to: extropians@extropy.com
>
> NOTE: This post was sent to me by a fellow extropian who thought it
> was wrong that Joe was replying to a post of mine which did not
> concern a post of his, and the fact that Joe Dees is well aware of
> the fact that I killfiled him long ago.
>
> From: "Joe E. Dees" <joedees@bellsouth.net>
>
> >This is a false dichotomy; I am not in favor of banning firearms
> >outright, just keeping them out of the hands of those who can be
> >expected, from their mental condition or past behavior, to abuse
> >the responsibility concommitant with the right to keep and bear
> >firearms. Such a position is required of those who would call
> >themselves responsible, and should have the support of all who
> >favor responsible gun possession. To advocate the free access of
> >firearms for convicted violent criminals, those who have had to be
> >legally restrained from intimidating and abusing others, the
> >incompetent and the insane is the height of irresponsibility, and
> >furthermore, demonstrates a substitution of dogmatic and
> >mantric progun-for-everyone rhetoric for rational reflection and
> >common sense. The world may be safer if everyone has a gun
> >than if everyone does not (although the experiences of Japan and
> >Great Britain put the lie to this contention), but there can be no
> >question that the safest world of all would be the one where only
> >the responsible retain the right to keep and bear, and that
> >although such a utopia may be in principle impossible, we should
> >put into practice measures designed to more closely approach it.
>
> First of all no one was addressing you, or a post of yours, I
> killfiled you long ago....
>
> Now on to the facts:
>
> 1) It is illegal for the mentally incompetent to own or possess
> firearms.
>
> 2) It is illegal for a convicted felon to own or possess a firearm.
>
>
> Neither myself, nor any other gun owner on this list, nor the NRA,
> has ever suggested that these laws be changed, in fact we insist
> they be enforced.
>
Without a purchas-prohibited list which must be accessed prior to
sale, the law is unenforceable.
>
> 3) In many states it is illegal for anyone under a restraining
> order against an ex-spouse to possess firearms.
>
This should be federal.
>
> 4) Japan, the UK, Canada, Chicago and any other place where
> handguns are banned have numerous handgun deaths every year, and
> those numbers are increasing.
>
They are WAAAY below the per capita US average, as you well
know.
>
> You are disingenuous, and dishonest (i.e. not to be trusted), in
> light of your behavior, I have serious doubts as to whether you
> qualify for gun ownership under item 1.
>
> Back into the killfile with you.
>
> Apologies to the list.
>
I don't give a rotten fig whether or not some nimrod doofus or other
killfiles me; when a comment appears on this list, it is to the list at
large, which exactly for whom my reply is intended.
>
>
> Brian
>
> Member:
> Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
> Adler Planetarium www.adlerplanetarium.org
> Life Extension Foundation, www.lef.org
> National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
> Mars Society, www.marssociety.org
> Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
>
>
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