Re: Dodge City/was Re: The End of Privacy?

VirgilT7@aol.com
Wed, 8 Jul 1998 19:16:54 EDT

In a message dated 7/8/98 6:11:44 PM Eastern Daylight Time, retroman@together.net writes:

<< No, police cheifs attribute the reduction to improved police work (of course, they
need to take the credit), while the prime police cheif lobbying organizations are
anti-gun, while the rank and file police officers and their representatives are
pro-gun, and they will all tell you that the reduction is a result of more armed
and active private citizens.>>

Well, I live in the city, and I can't recall hearing any rank and file police officer saying anything of the sort. My friend happens to be one in fact, graduated a few years ago, and he certainly doesn't think so. Matter of fact, many seem to think that rates are going down because citizens are AVOIDING problem areas, not taking care of problem areas with firearms.

<< If you have a population of people that is directly descended from a feudal
population of serfs and peons, you will of course have a much more cattle-
like
acceptance of gun control, and gun control will be irrelevant, since a cattle-like
population will have a much smaller percentage of deviant personalities than one
that is made up of people who were kicked out of that cattle-like population.>>

The French people have gone through FIVE different governments in the time we have had ONE government. That's hardly cattle-like. Perhaps you should review the history of Ireland, and see how "cattle-like" they were to British government rule. As far as deviant personalities and behavior goes, try visting the red-light district of Amsterdam. The overall trust and support of government actually rates higher in the United States than most other nations
(no I can't recall the names of the polls or studies, so take it with a
grain). Point here that the thesis you offered is simplistic and doesn't account for a large amount of evidence that indicates contrary to the thesis. As far as crime rates go, I am not at all sure about this, but (pay attention here Mark) I think that some European nations actually have higher rates of rape and certain violent crimes than does the United States, as well as higher rates of burglary.

The fact that one's ancestors were oppressed and accustomed to questionless obediance does not mean that one today will also be accustomed questionless obediance. As an explanation of foreign populations' acceptance of gun control, it simply does not work.

Andrew