Date sent: Fri, 28 May 1999 21:40:35 -0500 From: Steve Tucker <stevet@megsinet.net> Subject: Re: Guns and Slaves To: extropians@extropy.com Send reply to: extropians@extropy.com
> "Joe E. Dees" wrote:
>
> > I have advocated denying gun ownership to (once
> > again, and am prepared to say 1000 times more) violent criminals,
> > the mentally deficient and/or deranged, spouse and/or child
> > abusers, and children.
>
> This seems also a list of those most likely to disregard whatever laws may stand
> between them and their goals. It may have the effect of forcing them to obtain
> their guns from the black market or through theft; perhaps the stupidest ones
> would be caught in the attempt.
>
Well, there's no reason to prevent gun sales to the law-abiding and
responsible among us. It's the dangerous ones which SHOULD
concern us.
>
> Don't get me wrong, I don't wish to see those prone to initiating violence heavily
> armed, but then neither do I wish to see them roaming at large, armed or not (if
> we have to discuss whether they should be armed we have already arrived at the
> wrong question). I am concerned, however, with what the political process may do
> to us in process of turning your "common sense" into the usual incomprehensible
> mish-mash. Politicians seem generally not nearly as concerned with the probable
> outcomes of their actions as they are with being seen "taking action", which IMHO
> is what is driving the recent spurt of gun-banning proposals. Since their general
> response to failure is to keep doing whatever produced the failure, but harder
> (ref: War On Some Drugs, gov't schools, public housing, welfare, etc etc), I do
> believe the "slippery slope" is a real concern.
>
Well, I'll campaign against you to pass the reasonable, and
campaign just as hard with you to defeat the unreasonable.
>
> - Steve
>
>
>