The problem is in usage and intent. Some family in a bad neighborhood with an illegal gun for protection is one thing. If they use it on an intruder then the intent is protection. If their son, a crack dealer, uses it to kill someone then the intent is murder. If their son, the crack dealer, is arrested for posessing or selling crack and has the gun on him then the intent is protection and murder.
Criminals with guns should get stiff sentences - no questions, no appeal. A gun = maximum possible sentence. The use of a gun by a criminal (in the midst of a crime or to commit a crime) to kill someone should result in either death or life imprisonment in a nasty hell hole prison, no club med prisons. Yes, this still has holes in it but its a good start. Use a gun for a crime and become a victim of your own foolishness. But the world condemns the death sentence...while ignoring Sudan and other true massacres. On Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 2:26 PM, Scott Stewart <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > Back to the original question, how do we solve the problem of illegal > firearms... > > Loathe wrote: > > Assault weapons are used less than any other class of firearms in crimes. > > > > I don't think it was well established in that thread at al that they are > > part of the major gun crime issue at all. They are scary looking and > people > > have banned them for that reason alone. > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: Larry Lyons [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 9:58 AM > >> To: cf-community > >> Subject: Re: questions from the gun control thread > >> > >> > >>> It was well established in the gun control thread that the major > >>> gun/crime issue is illegal handguns/illegal assault weapons > >>> > >> (IMO). What > >> > >>> are people's thoughts on stopping the trade in illegal firearms. I'm > >>> not sure I buy the argument to "just arm everyone else", while the > >>> Constitution is interpreted to guarantee the right to legally own a > >>> firearm, doesn't it also guarantee the right not to? > >>> > >>> > >> have chemical taggants in all ammunition. That way tracing > >> becomes much easier. The last time this was proposed, the NRA > >> was against it. > >> > >> Make ammunition much much more expensive. > >> > >> Make firearms much more difficult to transport. If the user > >> does not have a transportation certificate its a 3 month jail > >> term and $5000 fine if they cannot produce the certificate > >> within 24 hours at their nearest police station. > >> > >> Reduce the penalties for drugs. > >> > >> Another problem and one I cannot see how to to deal with is > >> that most firearm related crimes and suicides are impulsive. > >> its very easy to pick up a pistol and blaze away, essentially > >> an impulse. Its much more involved and deliberative to take a > >> baseball bat and beat the crap out of someone else. It also > >> gives that person a much better opportunity to beat the crap > >> out of you. If you could really reduce the impulsive nature > >> of firearms then that would go a long way to reduce firearm > >> related incidents. > >> > >> > >> > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Adobe® ColdFusion® 8 software 8 is the most important and dramatic release to date Get the Free Trial http://ad.doubleclick.net/clk;207172674;29440083;f Archive: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/message.cfm/messageid:280070 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/groups/cf-community/subscribe.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
