Answers Inline. larry
-- Larry C. Lyons ColdFusion/Web Developer Certified Advanced ColdFusion 5 Developer EBStor.com 8870 Rixlew Lane, Suite 204 Manassas, Virginia 20109-3795 tel: (703) 393-7930 fax: (703) 393-2659 Web: http://www.ebstor.com email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Chaos, panic, and disorder - my work here is done. -- > -----Original Message----- > From: William Wheatley [mailto:bill@;ediets.com] > Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 10:43 AM > To: CF-Community > Subject: 40 Reasons For Gun Control > > > 40 Reasons For Gun Control > > > 40 Reasons For Gun Control > 1. Banning guns works, which is why New York, DC, & Chicago > cops need guns. > > 2. Washington DC's low murder rate of 69 per 100,000 is due > to strict gun control, and Indianapolis' high murder rate of > 9 per 100,000 is due to the lack of gun control. It works when the surrounding juristidictions had similar gun control legislation. When tracing is done, according to Justic Department stats, the firearms seized in DC typically come from Virginia, North Carolina and other states with very loose gun control laws. Its really easy to drive a few hours down I-95 and buy firearms at a gunstore in a state with very loose gun laws. You then drive back to DC and can sell the weapons at 3 or 4 times your cost. > > 3. Statistics showing high murder rates justify gun control > but statistics showing increasing murder rates after gun > control are "just statistics." Bad example, as someone with a lot of graduate stats courses under my belt, you're going to have to give me some citations here. > > 4. The Brady Bill and the Assault Weapons Ban, both of which > went into effect in 1994 are responsible for the decrease in > violent crime rates, which have been declining since 1991. An interesting claim, did you control for the effects of a changing economy or other conditions that can have a significant affect. Until you do so or cite a body of peer reviewd research that supports your pioint, I think your criticism is invalid. The remaining pieces of pro gun propaganistic tripe I'll refrain from commenting. Its heated rhetoric, not concusions based on legit research and data. Consider the homicide rate of Canada. It isn't even one tenth that of the US. The two country have similar economies, and cultures, are equally diverse. One of the chief differences between the two countries is the very strict gun control legislation in Canada. If gun control legislation did not work, then why is Canada's homicide rate disproporationately smaller than the US's. To quote from a recent Ministry of Justice Canada report: -- Firearms and Violent Crime Since 1975, the homicide and firearm homicide rates have declined in Canada, with no simple explanation for the observed decrease. Different strategies are required to prevent homicides in the home as opposed to homicides in the streets. The growing literature on the subject makes it clear that spousal homicide is rarely a spontaneous single event, and is more generally the end of a cycle of violence that takes place in the home. A better understanding of how violence is seen to escalate may lead to more effective prevention strategies. In 1996, of the 31,242 robberies reported in Canada, 21.3 percent involved a firearm. While the frequency of robberies has increased over the last 20 years, the percentage involving a firearm has decreased. Most robberies are committed in large urban areas. Research on offenders' decision-making processes, in relation to various kinds of robbery and assault incidents, is still at a very early stage in Canada. Canada's experience with youth violence, especially firearm violence, is significantly different from that of the United States. Research indicates that differential access to firearms, especially handguns, by youth in the two countries appears to be the main factor explaining the difference in the levels of youth violence. More comprehensive comparative research may yield important findings. -- http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/rs/rep/wd98-4a-e.html In 1995 there were two homicides by firearms in Winnipeg (see http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/rs/rep/wd97-1a-e.html), Manitoba Canada, a city in the middle of Canada. Its population is about 600,000 or so. Now compare those fire arm related homicide rates to the nearest comparible city in the US midwest: Minneapolis where in 1995 there were 97 firearm related homicides (see http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/pubs/gun_violence/profile07.html). An interesting side note, there is some indication, (I'll have to dig up the article from the site) that there is a statically significant, but somewhat small correlation between distance to the Canadian/US border and firearm related homicide rates. In other words the closer you are to the border, your chances of getting killed by a firearm are somewhat increased. Probably the correlation means that its easier getting a firearm in cities and towns near the Canadian / US border than in places that are not near the border. Generally the data suggests that effective gun control legislation works. In Canada it was done on a national level. This prevents most gun trafficing between juristdictions. While not discussed, the data from the Canadian Ministry of Justice site also showed a steady decrease since 1975 when Canada's national gun control legislation was enacted. larry > > 5. We must get rid of guns because a deranged lunatic may go > on a shooting spree at any time and anyone who would own a > gun out of fear of such a lunatic is paranoid. > > 6. The more helpless you are the safer you are from criminals. > > 7. An intruder will be incapacitated by tear gas or oven > spray, but if shot with a .357 Magnum will get angry and kill you. > > 8. A woman raped and strangled is morally superior to a woman > with a smoking gun and a dead rapist at her feet. > > 9. When confronted by violent criminals, you should "put up > no defense -- give them what they want, or run" (Handgun > Control Inc. Chairman Pete Shields, Guns Don't Die - People > Do, 1981, p.125). > > 10. The New England Journal of Medicine is filled with expert > advice about guns; just like Guns & Ammo has some excellent > treatises on heart surgery. > > 11. One should consult an automotive engineer for safer > seatbelts, a civil engineer for a better bridge, a surgeon > for internal medicine, a computer programmer for hard drive > problems, and Sarah Brady for firearms expertise. > > 12. The 2nd Amendment, ratified in 1787, refers to the > National Guard, which was created 130 years later, in 1917. > > 13. The National Guard, federally funded, with bases on > federal land, using federally-owned weapons, vehicles, > buildings and uniforms, punishing trespassers under federal > law, is a "state" militia. > > 14. These phrases: "right of the people peaceably to > assemble," "right of the people to be secure in their homes," > "enumerations herein of certain rights shall not be construed > to disparage others retained by the people," and "The powers > not delegated herein are reserved to the states respectively, > and to the people" all refer to individuals, but "the right > of the people to keep and bear arm" refers to the state. > > 15. "The Constitution is strong and will never change." But > we should ban and seize all guns thereby violating the 2nd, > 4th, and 5th Amendments to that Constitution. > > 16. Rifles and handguns aren't necessary to national defense! > Of course, the army has hundreds of thousands of them. > > 17. Private citizens shouldn't have handguns, because they > aren't "military weapons", but private citizens shouldn't > have "assault rifles", because they are military weapons. > > 18. In spite of waiting periods, background checks, finger > printing, government forms, etc., guns today are too readily > available, which is responsible for recent school shootings. > In the 1940's, 1950's and1960's, anyone could buy guns at > hardware stores, army surplus stores, gas stations, variety > stores, Sears mail order, no waiting, no background check, no > fingerprints, no government forms and there were no school shootings. > > 19. The NRA's attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign about > kids handling guns is propaganda, but the anti-gun lobby's > attempt to run a "don't touch" campaign is responsible social > activity. > > 20. Guns are so complex that special training is necessary to > use them properly, and so simple to use that they make murder easy. > > 21. A handgun, with up to 4 controls, is far too complex for > the typical adult to learn to use, as opposed to an > automobile that only has 20. > > 22. Women are just as intelligent and capable as men but a > woman with a gun is "an accident waiting to happen" and gun > makers' advertisements aimed at women are "preying on their fears." > > 23. Ordinary people in the presence of guns turn into > slaughtering butchers but revert to normal when the weapon is > removed. > > 24. Guns cause violence, which is why there are so many mass > killings at gun shows. > > 25. A majority of the population supports gun control, just > like a majority of the population supported owning slaves. > > 26. Any self-loading small arm can legitimately be considered > to be a "weapon of mass destruction" or an "assault weapon." > > 27. Most people can't be trusted, so we should have laws > against guns, which most people will abide by because they > can be trusted. > > 28. The right of Internet pornographers to exist cannot be > questioned because it is constitutionally protected by the > Bill of Rights, but the use of handguns for self defense is > not really protected by the Bill of Rights. > > 29. Free speech entitles one to own newspapers, transmitters, > computers, and typewriters, but self-defense only justifies > bare hands. > > 30. The ACLU is good because it uncompromisingly defends > certain parts of the Constitution, and the NRA is bad, > because it defends other parts of the Constitution. > > 31. Charlton Heston, a movie actor as president of the NRA is > a cheap lunatic who should be ignored, but Michael Douglas, a > movie actor as a representative of Handgun Control, Inc. is > an ambassador for peace who is entitled to an audience at the > UN arms control summit. > > 32. Police operate with backup within groups, which is why > they need larger capacity pistol magazines than do > "civilians" who must face criminals alone and therefore need > less ammunition. > > 33. We should ban "Saturday Night Specials" and other > inexpensive guns because it's not fair that poor people have > access to guns too. > > 34. Police officers have some special Jedi-like mastery over > hand guns that private citizens can never hope to obtain. > > 35. Private citizens don't need a gun for self-protection > because the police are there to protect them even though the > Supreme Court says the police are not responsible for their > protection. > > 36. Citizens don't need to carry a gun for personal > protection but police chiefs, who are desk-bound > administrators who work in a building filled with cops, need a gun. > > 37. "Assault weapons" have no purpose other than to kill > large numbers of people. The police need assault weapons. You do not. > > 38. When Microsoft pressures its distributors to give > Microsoft preferential promotion, that's bad; but when the > Federal government pressures cities to buy guns only from > Smith & Wesson, that's good. > > 39. Trigger locks do not interfere with the ability to use a > gun for defensive purposes, which is why you see police > officers with one on their duty weapon. > > 40. Handgun Control, Inc. says they want to "keep guns out of > the wrong hands." Guess what? You have the wrong hands. > > Bill Wheatley > Senior Database Developer > Macromedia Certified Advanced Coldfusion Developer > EDIETS.COM > 954.360.9022 X159 > ICQ 417645 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com
