darrelj@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Darrel VanBuer) (01/09/85)
The problem that so many of us have with handguns vs other things that kill
people is the relative utility and efficiency of the devices.
True, more people are killed by autos than handguns, but 99% of the time,
those cars are doing useful things like taking people to work and play.
The best that can be said for 99% of handguns is they're locked away.
True, every month the NRA reports a handful of cases in which someone with
a handgun defended themselves. In the same month close to a thousand are
shot by some mixture of criminals, friends, relatives (and rarely, a nut).
True, there are lots of ways to kill people, but none of the other ways
have the same combination of speed, action at a distance and easy
concealment of a handgun. It's pretty hard to hold up a bank with a knife
or blunt instrument, or kill someone who's decided to run away with one of
those. Long guns are hard to conceal, or keep at bedside or whatever.
Police go through a lot of training (many do anyway) to learn to make that
split second decision on use of their handgun (is that a little old lady
about to blow me away or a punk rocker seeking directions), and even then
it's less than perfect. Most civilian training is in areas of basic safety
and accurate firing
As for the right to keep and bear arms: this is the right to organize
militia in defense of the country. I would hardly want to face a squad of
invading Russians with automatic rifles with a Saturday night special. Give
me a long gun for that.
--
Darrel J. Van Buer, PhD
System Development Corp.
2500 Colorado Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90406
(213)820-4111 x5449
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VANBUER@USC-ECL.ARPA