NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #3/NN_1993_3.iso/spool/alt/peeves/19504

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-23 | 3.2 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!utcsri!torn!spool.mu.edu!caen!nic.umass.edu!titan.ucs.umass.edu!not-for-mail
From: [e-mail] (Well Paid in Name Only)
Newsgroups: alt.peeves
Subject: Re: More Gun Control
Date: 23 Jan 1993 11:27:18 -0500
Organization: University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Lines: 55
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: titan.ucs.umass.edu

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Blair Haworth) writes:

>
>A lot (arguably almost all, but let's be charitable) of these 1400, or
>rather, the people who incurred the 1400 deaths, can be categorized as
>idiots; isn't it kind of likely that they'd've still rung up a pretty good
>score without the help of ordnance?

Yup, but if they had been wielding, say, paintbrushes or keyboards instead
of guns, the only harm done would be bad art or Dalhousian posts.

Having spent a great deal of time in California with big burly men who own
firearms (and a couple of skinny emaciated men who own firearms) I've
actually discussed this topic quite a bit.  The immediate assumption made
when I say that I think it should be difficult for people to get guns is
that I think that this will somehow keep weapons from the hands of criminals
or psychopaths.  Of course not.  So far we have no good method of distinguish-
ing criminals and psychopaths from normal folk.  At least, not the really
dangerous ones.

Idiots, however, are a different question all together.  Idiots can be
spotted fairly easily.  And people who are not idiots per se, but have
large pockets of idiocy within them, can have it explained to them before
they try to use a gun.

Leaving myself wide open for an attack by Norman Yarvin, I contend that I fall
into the second category.  I am not an idiot, but I have the hand-eye coordina-
ation of Handi-boy (ObPopCultureReferece included just to bother Geoff).
However, I was given profuse instructions from Don Baldwin before we hit the
range, and was watched over by the angels of mercy (JZ, booter & Don Pette)
whilst on the range, so I was OK.

Atually, Banta was most helpful.  He told me this neat trick that really seemed
to make a difference - he said "Before you fire the gun, aim it."  I probably
wouldn't come up with a sound strategy like that until I'd had years of
practice.

So I say, make people prove they ain't idjits, and make sure they get training
from big men with lots of testosterone before setting 'em loose with weapons.

My new roomie has a friend JoSH who says we should make education illegal,
and make guns & drugs mandatory - but have the government supply them.
This may be the most effective form of drug/gun control suggested to date.

!Peeve: New roommates with cool friends.

ObPeeve: I'll be 29 on Wednesday, and am therefore nearly at the end of
the trustable period of my life.

Jenny "Menopause is just around the corner" Gutbezahl
--
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[e-mail] is Jenny Gutbezahl @ Univ. of Mass, Amherst
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