~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, On Sun, 21 Jul 1996 ichudov@algebra.com wrote:
Lots of kids impulsively do things that they later regret. Like, once one little boy hit me hard in the head with a heavy stick from behind my back...Now, if he or myself had access to a firearm, the life now would not be nearly as good as it is.
I've seen these sudden destructive impulses in kids many times.
So have I, but your assertion begs the question. In an unarmed society, people don't have to curb their impulse to the extent they do in an armed one. As a result they often don't. The Swiss and the Israelis seem to avoid internecine fratricide, even though guns are everywhere. I don't think it is any coincidence that incivility and casual violence have increased in America in direct proportion to the ongoing orgy of victim disarmament. I've noticed that most civil and human interactions occur in gun stores and rifle ranges. I've been treated shabbily in health food stores, but never at a gun show. When was the last time you heard of someone being killed at the shooting range or in a gun store? It's statistically infinitesimal. Now ask yourself the same question about liquor and convenience stores... Powerlessness is far more a cause of impulsive rages than the trust, responsibility and empowerment engendered by gun ownership. S a n d y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~