-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hallam-Baker Wrote --
Date: Sun, 04 Aug 1996 20:20:20 -0400
I personally think that tagants is an insuffieicent approach to the problem. Given the number of gun related homicides in the US it is not unreasonable to require each individual cartridge to be stamped with a serial number and for gun dealers to be required to record each individual purchase. That at least was my advice to the UK govt after Dunblane.
There's four major problems with this. First off, a large number of guns used in homicides are revolvers or derringers (anyone got the numbers?). These guns don't spit out the shells. So, it would be utterly useless to do so. The second problem is the number of shells expelled in the US every day. I doubt there's enough room on the butt end of a shell to print that number (it couldn't be printed on the sides, as this would screw up the fit of the shell, and possibly weaken it). And, it'd be almost impossible getting gun manufacturers to pay for the equiptment that it would take to emprint serial numbers. The third number is that cartridges are recycled. Aside from reloading your own, there's a large number of people that sweep up brass from gun ranges to reload themselves. The idea that someone swept up the brass could get almost anyone off. The final problem is the paperwork. Cops today can barly keep up with the paperwork involved with the Brady Bill. Could you imagine if they had to keep track of AMMO purchases?
If people go arround claiming that ownership of guns is necessary so that people can commit acts of treason against the US govt then it is inevitable that there will be pressure for greater
The provision to give people the means to commit treason against the government are in the Constitution. That's why the second amendment is there -- to empower the people to protect themselves against the government. Then there's the first amendment, which is there partially so that the people can keep the government in check with speech and the press.
regulation. The NRA has been playing a bad hand stupidly. By raising the militia argument they have played into the hands of abolitionists. It would be entirely foolish for the crypto
The NRA, I'm sorry to say, has screwed up royally. It's about time that they regroup, or else they fall. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 iQEVAwUBMgUWzVZoKRrkPmSJAQGNPQf/TMJdVIPG+znJdWK3DlxmANXyLpz7qs8Z ESHxWo5unmVuDMSGhLGNT15GabdlMozgmatM11iFXmtpzXSBDMwUQOGS29ScgF6l PW3PBJ0AMscr16GFJu7EcaJStXXAKPCb3mIQmd/JEs51uwpPVgz65fMyRhq3LALF 2fSnNybWGpX60QefZfvtxd6ePx5FyO05v5BJD916N9rh5sRcyspO9Bn5gdvqZaEF MjcYiDuV1qMl1oO7FAF41HDpw1x8hVp1BsUyN812aBl2YbYYxTaQwjE+BaEmExM7 wLgwUBLZ809fqBWeXpGw8CBmy4FmM7KwiI4fxGxdbcgnFBvRavTrdQ== =SY5x -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- Sean Sutherland | mailto:maverick@interconnect.net PGP Key ID - e43e6489 | http://www2.interconnect.net/maverick -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- GCS/C d- s+:+ a--- C+++ V--- P L E- W++ N++ K w o O-(++) M-- V PS+ PE++ Y PGP++ t--- 5+++ X++ R b++ DI+ D+ G e- h! !r y -----END GEEK CODE BLOCK-----