Sandy Sandfort wrote:
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.
... snip ...
Powerlessness is far more a cause of impulsive rages than the trust, responsibility and empowerment engendered by gun ownership.
As I said, the kid who hit me in the head with a stick was 3-4 years younger than me. You skipped that part. Correspondently, I could beat him easily (I did, but his mother soon interrupted me), which was obvious to him. So he had plenty of information that would deter a rational person. He had all the reasons to "to curb his impulse", as you said, and he could have thought about his punishment. Still, he hit me. He was NOT a rational person, therefore. Just as simple as that, that particular kid who hit me should not be trusted with a firearm at his age. This is a simple logical conclusion. Your arguments apply to people who do not do impulsive things. To adults for example. Again, I expressed my opinion about raising my own kids. I do not have an opinion on whether parents in general should be allowed to give guns to their kids or not, but I would not keep a firearm in my home when I have kids. I may teach them gun safety or shooting, but would never leave them at home with access to guns. - Igor.