In message <9509061938.AA02249@zorch.w3.org>, hallam@w3.org writes: [...]
People who go round drawing parallels to gun ownership and cryptography ownership are simply playing into the governments hands.
That could well be. (that's a crypto relivant as this message gets - sorry)
Cryptography has net benefits to society. Most advocates of gun ownership tend to convince me of little more than they are a danger to society. Regardless of their case they a re the biggest argument for gun control, and therfore poor advocates of their cause. [...]
I'm sorry to see you say that, but rather then argue here I'll provide a pointer to a fine set of arguments "A Nation of Cowards" by Jeffrey R. Snyder (the "nation" it refers to is the USA, not the UK). Available via the web <http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~karl/firearms/cowards.html>, enjoy or not.