CDR: Re: Jim Bell arrested documents online

[David Honig]

At 02:22 PM 11/27/00 +0000, Ken Brown wrote:
>David Honig wrote:
>> But the threat of coercion is not so abstract: you *do* see guns on the hip
>> of every cop or park ranger you run into.  
>
>You might. It's not like that where I live. I don't think I'd ever seen
>a handgun other than on TV until I was over 20, & that was in a foreign
>country. I've still never held one. 

I don't see the point of such celibacy when there are such pleasures...

>Shotguns yes, people kill birds with
>them. 

I'm all for banning all non-military arms from private possession.
The right to bear arms isn't about ducks.  

Of course, there are military applications for shotguns.

Rifles - very occasionally with the military or armed police, but
>most people don't live near military bases & most police don't carry
>rifles in public. I doubt if I see more than one or two a year (*). 

I was impressed by the fellow with the full auto submachine gun
facing the street, guarding the bank in Spain.  And the teenagers with mil
rifles at stops in Mexico, kleenex in the muzzle to keep sand out.
I guess in the UK you'd have to go up north to see those nice soldiers
with their friendly checkpoints and heavy rifles.  Never been to Israel
or Africa or Switzerland but I hear they know what firearms look like.

But of course, Brits don't see their policers' guns.  After all, 
it is becoming known in the animal husbandry industry 
that sheep produce more if they are not stressed.  See 
"Livestock Behaviour, Design of Facilities and Humane Slaughter" at
www.grandin.com.