Subject:
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Re: My Gun Control Rant
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Mon, 8 Jan 2001 22:19:52 GMT
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Viewed:
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612 times
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> What do you mean by "better?" I have had minor formal firearms training and
> have practiced at the range on numerous (though not as much as I should,
> recently) occasions.
Well, I believe the technical term here in Canada is Attempted Murder, or at
least Assault with a Weapon.
My firearms instructors included members who had served in all kinds of nice
international vacation spots, such as Cyprus, Yogo, Somolia, ect...and they
said that the only business you had pointing a firearm at another person was if
you had the intent to kill them.
No other reason was worth pointing the firearm at them, even though you might
not HAVE to kill them to get them to do what you wanted.
> > If you aim at someone, then the ONLY possible reason is that you intend to • try
> > and kill them.
> >
> > Nothing else, but to try and kill them.
>
> Silly macho posturing. There are lots of reasons that one might aim a gun at
> another without the sole intent of killing. Also, you needn't aim a weapon in
> order to be _using_ it. For instance, you could make a display of inspecting
> it in order to let others know that it is there. Further, if I did choose to
> aim it at you, then I might simply hope desperately to convince you to leave • my
> premises.
The _only_ reason why you have the weapon is to make a threat that you can
deliver sufficent force to severely injure or kill someone. Assuming a
compentance level of myself, or Larry P, you are going to shoot for center of
mass (chest). This means, with most weapons, you are aiming to kill, not
wound.
> I personally, am willing (though not eager) to kill someone if I'm
> pointing a gun at them.
That's fine, so am I.
> > What else is the gun for?
>
> A warning? A toy? A testosterone pump? A sporting good. There are lots of
> reasons that people use firearms.
-and for all of those, I can think of better items- except perhaps the sporting
goods. I'm NOT arguing about banning longs, they have ligitimate uses. I'm
not even arging that banning all pistols is a good idea- just that limiting
access is a perfectly ligitimate act of law passed by the Canadian Government,
who are not encumbered by the (american) 2nd amendment. (and disagree with that
if you want, but I see it as being perfectly reasonable to do some of what is
banned by the 2nd in the US)
> > [I'm] just stating that if you don't intend to
> > kill with that weapon, you might as well NOT have it, and make the world • safer,
> > because then you are a lot less likely to shoot yourself, or have a kid get • at
> > it...)
>
> And I'm just stating that you're wrong. I am _very unlikely_<1> to shoot
myself >or let my kid get at it. My son doesn't have the strength to pull the
trigger
> yet. My wife and I have picked out the gun safe that we like, but we're kind
> of waiting for a more sophisticated lock before we buy. We'll get the best
> that's available when we feel that it's needed.
Perhaps, being a Canadian, I am not paranoid enough. Even when I lived in a
ratty part of Toronto (Dupont/Christie, if you know Toronto), I never had a
severe fear for my life, that would have made me want to have access to a
firearm for self protection. Even traveling through some parts of the US that
I have been warned about (Seattle, LA), I have NEVER felt afraid enough to be
worried that I was not armed. Perhaps my fear factor is much higher than
yours, but I still would NOT have a hand gun in my house, much less loaded and
in a drawer where potentially a minor could gain access to it.
<1> -even though you might be "very unlikely" to shoot yourself, you are still
running a chance, that is real. I think you will find that a lot of people
with firearms manage this trick every year- Scott A. posted the link to CDC, I
think they will have the statistics on the matter.
James Powell
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: My Gun Control Rant
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| (...) I think we're arguing about a matter of wording here - While it is true that you should never point a gun at a person without AT LEAST being in a state where it is "OK" _IF_ the gun does get fired and does kill (in a situation where the other (...) (24 years ago, 8-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: My Gun Control Rant
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| (...) You've been warned about Seattle? Really? What have people warned you about? Just curious, since I live in the Seattle area and I think it's pretty safe in general. ~Mark "Muffin Head" Sandlin (24 years ago, 9-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: My Gun Control Rant
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| (...) What do you mean by "better?" I have had minor formal firearms training and have practiced at the range on numerous (though not as much as I should, recently) occasions. (...) Silly macho posturing. There are lots of reasons that one might aim (...) (24 years ago, 8-Jan-01, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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