-----Original Message----- From: kclug-bounces@kclug.org [mailto:kclug-bounces@kclug.org] On Behalf Of Paul Taylor Sent: Thursday, September 09, 2004 10:34 PM To: 'Oren Beck'; 'Brian Densmore' Cc: kclug@kclug.org Subject: RE: gmail initiations
The Clinton Assault Weapon ban ends in 4 days. We'll be safe after a buying spree, right? ;-)
I'll bite.
That all depends on who ends up holding the weapon I suppose. While our founding fathers probably never expected I should have the right to a high cyclic firing rate (and _without_ an FFL I don't), they hadn't been afforded an opportunity to try crack cocaine back then either.
Boil it down to whatever bumper sticker slogan will fit within your attention buffer, but don't come to me with the age old argument, "If we can spare one innocent life, one accidental death, then banning guns would be worth it." Take that tired mess, and walk west. Eventually, you'll come across this huge hole in the ground called the Grand Canyon. Every year, innocent folks fall into this hole, despite fences in high-traffic areas, and die. Once someone fills in the Grand Canyon, this argument will hold water with me, and I'll gladly relinquish the firearms I own. (And for the record, haven't killed anyone with in 34 years.)
But to pull off the gloves and be civil about all of this - it's just a law. Laws are for _lawless_ people, and describe the bare minimum acceptable standards of living peacefully within our society. Those of us who think ourselves non-criminal are called to live _above_ the law, not within the very letter of it. During this past ten years I am quite sure some folks were arrested for possessing assault weapons - and I'm not talking about Wacky Waco folks here. Some of them were likely hard core criminals, and some were not. You think those hard core mofos cared that they had one more charge piled on? They're probably already looking at five years if they're a felon - the assault weapon just adds gasoline.
Is there a simple answer? No. This is one of those flaming topics we have to return to, when all the other 527 bullshit overloads that bumper-sticker buffer of ours, and we have to change up again. It serves only to divide us as a nation. If you're a big fan of our current two party system, then kudos. This will work perfectly to polarize the majority into red and blue. Again, those parties fit within the bumper sticker buffer. Just my $.02.
Dustin