Virginia

[desinor at sympatico.ca (Jean-Claude Désinor)]

  Like it or not, eventually some form of gun control will happen.
  I understand that US Citizens have a constitutional right to bear arms.
  I understand also that someone can kill with a baseball bat or a 
hockey puck.
  I am a Canadian, but we did lose a Canadian teacher in that mishap, so 
that gives me (some) qualification to speak my mind :-)
  Given that, please consider the following:
  - a baseball bat (or a shovel or a kitchen knife) requires some skill 
to be used for killing. Not a firearm, the primary purpose of a firearm 
is to kill. Even small kids can do it.
  - since we register automobiles, there is no big technical challenge 
to register guns. (although some crooks made a bundle screwing up 
Canada's gun registry.)
  So everyone has the right (constitutional or not) to own a car or a 
driver's license. Yet you have to learn to drive and pass an exam before 
you get a license, and your car is registered. What's the big hangup 
about requiring a license for a firearm and registering a gun?
  Last September, in Montreal, a young man went berserk and went on a 
rampage. He had a legally registered firearm. He was known to have a 
violent web site and to have mental problems,  but that . The gun he 
used was a Beretta CX4. Splendid machine, see for yourself: 
<http://www.cx4storm.com/>
  Why the heck is someone allowed to have such a weapon in a non-combat 
situation?
  I do not know what weapon was involved in VT, but I bet if there were 
reasonable controls he would be at least limited in his ability to hurt 
so many people.  Unless of course some determined victims stormed him, 
but civilians faced with a powerful killing machine might not react like 
that.
  Yes, you have the right to bear arms, but take some precautions. You 
do protect yourself for sex, no?

    Jean-Claude
    84 8v (step on the gas if it smells like danger!)

fahrvergnugen@cox.net wrote:
> ---- Patrick Bureau <patrick.bureau@gmail.com> wrote: 
>   
>> Look, its simple... Don't let NON US CITIZENS to buy arms...
>>
>> When I moved down from canda to usa the border patrol prevented me to bring
>> in my shotgun (`16cal`) into the usa, 2 weeks later after getting my texas
>> drivers license,
>> bought 3 rifles and 2 handguns at a pawn store waing my Tx drivers licence
>> only. I am not a "killer" but common, letting anyone and their dog allowed
>> to buy any weapon they want when they want... Is dumb. 
>>
>>     
>
> No, it isnt.  Make it mandatory to have training of how to use the weapons, including a background check for a violent history, or for taking meds.
>
>
>
>   
>> The government need to tie their computer systems better still, it should be
>> a trigger, your on medication, oh sorry no guns for you. Simple.
>>
>>     
>
> The idea is simple, certainly, but the application is not simple at all.  The only way to do it is to invite the government into our privacy just a bit more.  Many are not willing to make that sacrifice, I am not yet at that point though.
>
>   
>> <the more I live in the usa the more I laughed at the HUGE holes of
>> "reasonable thinking" that is missing from the government>
>>
>> yeah yeah burn me all you want :) I don't care, I already got my guns...lol
>>
>>     
>
> No witches are here, so there will be no burning.  :-)  However, I would like to say that 'reasonable thinking' is a relative thing, like 'common sense'.  There is no way to agree on what that is, and even more to the point, to put that into -action-.
>
> My .02
>
> David
>