I had a LTE in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review today (1/4/2006). I responded to a Sunday guest columnist who advocated a nationwide gun ban as a result of a tragic loss in her family (www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_407919.html).
She was sloppy and often wrong with many of her "facts" and conclusions according to one of my most reliable contacts in Firearms Owners Against Crime. While my FOAC contact is drafting a more thorough and lengthy reply, I thought I'd try a different approach in less-than-200 words.
My angle was cars. If you blame things for tragedies, I'm pretty sure that cars have it hands down over guns in terms of deaths, serious injuries and property damage.
So what happens if we ban cars (in 200 words or less)?
Mark C.
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/opinion/letters/s_409943.html
Gun control's dead end, Wednesday, January 4, 2006
A tragic family-member loss ("Gun control lobby is thinking small," Opinion and Commentary, Liberal Page, Jan. 1 and TribLIVE.com) is undeniably painful, but it can confuse and mislead one toward false remedies. A nationwide handgun ban is one such false remedy.
To show this, consider that each year thousands are killed and injured in vehicle accidents. The suffering by those victims and their families is no less painful.
Imagine if some of those victims called for a nationwide ban on private vehicles and government force made it happen. Where does that road take us?
Confiscation. Honest livelihoods and industries outlawed. Hobbies and traditions now crimes. Parts regarded like drug paraphernalia. Another costly "war on something."
It also takes us to a new government agency with three functions: to transport people government-style, to relocate people where government wants them and to jail
people. Undoubtedly, it will perform these functions with FEMA-like efficiency.
Bans on cars, guns or whatever are alternate routes to the same dead end: bigger government, poorer citizens, less freedom, more intrusion, fewer choices and more helplessness.
Let's not take this wrong turn.
Mark Crowley, Plum
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Mark C's recent Letter to Editor about dangers
Mark C reported:
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1 comment:
Mark there are some idiots out there that do want to ban cars. Just go down to free ride and suggest that, and you will have alot of people telling you how they agree with you. That is sad but oh well.
But for most sain people what you have here is a very good point, most people (I hope) will get it, that a ban on guns is stupid, all it does is take guns out of the people that obay the law, not the law breakers. Every time there is some gun violance the person doing it have already broke the law, one more law is not going to stop them.
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