From: jmd@cube.handheld.com (Jim De Arras)
Subject: Re: My Gun is like my American Express Card
Organization: Hand Held Products, Inc.
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Distribution: world
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In article <CMM.0.90.2.734814613.thomasp@surt.ifi.uio.no> Thomas Parsli  
<thomasp@ifi.uio.no> writes:
> 
> 
> 	Observations from a naive norwegian:
> 
> 	1) Guns are made to KILL people, not to shoot target or to 
> 	have something more macho than stamps to collect.....
> 
> 	2) It IS more easy to kill/injure someone with a gun than
> 	with a knife or a bat (as in baseball).
> 
> 	3) It's not very wise to compare two completely different
> 	countries like USA and, let's say, Island on issues like
> 	crime and violence.
> 
> 	4) Yes, the problem is  people committing crimes, not the tools
> 	beeing used, but 1) should be taken into concideration.
> 
Only as far as it affects the crime rate.
> 
> 	We have a very strict gun-legislation in Norway, but until recently
> 	it was possible for enyone over 18 years to buy a shotgun.
> 	Shotguns are used mainly for hunting in Norway(...), but because it
> 	was so easy to accuire one, it was THE most used gun in crimes.
> 	The solution was to restrict the sale, so it's now necessary to 
> 	apply and register your shotgun.
> 	And -unbelievable- the use of guns in crime fell.....

Did the RATE of crime fall?  If not, the ban was of no use.  It is the rate of  
violent crime that matters, not the tools used.  "It's the crime, stupid!"

> 	There are now a new law against wearing long knives in public,
> 	and why should it be allowed ??
> 

Apparently that became the weapon of choice after the shotguns were banned.   
After that, they'll decide the car of choice  is the Saab, and propose a ban on  
that!

> 	What I, as an scandinavian, have problems to understand is that 
> 	you (Americans) have a more liberal view on guns and violence
> 	than on nudity and sex.
> 	Try showing a bare breast on tv insted of violence and murder...
> 
> 	Yes, I know a little American history, but is it a civil/human
> 	right to have an assault gun in your home and/or an handgun
> 	in your car??
> 

Yes.  We still trust honest people here.  For the time being.

> 
> 			The bad english is not my fault, it's probably
> 			the keyboard-software or the quality of the
> 			subtext on tv......
> 
> 
> 	Disclamer(not):
> 	These are the views of all studens at my university,
> 	all Norwegians and probably whole of the universe...
> 
> 
> 			                       Thomas Parsli
> 	                                     thomasp@ifi.uio.no
> 


--
jmd@handheld.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I'm always rethinking that.  There's never been a day when I haven't rethought  
that.  But I can't do that by myself."  Bill Clinton  6 April 93
"If I were an American, as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was landed  
in my country, I never would lay down my arms,-never--never--never!"
WILLIAM PITT, EARL OF CHATHAM 1708-1778 18 Nov. 1777
