Posted on 04/19/2007 11:41:25 AM PDT by neverdem
The urge of lawmakers amid the unthinkable is to entertain the feel-good notion of legislation that could have prevented the awfulness.
The inclination to legislate the worst impulses out of the human condition is understandable in the wake of the horror at Virginia Tech that left 32 dead at the hand of a gun-toting sicko, who then shot himself. But as we know only too well, if only from anecdotal experience, laws have their limits.
To take the principle of gun-control measures to the ultimate level, let's say America decided in the coming weeks that it no longer could tolerate the heinous acts of a lone gunman, whether in Blacksburg, Va., or in an Amish schoolhouse in Paradise, Pa.
Let's say we the people, in tandem with our lawmakers, said no to guns, period. Let's say we even said no to guns employed by sportsmen to kill game.
What would be the outcome? Would America suddenly become a gun-free safe zone?
That certainly would be the intent of the draconian measure. Unfortunately for us, just as one learns one thing in the classroom and discovers something entirely different in the real world, it sometimes works the same with the policies of lawmakers and wonks. Call it the unintended consequences of the well-meaning.
We humans are an ingenious lot. Show us a demand for a particular good, legal or otherwise, and rest assured some of us will endeavor to fill that demand.
Our so-called war on illegal drugs has not exactly been a whopping success. You can go to all parts of our city and find whatever you need to help you get through the day. It is not very difficult. In fact, police sometimes have a...
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
The war on guns: Joel Miller explains how drug cops are killing 2nd Amendment
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
I disagree.
Liberals believe they are much smarter than most humans, and therefore should be in charge of every aspect of their lives, 24/7/365.
I like Tom Knott’s articles. Somehow I missed this while perusing the Times. Thanks for posting! This was a good one!
I know some otherwise rational and thoughtful people that in the face of crimes like this begin to consider that we do need gun control. Even Dennis Miller yesterday slipped back into his more liberal old self thinking out loud that maybe we should consider such things.
They’re well-meaning, but they’re mistaking a law against guns for actually *uninventing* guns. But of course we don’t get to uninvent guns. Gun prohibition would be precisely as ineffective as drug phohibition.
In fact... it would be worse. A new gun black market would be serviced by who else? The drug cartels. And hey... if running guns is illegal anyway, why bother with revolvers and semi-automatics?
The gun cartels would be stocking up on the international gun markets, and they’d be supplying the gangs in the cities with lots better stuff than some semi-auto SKS. May as well be the fully-auto variety, and heck, while your at it... toss in some grenades and an RPG.
Just a thought.
Yeah, but what if everybody wanted an atom bomb, should we legalize that??
< /s>
I’ve been attending night school to finish up my degree.
My whacked out Communications ( used to be English) professor made a comment the other day which sums up all liberals, it was “ If only I was queen, all the problems would be solved”, My immediate thought was, all but that little revolution problem when people say how crazy you are. But she see’s no problem with imposing her solutions on others, and she firmly believes that the population of the planet needs to be reduced. What elitist crap you’re allowed to spew when it’s a required course.
“I’ve been attending night school to finish up my degree.
My whacked out Communications ( used to be English) professor made a comment the other day which sums up all liberals, it was “ If only I was queen, all the problems would be solved”, My immediate thought was, all but that little revolution problem when people say how crazy you are. But she see’s no problem with imposing her solutions on others, and she firmly believes that the population of the planet needs to be reduced. What elitist crap you’re allowed to spew when it’s a required course.”
I have zero faith in academia’s mutterings, from long personal experience.
If you have to find a job that provides ‘tenure’ you obviously suffer from a lack of confidence in your own abilities.
RE: Her Contention the World Population is Too High
Perhaps you should invite her to demonstrate her committment to reducing population by offing herself first? If she’s not prepared to do that, then one must question her depth of belief. /sarc
I wonder if she has any kids? It strikes me as odd that many of these “the world’s too populated” libs go on to have children, blithely ignorant of their hypocrisy.
So legalizing drugs would lead to less drugs? Even you can't believe that.
It doesn't make sense, on the face of it, but may still be true. I understand that per-capita alcohol consumption actually increased during Prohibition.
One problem that people with a dictatorial mindset have, is believing that the things they mandate will have effects other than what they intend. For example, many people still have trouble believing that increasing tax rates can reduce tax revenue.
Alcohol consumption was higher before and after the start of Prohibition. Drug use declined over 60% from its high point in 1979 and has remained relatively flat for the last 15 years.
Her son is a physics major - who told her how great al gore’s movie is - He must be a theoretical physicist studying alternate universes.
This statement is self contradictory.
Drug use declined over 60% from its high point in 1979...
However, most "recreational drugs" were outlawed several decades before 1979, and the "use" of many increased significantly after they were outlawed. I am not saying that outlawing them caused the increase, but it certainly didn't prevent it.
Our inaction with North Korea and Iran would indicate that this is, indeed, already happening.
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