VPC goes Local
From: "Ross, Ken" <KPRoss@newsamerica.com>
Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2001 09:48:53 -0500
To: reader.advocate@sltrib.com
Cc: letters@sltrib.com, letters@keepandbeararms.com
Subject: VPC Goes Local
In response to the article you posted
"Utah Should Close Gun Show Loophole" http://www.sltrib.com/12162001/commenta/158421.htm
The VPC used this tired rhetoric on the national level and to see it now in
local papers makes me wonder if it has realized that nobody believes them anymore.
It's actually getting to the point where I could write a form letter regarding
this "news" and just leave blanks for the local names.
So let's begin shall we?
"Criminals, including terrorists, have easy access to enormous firepower
at gun shows where unlicensed dealers are not required to perform background
checks on purchasers."
Well, according to a recent study by the Department of Justice, less than 1%
of criminals got their firearms from a gun show. http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/fuo.pdf
(Page 6 Table 8)
As for terrorists, the current gun show bill would effectively end gun shows.
Based on the research of Allan Korwin: http://www.gunlaws.com/McCainLieberman.htm
Basically it would require every vendor in a show to be registered. Even the
vendors that do NOT sell firearms. What's next, requiring I.D. before I buy
a pack of jerky or a bumper sticker? Oh, and the "loophole" is nothing
more than a private firearms sale. Such a sale could happen in your very own
home, a local V.F.W. meeting, a flea market or yes, even a gun show.
I'll now point out 2 things that would seem incredibly obvious, but anyway:
1) The attacks of September 11th were carried
out with edged weapons, not guns.
2) The thought that terrorist organizations, whom are funded with millions
of dollars by private persons or companies, need to come to the U.S. to buy
a $300 semi-auto rifle when they can buy fully automatic rifles on the black
market for the same cost is absurd.
Ugh. Now the .50 caliber debate
again. Please look up U.S. firearms sales and you will find that the 25 rifles
the VPC is yelling about were sold to the Afghans during the Soviet invasion.
We didn't give them to bin Laden and say, "Here you go, come kill us."
They were sold along with a number of other military arms such as grenades,
automatic weapons and stinger missiles. Last time I checked, you can't buy those
at a gun show.
"Homeland security" begins at home.
Well actually I can't argue with that statement. I firmly believe if this country
were as free as we all say it is, then the 11th never would have happened. A
terrorist would have pulled a knife or a gun and then had to deal with 4, 5
or even 12 people with their own firearms and a general dislike of hijackings.
To arm every lawful American or to at least allow them the option of being able
to defend themselves is the best way to keep our homes safe. To take firearms
away from the people, is to only disarm potential victims.
Regards,
Ken Ross
Programmer/Analyst
Molon Labe
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