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Subj: Re: LOVE THIS COUNTRY ,MY GOD AND MY GUN. 
Date: 12/3/01 5:58:16 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: A1Snowman
To: KB0VOY@mn.rr.com

Hi Greg,

I'm not sure what prompted your email to me. A quick guess would be that you read my old letter-to-the-editor on gun control. Its obvious, however, that you have a lot more on your mind than just the Second Amendment. You view the government (of the people, for the people, and by the people) as your enemy and an obstacle to your freedom rather than as your servant and guarantor of your freedom. That's too bad. Like you I view guns as machines and tools much like cars. In my opinion such equipment ought to be subject to regulation. 

Imagine if there was a second amendment for automobiles all about a well regulated militia being needed to patrol the streets. We could insert pop out knives into axles, a la James Bond, and use them to puncture the tires of drivers who didn't behave on the freeway. It wouldn't be hard to mass produce such vehicles. We could argue that it would be safer on the highways if everyone drove such a machine because everybody would drive politely out of the fear that they would be run off the road if they misbehaved. 

Greg, I took a gun safety class in jr. high at the YMCA. I've got guns in my house too. Its just that I don't drive around with a bumper sticker saying "My President is Charleton Heston." 

I think guns should be subject to sensible regulation. What's sensible is open to personal interpretation and I'm willing to let the majority determine where the lines will be drawn. I don't think my position is a threat to the Constitution. On the other hand I do think that the promiscuous supply of cheap guns is a threat to my personal safety.

When the Constitution was written hardly anyone owned guns. It took months and months for the average wage earner to earn enough to purchase a single shot long bore rifle. People who lived in Cities had no need for such an extravagance. It wasn't until the Civil War that modern mass produced gun manufacturing even began. Nowadays a single small drug deal will give a dealer enough money to buy a couple Saturday night specials each capable of shooting half a dozen rounds. One visit to an unmonitored gun show is all it would take.

If that's the freedom you want you are welcome to it. Just don't expect me to agree with you that by trying to fill this loophole I'm trying to curtail your rights.

Thanks for writing.

Harry Welty