Hello Alexander,

 TR>>>>>> American citizens the right to keep and bear arms was to keep
 TR>>>>>> an armed citizenry able to resist and overthrow a tyrannical
 TR>>>>>> government.
 ak>>>>> Small arms is useless for that purpose.
 TR>>>> What makes you think all we've got is `small arms'?
 ak>>> If the army use tanks, bombers, satellite, drones, spying
 ak>>> equipment where can buy it? If you catch a tank it will be
 ak>>> destroyed by a bomber withing minutes.

 BA>> Tanks and bombers are pretty much useless in an urban environment -
 BA>> unless the government wants to alienate the rest of the people.
 BA>> They're pretty much useless in jungles and forests, too. We should
 BA>> have learned that in Vietnam and you should have learn ed it in
 BA>> Afghanistan.

 ak> It is not correct. The Afghan and Vietnam rebel success has some sense
 ak> only when they receive multi-billion military help and other high-tech
 ak> equipment for fighting planes, tanks etc. The success of Taliban
 ak> fighters now is due to they have in their hands "help" originated both
 ak> from the USA and the USSR. ;)

It is all blowback.  In regards to Afghanistan, the people in
that area of the world have not changed much, if at all, in
centuries.  Rudyard Kipling wrote about them, his description
just as relevant today as in his own time.

Vietnam (Indochina) cannot be viewed in the same light as
Afghanistan, as it was more of a real country with a people
with shared values.

The one common element between Afghanistan and Vietnam is
the people of those places are still there, whereas the invading
armies have all gone home.

In Afghanistan, the people called the invaders "red monkeys".
In Vietnam, the people called the invaders "white monkeys".
But other than that, everything was the same.

 BA>> Small arms, however, are very useful in such an environment. So are
 BA>> knives and garrots.

 ak> Garrot? Is it an arm, too?

A type of wire, used to quickly (and permanently) disable someone.

 ak> 
 ak>>>>> Who are not allowed? Is there a certain database of those who
 ak>>>>> are not allowed?
 TR>>>> Yes. Convicted felons, some misdemeanor convictions, and those
 TR>>>> who have been in mental institutions are usually caught in a
 TR>>>> background check for a firearm purchase.
 ak>>> If a person hasn't been in a mental hospital during his life it
 ak>>> doesn't mean he is healthy mentally. That is the way how nutcases
 ak>>> acquire submachine guns.

 BA>> Submachine guns and "assault rifles" are just bullet hoses. They
 BA>> are notoriously inaccurate. An experienced shooter can do far more
 BA>> damage - from a much greater distance - with a scoped big game
 BA>> rifle, and have little "collateral damage."

 ak> But submachine guns are perfect weapon for mass murders.

Most mass murderers who choose to use submachine guns also
carry other weapons as well.  They want something that works.
Not something that will jam.  And they also want something
that can be used with some degree of accuracy.  Besides, not
many mass murderers can afford the high cost of submachine
guns, much less the ammo ...

 ak> If the Americans buy such things it means that the criminal situation is
 ak> similar to Intifada in Israel. ;)

Schoolkids armed with rocks, showing off their pitching skills
to major league baseball scouts.  It is their way out of poverty,
unnerstan'?

 ak> The next step, I suppose, will be submachine guns installed on the
 ak> balconies.

No need.  They are taking lessons from Chuck Norris in Texas on
how to become Palestinian Rangers.

 ak> 
 ak>>> But anyway, allowing school teachers to have guns is a bad
 ak>>> idea. ;=)

 BA>> A century and a half ago in this country it was quite common for
 BA>> students - ages 10 to 13 - in rural schools to carry pistols to and
 BA>> from school. Yet there was none of the mayhem then that there is
 BA>> now

 ak> Well, if there were some wolves around. Otherwise the school teachers
 ak> should have been unhappy. ;)

Several states in the US allow college students to carry guns,
including concealed.  You know what that means?  Every student
is guaranteed to get straignt A's.  No way a professor is even
going to think about flunking a student packing heat.  No way.

--Lee

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
 * Origin: news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)