From: Some@Guy.com   
      
   Larry wrote:   
      
   > Have you ever driven a car? Every time you exceed the speed   
   > limit you are breaking the law and put lives in jeapordy.   
      
   Technically, you are not "breaking the law" when you exceed the posted   
   speed limit.  Violating that provision of the highway traffic act is   
   about the same as getting a parking ticket.  If you were breaking the   
   law, you would have a criminal record.  You don't get a criminal   
   record for speeding.   
      
   And speed limits were not chosen such that they represent some magic   
   number that defines the speed where injury, accidents or death   
   occurrs.  Speed limits posted today are almost irrelavent given the   
   design of highways, roads and cars now vs when the speed limits were   
   determined 30, 40 or 50 years ago.  Those limits should be raised to   
   reflect the improvements in engineering and our understanding of   
   human-factors and ergonomics as they relate to motor vehicle   
   operation.   
      
   > I've NEVER broken the law with a firearm, who's the criminal?   
      
   There are many firearms regulations that pertain to licensing,   
   transport and storage.  Have you always conformed to them?  When you   
   are homeless, how do you (how will you) store and transport your   
   firearms?  Have you registered your firearms?  Is the registry   
   information always complete and accurate?   
      
   Do you meet all physical and mental requirements for owning a   
   firearm?  Have you ever been convicted of an offence (assault, etc)   
   that would prohibit you from owning a firearm?   
      
   > Vehicles kill and threaten many more people every day than we   
   > responsible gun owners,   
      
   Half the guns in the possession of criminals, youths, gangs (etc) in   
   Ontario are guns stolen from "responsible gun owners".  There is no   
   such thing as a responsible gun owner.  Instead, there is just a gun   
   crime or gun incident waiting to happen.   
      
   > or should I say "people who drive a vehicle and break the   
   > law kill and threaten, NOT the vehicle".   
      
   Cars are not designed to drive into people.  Our roadways are designed   
   to segregate pedestrians and vehicles.  Cars are continuously   
   improving their design to insure that passengers survive accidents.   
      
   Guns are designed to fire projectiles.  When a person is hit with a   
   bullet, the gun has done exactly what it was designed to do - to fire   
   a balistic projectile.  There is no design or safety feature in place   
   to prevent a gun from firing the projectile - because the gun is   
   designed to fire the projectile.  Cars are not designed to injure   
   people - they are in fact designed to protect people (to protect   
   occupants as well as pedestrians).   
      
   The argument comparing guns to cars is disengenuous.  Vehicles are   
   designed, marketed, sold, and used to transport people or things.   
   They are not designed to perform a single dangerous function (like   
   firearms are).   
      
   Firearm owners should be required (by law) to obtain liability   
   insurance for their guns, and should be required (by law) to disclose   
   the fact that they own guns to their household insurance company.   
   Insurance companies can then decide if they want to insure you, and   
   make you pay accordingly for the additional risk you pose by being a   
   gun owner.  If your gun is stolen from your home, you should suffer   
   financial consequences for the fact that your gun is now in the hands   
   of criminals where it will pose a real threat to other citizens.  If   
   your stolen gun is used in a crime, you should suffer a financial   
   consequence for that.   
      
   > We have more to fear from people like you behind the wheel of   
   > a car than someone with a firearm.   
      
   You're damn right you have something to fear.  You and others like   
   you, with a juvenille desire to own firearms, you and your guns pose a   
   threat to the rest of us, and we have to pay the price.  So yes, you   
   should fear that one day we will make you pay through the nose (and   
   the pocket book) for your petty infatuation with guns.   
      
   > Just how many times a day are you, or anyone you know,   
   > direectly threatened by someone with a firearm?   
      
   Any time a firearm is used, or even just displayed in public, causes   
   an EXTREME and EXPENSIVE response by law enforcement and emergency   
   services.  That costs me, in the form of taxes, which I resent having   
   to pay.   
      
   > You are now going to clasify someone, no, me, as a criminal   
   > because of my potential for breaking the law?   
      
   I'm calling you irresponsible for making society pay for your food and   
   shelter while you piss away any disposable income (or welfare   
   payments) you have on items that are dangerous to the public and serve   
   no useful role in supporting you, your disability, or your   
   rehabilitiation.   
      
   > I've expressed my feelings of sadness and disappointment   
   > over some negative events that are affecting my life at   
   > the moment.   
      
   Destroy your firearms, do not plan on obtaining any more, and get your   
   life back together.  That's the best advice I can give you.   
      
   If you don't do any of those things, I will have no pitty for you, I   
   will resent your use of public services or financial support, and your   
   firearms will simply play a role in some future crime or incident that   
   as a tax payer I will have to pay for.   
      
   > That in itself, sir, is practically border line criminal.   
   > Ignorant lowlife.   
      
   That is indeed what I would call you if you do not do as I recommend.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)