[CLUE-Talk] Bowling for Columbine

[Randy Arabie]

On Monday,  2 December 2002 at 12:44:23 -0700, Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier <clue at dissociatedpress.net> wrote:
> On Mon, 2 Dec 2002, bof wrote:
> 
> *snip*
> 
> > And which is why I will boycott the film: I refuse to put any more money
> > into the coffers of such scum to allow them to continue the hate-crime
> > filled pogroms that they conduct against gun owners.
> 
> Hate-crime? Huh?
> 
> > And, BTW, what's so bad about giving a rifle as opposed to giving a
> > laptop computer? Both are inert, inanimate objects whose use depends
> > entirely upon the operator: the computers of Harris and Klebold figured
> > prominent in their lives. Where are the cries for a seven-day waiting
> > period  when buying a computer?
> 
> Take a deep breath, Jed. I agree with you that people get very silly
> when it comes to their opposition of gun ownership... but the uses
> for a handgun and a laptop are very different. In a fit of rage I
> *might* be able to take out two or three people with a hefty laptop
> but you can take out quite a few more people with a handgun. A
> waiting period is not unreasonable when it comes to gun ownership.

So, the criteria for requiring a waiting period should be based on
the number of victims/unit time that could be achieved?  What about
a single shot pistol vs. one with an 18-round magazine?   Do the 
waiting period laws make a distinction?

Perhaps waiting periods are reasonable.  But, IMHO they are a not 
effective.  I'm a firm believer that new gun laws will not solve the 
problems our society has with gun related violence.

IIRC, wating periods on gun purchases were devised as a means to 
facilitate background checks.  They were designed as a temporary 
measure to be phased out when the feds (FBI or ATF) "instant 
background check" system came online.  Some states (CO for one) 
have implimented their own "instant background check" systems, but
I don't think a national system was ever funded or established.

A glaring example of the failure of waiting periods and background 
checks is Columbine.  If a waiting period had been applied, it would
not have stopped Klebold and Harris, thier firearms were purchased 
months before the crime.  And, since some of the firearms were 
purchased at a gun show, no background check was required for those.

Colorado has "closed" the gun show loophole.  But there are still 
many methods to aquire a firearm without having a background check. I 
don't know how Klebold and Harris aquired all the firearms they used,
but I don't think they purchased any of them legally, since both 
were under the age of 18...right?
-- 
Allons Rouler!
        
Randy
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