Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, July 27,1988
wsmmBBBmmaBaamm
Shoot-outs are dead
We have all
heard the statis
tics. The thou
sands of deaths
and injuries in this
country cbmpared
to other countries
that have some
sort of gun control
laws. Oswald shot
John Kennedy
with a gun he
bought by mail or- ^ m " m
der from the National
should have no limits on handgun acces-
sablity: 1) gun control laws are unconsti
tutional, 2) people need handguns for
protection and, 3) if guns were illegal
then only criminals would have guns, or
take care of the crime problem and gun
control will not be needed. I’ll begin
with the myth that gun control is uncon
stitutional.
Jill
Webb
Rifle Associa
tion’s (NRA) magazine. Sirhan Sirhan
used a .22 caliber pistol to kill Robert
Kennedy. James Brady was left perma
nently paralyzed when he was shot with
a gun that cost 30 dollars. The drive-by
shootings, the shots fired by drunk, an
gry or hate filled people are all made
more probable by the accessablity of
guns in our society.
We at least need a seven to 14 day re
taining period to do a background
check on everyone who goes to buy a
handgun. This would serve two pur
poses. It would see if the buyer has a
criminal record or a history of mental
instability. It would also ward off the
“impulse” buyer who wants to get a gun
in a moment of passion, to harm himself
or herself or others. Even such conser
vative approaches to gun control are op
posed by the NRA, which has one of the
most powerful lobbies in Washington.
Even though Jerald Vaughn, director of
the International Association of Chiefs
of Police called the NRA “one of the
most potentially dangerous organiza
tions in the United States today” and
most other police organizations and ci
vilians support some kind of gun con
trol, the NRA is still able to spread its
misinformation. Opponents of gun con
trol say there are three basic reasons we
The second ammendment states “A
well regulated militia, being necessary to
the security of a free State, the right of
the people to keep and bear arms, shall
not be infringed.” As Robert J. Spitzer
wrote in the June issue of America,
“The Supreme Court has ruled that the
Second Amendment safeguards the col
lective right of citizens to be protected
by an armed military, not the individual
right to carry any type of gun . . .” The
fact that we do not have a sweeping gun
control act is not because of constitu
tionality it is because of the political
clout of gun control opponents. The Su
preme Court has consistantly upheld
gun control laws.
Second, handgun owners often say
they need their guns for protection.
There are 120 million privately owned
guns, and 75 percent of gun owners say
self-protection is at least part of the rea
son for having firearms. But the owners
of the guns are not killing the burglars;
they are killing innocent people. In a re
cent study in Washington state, it was
found that for each gunshot slaying for
self-protection in a gun owning home,
there were 43 suicides, homocides or ac
cidental deaths by firearms. To break
that down further, when someone was
shot with a firearm, 84 percent of the
time it was a suicide, 10 percent were
slayings during an argument, three per
cent were accidents, and just over two
percent were for self protection. Of
those, .05 percent were slayings of bur
glars. Other than suicides, 55 percent of
victims were family members, and 30
percent of the victims were friends and
aquaintances. Obviously, the price our
society pays in innocent lives is not
enough to justify “self-protection.”
Finally, gun control opponents say
that if we made guns illegal, then only
criminals would have guns. This is a
catch phrase that does not have nuch
basis in truth. Most organizations do not
want to make guns illegal. The seven to
14 day wait to get a background check
only makes it harder for individuals
with mental problems and felons to get
handguns, not other people. Also,
continuing the same thinking, some say
that we should crack down on crime,
and the need for gun control will disap
pear. I’m all for cracking down on
crime, and part of doing that is taking
away criminals’ guns. Also, the cost that
society pays for handguns is not just re
flected in the crime statistics, it is also
part of the suicide statistics as stated
above. Gun control opponents cry out
for tougher penalties while they fight
prevention. They speak about how ter
rible the killing is, while they cherish the
instruments of death.
People have to take w ritten and prac-
d river’s lb His wi
of Ha
They have to because we knowtk
automoble is dangerous if not used B^> S
'sponsibly. We should have thesaineB ssl
ol law s and exams for guns, whidiiBRay
more dangeious. m<>ie .messable.iHe w
country is paying for the N'RA’s) an<l e
gam la with lives, and n is timewc: “i 1 !" 1
facts, looked at the death anninejj V( ,
and began to pass some laws to mflin
certain that guns are not avaUBet i
fkay
j Jd (
Jill Webb is a senior secondary ec d own
tion major and columnist for Thei aHe
talion. itycan
/h
Protesting in a parking lot
is a today thing to do
It is a bit distres
sing to see what
has apparently be
come of the art of
protest in this
proud country, a
country founded
on the spirit of dis
sent.
had guys calling and say, ‘Hey, you want
to go out for pizza or burn down the
ROTC building?’ ”
I’ve looked over the protest schedule,
and nothing sparked my interest.
One needs only
to look at this
week’s Democratic
National Conven-
Lewis
Grizzard
There was a “die-in” Monday morn
ing at 11 to promote the understanding
of AIDS victims. We should feel great
compassion people afflicted with that
disease, but a “die-in” isn’t exactly how I
want to start my week.
tion to realize the truth of my words.
There is something called a “Desig
nated Protest Site” across the street
from the Omni on Marietta Street.
You’re not supposed to protest any
where else.
Tuesday, from 9 until 10:30 p.m., the
Palestine Solidarity Committee will be
on stage. I’ll have to miss that, too. I x’e-
fuse to involve myself with the problems
of the Middle East past 7:30. If I do, I
have heartburn the next morning.
There is even a schedule for protes
ters.
“O.K.,” the protest director will say,
“Nationalists Movement’s time is up.
Somebody tell the Legislative Equality
for Gays and Lesbians they’re on.”
There’s an interesting one Wednes
day at 3 p.m. That’s when we’ll hear
from the U.S. Congo Friendship Com
mittee, a New York-based group that
opposes the regime of Mobutu Sese
Seko of Zaire. Didn’t he used to be a
place kicker at Clemson?
Isn’t protesting supposed to be more
or less spontaneous? How can you have
a schedule for protesters? Do you think
the Boston Tea Party had to obtain an.
official time?
Thursday, the best bet seems to be
Students for Jackson at 9 p.m. One
thing Students for Jackson want is bil
ingual education. I’m against that. Bil-
iguals should not be allowed to go to
school with normal children.
Remember the 1960s. People made
careers out of protesting back then, and
nobody told them where or when they
-could march around with signs.
A group seeking legalization of mari
juana already had its demonstration.
“We like pot, and we smoke it a lot,”
they chanted.
Do you know what would have hap
pened in 1968 if somebody had tried to
build a designated protest site?
The protesters would have burned it
down.
My own activist group. Spam-eaters
of America, have decided the protests at
the convention are being so regulated,
we’re not even going to hold a rally.
Too bad.
A former protester from that era was
talking about the way it used to be:
“When I was in college,” she said, “I
I thought, “We like Spam and we
don’t give a damn,” had a nice ring.
Copyright 1988, Cowles Syndicate
Mail Call
Call him Deep Throat
EDITOR:
Woodward and Bernstein look out! Richard Williams is
boldly forging a new path of investigative reporting. His
gripping, in-depth analysis of the selection process has
revealed atrocities of a magnitude not seen since World
War II.
Most people would agree with you that the sexual
revolution charged some of the views of the judeo-
Christian morals and ideals or even “destroyed” them.
Which of these ideals is the basis of our Constitution? Is
the Constitution in danger? It’s a good thing we still have
our basic freedoms, or we couldn’t have this public
discussion.
May the conspiritorial Board of Regents suffer eternal
hell upon earth for its effort to select the President of
Texas A&M.
Come on, Mr. Williams, turn the page . . . we’re all
getting a little “Board” of your monomaniacal columns!!
Mark Cahill ’91
Drue Garrett ’91
You say that “even you may be the next AIDS victim.'
It’s a good thing we have conscientious folk like you to
warn the population about AIDS. Why, next thingyou
know, they’ll be trying to tell people that you have to have
sex with an AIDS carrier, share a hypodermic needle wi
one or something like that to get the disease! Would you
believe that some columnists use certain phrases like “you
may be the next AIDS victim” to scare people intoangerai
AIDS victims and carriers? Thank goodness we have
people like you to educate the populace.
It’s a mystery
EDITOR:
We have just one question
Why is it that visitors can park in the student parking
lots, yet students can’t park in the visitors’ lots?
You mean that our administration dollars pay forthe
CSS? That’s funny, the budget office told me thatfundinf
for student organizations comes from private donations.
Gee, though, it’s good to know that you stay on top of
things for us.
Rob Pannett ’89
Enquiring minds want to know!
Dave Mendoza ’88
Rosanna Mendoza ’90
Come on, you Coppers
EDITOR:
In your debt, Mr. Hyde
EDITOR:
Since June 1, I have seen at least a dozen people on
mopeds and bicycles being pulled over by University
Police. Yet we read weekly in the police report about cars
being broken into, property stolen, and, most seriously,
young ladies being assaulted.
Old Ag Hyde, I couldn’t resist the opportunity for
some questions and comments ab xut your guest column
“Homosexuals, please go home” of July 22. How
refreshing to read something written by a calm, rational,
unbiased, objective guest columnist!
I had a little trouble following some of the logic in your
column. Let me get this straight. vVill the President’s
Commission on AIDS find the cure the minute they “admit
the truth about AIDS?” I’m afraid that I can’t find the
connection. You seem to say this is a crucial step. Have you
notified Everett C. Koop of this inf ormation?
Sounds like the priorities of our police departmental!
screwed up a bit. There are some serious security problem
around here and they need to be addressed in a more
intense, conscientious manner. It’s time for these money
grubbing bureaucrats to look past the dollar signs and stm
attacking real problems
Patrick Hays ’90
Letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words in length. The editorial stall'
serves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort loaP
tain the author’s intent. Each letter must be signed and must include the a
tion, address and telephone number of the writer.
BLOOM COUNTY
The Battalion
by Berke Breatft
(USPS 045 360)
Member of
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Conference
The Battalion Editorial Board
Richard Williams, Editor
Sue Krenek, Managing Editor
Mark Nair, Opinion Page Editor
Curtis Culberson, City Editor
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Cindy Milton, News Editors
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Jay Janner, Art Director
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