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July 10, 2003

Mind Altering Substance

Never let it be said that I cannot change my mind. Ask me about gun-control. I am all in favour (and I live in a country which practices fairly strict controls). Before you ask (or make loud hints), I can shoot with both a gun and a bow. I qualified as an archer instructor and then as a shooting instructor for a boys society in my youth. My father was a marksman in the Army Reserve (and could shoot a lot straighter than I).
However, I must admit that I may have changed my stance a little. You see I made the very serious mistake of reading one of the big blogs which is discussing the UN study on gun ownership. The study claims that the US, which is approaching parity (i.e. one gun per person), is breaching UN proposals for gun controls. The report authors claim: "we have attempted to document how small arms availability and misuse can undermine the prospects for human development". The key counter argument from Stephen Den Beste is amazingly simple: "... you have to try to explain why it is that the most heavily armed nation in the world is also the richest, most powerful and the one where 'human development' is greatest and civil liberties of the citizens are least in peril."
I had never considered it in that way before. Go have a read, it may change your mind too.

Posted by Ozguru at July 10, 2003 10:07 AM

Comments

Ahhhh, welcome to the Dark Side, Ozguru... ;)

Posted by: Paul at July 10, 2003 10:07 AM

Howard's comments now form a guest article which can be found here.

Posted by: howarde at July 10, 2003 10:07 AM

Apparently, Howard's comments now form a guest article which can be found somewhere. It was indeed an interesting post, and one that did not change my mind, since I already agreed with the position he supported. I don't always agree with him, but I don't think I'd have the guts to pick a fight with Seve because he'd swamp me with logic and then roll me under with prose.

Posted by: Mollbot at July 10, 2003 10:07 AM

Curses... I used the preview and I still didn't catch the misspelling of "Steve." Rats.

Posted by: Mollbot at July 10, 2003 10:07 AM

He has seen the Light... ...and joined the Dark (i.e., gun-toting) Side. Ozguru, we welcome you. :)

Posted by: Paul Jané at July 10, 2003 10:07 AM

Gun's don't kill people...bullets do! [This post is in some ways, a reply to the guest editorial over at Ozguru's blog about "Gun Control".] 1. Gun's don't kill people, people do! - NRA Let me debunk this stupid piece of nonsense masquerading as a logical...

Posted by: Jivha - the Tongue at July 10, 2003 10:07 AM