Comments on: An issue of (gun) control http://blogs.mddailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2007/10/31/an-issue-of-gun-control/ Thu, 04 Dec 2008 21:54:45 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Peter http://blogs.mddailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2007/10/31/an-issue-of-gun-control/#comment-106 Peter Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:36:00 +0000 http://blogs.mddailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2007/10/31/an-issue-of-gun-control/#comment-106 The reason "everyone" violates the speed limits is that they (usually) aren't ticketed unless they are going at least 10 mph over the posted limit. If the police were to strictly enforce speed limits then I suspect the number of speeders would go down.<br/><br/>I feel the same is true for gun laws. New laws don't help if they are not going to be enforced. Let us try to enforce the current laws and see if that makes a difference.<br/><br/>I live in Baltimore - just this morning a heard the "pop pop pop" of a shooting less that two blocks from my house. If guns were banned in Baltimore (to law abiding citizens) my only option to protect myself against an armed intruder would be to use a baseball bat. A legal bat vs. an illegal handgun - I wonder who would win that battle? The reason “everyone” violates the speed limits is that they (usually) aren’t ticketed unless they are going at least 10 mph over the posted limit. If the police were to strictly enforce speed limits then I suspect the number of speeders would go down.

I feel the same is true for gun laws. New laws don’t help if they are not going to be enforced. Let us try to enforce the current laws and see if that makes a difference.

I live in Baltimore - just this morning a heard the “pop pop pop” of a shooting less that two blocks from my house. If guns were banned in Baltimore (to law abiding citizens) my only option to protect myself against an armed intruder would be to use a baseball bat. A legal bat vs. an illegal handgun - I wonder who would win that battle?

]]> By: streiff http://blogs.mddailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2007/10/31/an-issue-of-gun-control/#comment-105 streiff Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:54:00 +0000 http://blogs.mddailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2007/10/31/an-issue-of-gun-control/#comment-105 I think you need to read my critique more closely.<br/><br/>What Mr. Kraft is proposing is a regime of civil forfeiture laws like those which, in my view, have made the war of drugs profitable for a lot of localities.<br/><br/>I think the present laws available to Baltimore, and to any other Maryland jurisdiction, are more than sufficient to deal with the use of a firearm while committing a crime. How Kraft's proposal is going to dissuade someone from leaving two loaded pistols on a trash can in an alley escapes me. I think you need to read my critique more closely.

What Mr. Kraft is proposing is a regime of civil forfeiture laws like those which, in my view, have made the war of drugs profitable for a lot of localities.

I think the present laws available to Baltimore, and to any other Maryland jurisdiction, are more than sufficient to deal with the use of a firearm while committing a crime. How Kraft’s proposal is going to dissuade someone from leaving two loaded pistols on a trash can in an alley escapes me.

]]> By: Lynn Hoffman http://blogs.mddailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2007/10/31/an-issue-of-gun-control/#comment-104 Lynn Hoffman Fri, 02 Nov 2007 11:49:00 +0000 http://blogs.mddailyrecord.com/ontherecord/2007/10/31/an-issue-of-gun-control/#comment-104 Strict laws that are vigorously enforced have led to lower rates of gun violence in New York City.<br/>Opponents of gun laws like to say that the laws don't work because criminals don't obey them, but I don't hear much call for the abolition of speed limits on the roads.In fact, laws exist because there's behavior that needs to be controlled for everyone's safety.<br/><br/>Don't let the gun lobby put more guns on the streets: their only concern is their own bank accounts.<br/><br/>Lynn Hoffman, author of bang BANG Strict laws that are vigorously enforced have led to lower rates of gun violence in New York City.
Opponents of gun laws like to say that the laws don’t work because criminals don’t obey them, but I don’t hear much call for the abolition of speed limits on the roads.In fact, laws exist because there’s behavior that needs to be controlled for everyone’s safety.

Don’t let the gun lobby put more guns on the streets: their only concern is their own bank accounts.

Lynn Hoffman, author of bang BANG

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