Re: [FT][SG][DS] Canada, the US Civil War II, and the structure

In a message dated 98-12-17 14:01:06 EST, you write:

<< > > > - but when you get Americans of a
 > > > certain type talking about rights, they start yammering about the
 > > right
 > > > to
 > > > own lots and lots of artillery
 > 
 > Yes, of course a hunting rifle is indistinguisable from a 155mm
 > howitzer.  Only if you're blind, deaf, and stupid as well.
 
 Now, John, you'd deny there are folks in the US who'd want to own 
 155mm howitzers? You'd deny that the FBI and ATF regularly capture 
 folks with 60mm Mortars, .50 BHMGs, and the like? Are these used to 
 hunt ducks? or deer? or modern animals like the flying squirrel? (to 
 steal a joke from the SImpsons)  >>

  Well, to start with, I'd *love* to own a 155mm howitzer. And as a
matter of
fact there *are* people who do own artillery here in the US. It isn't
illegal
you know, you just have to have the right licences from the BATF. Oh,
and be
able to afford both the licence and the armandaleg the piece costs. I'm
not
sure why anyone would be worked up over the private ownership of
artillery
anyway. It isn't as if you can mug someone with a multi-ton piece of
equipment, and if you were lobbing shells randomly into downtown, the
neigbors
would notice and call the authorities. Even the toughest 'hoods have the
crazy
old lady with the cats that reports everything. 
:-) Heck, in most juristictions discharging a pidly lil .22 is against
the
law. Just imagine the noise pollution fine for yanking the lanyard on a
WW2
surplus Long Tom. :-) 
  Anyway, don't pull the old "why do you *need* a X". The answer's
simple. Cuz
theyre fun. Why do you feel the need to have vast deposits of toxic
metals
littering your home? Why does anyone need a Dodge Viper?  As long as
you're
not a fruitloop (or maybe even if you are, no one around here is quite
sane
after all) I can't see why you shouldn't have any weapon you'd like,
assuming
you can store them and their munitions safely. Excluding NBC weapons of
course. And if anyone claims I''m a hypocrite for banning them, then
they're
idiots because they can't tell the multi orders of magnitude differences
between a howitzer and anthrax.
  Anyway (again) this is incredibly off topic and anyone foolish enough
to
participate in a gun control debate on the 'Net (except in the proper
fora)
ought to have their heads smacked several times. This includes myself.
And for
the idiot who had to be so smug about the Neandrathols that live in the
States
that he incited a guncontrol debate on the list ought to be stomped on.
I
mean, come on anyone whos even been lurking out there in Netland for
more than
a week knows that start a flame war you only need to mention gun
control.
Sheesh.

-- 
Don
Who apologizes for any misspellings or meandering points, as he's up
about
three hours after his bedtime.