Minuteman Monthly Issue 26 September 2002 Welcome to the 26th issue of the Minuteman Monthly Newsletter. As most of you know, the Minuteman Monthly is the monthly newsletter created by the owner and founder of http://www.SaveTheGuns.com/ ***************************************************** ***************************************************** Issue 26 Quotes Of The Month "On every question of construction (of the Constitution) let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invent against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed." Thomas Jefferson June 12, 1823 "Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins." Rep. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts (1744-1814) "The moral principles and precepts contained in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. All the miseries and evils which men suffer from vice, crime, ambition, injustice, oppression, slavery, and war, proceed from their despising or neglecting the precepts contained in the Bible." Noah Webster 1758-1843 **************************************************** **************************************************** SaveTheGuns.com Gun Safety Tip Of The Month If you do a bunch of your shooting at indoor pistol ranges, you should make sure that the range is fully ventilated and the fans are properly working. There can be a relatively high concentration of lead and harmful compounds in the air if proper ventilation is not observed. In addition to this, make certain that you wash your hands very well after shooting and cleaning your guns. There are many chemicals found in gunpowder and ammunition priming compounds. Some of them can be quite harmful if they are inhaled in large quantities or over a long period of time. diazodinitrophenol potassium nitrate nitrocellulose boron metal nitroglycerin tetrazene nickel copper zinc lead styphnate barium nitrate Making certain of proper ventilation of indoor pistol ranges and thorough handwashing after shooting and cleaning firearms, is the Minuteman Monthly Gun Safety Tip of the Month. I'll bet that many shooters don't think of these dangers as often as they should. This applies especially to Certified Firearm Instructors and Club Range Safety Officers, who spend a lot of time on the indoor range. ************************************************* ************************************************* September Minuteman Monthly Article The topic I will address for Issue 26 is how I believe strict gun control laws tend to actually increase the availability of firearms to violent felons and those who are more apt to commit a crime with a firearm. First, let me state that I am by no means a criminologist. I am not even in the same league as such greats as Professor John Lott or David Kopel. The following are my feelings, my opinions and my beliefs on the subject. It is more than obvious that gun control laws do not work to lessen the number or frequency of firearm use during the commission of a crime. There are more than 20,000 local, state and federal laws and ordinances that regulate the purchase, ownership, transfer and transportation of firearms in the United States alone. It should come as no surprise to anyone reading this, that the gun control laws that have been in place since the National Firearm Act of 1934, have not dropped crime rates where firearms are used. In the 68 years of major gun control legislation in the United States, violent felons can still readily obtain a firearm... illegally. The reason for this phenomenon is not very complicated or difficult to understand. However, it does seem that some people on the left side of the aisle, still find the reason for this somewhat elusive. Let me begin by stating a half dozen obvious points to try to persuade a thickheaded anti-gunner that might be reading this newsletter. 1.) Law abiding gun owners do not commit any crime whatsoever. 2.) 99.8 % of all gun owners in the United States are law-abiding. 3.) 85% of all violent crime is committed by just 7% of the felons. 4.) Violent felons do not obey gun control laws. 5.) Felons willing to commit murder, will always find alternative sources for firearms, even under the strictest gun control laws. Marijuana can be purchased in nearly every city, simply because of the demand. If the demand is there, the supply will be also. 6.) Under very strict gun control laws, the felon's sources of firearms simply shift to other areas that cater more specifically to those who are inclined to break the law. ************************************************** ************************************************** Did you know that over the last 32 months, SaveTheGuns.com has received just $418.00 in voluntary contributions? That is a contribution rate of just $3.26 per week. SaveTheGuns.com has received as many as 40,000 page views in a single month. My gun safety page for kids called "For Kids Only" (http://www.SaveTheGuns.com/for_kids_only.htm), has seen over nine thousand (9000) kids. Nine thousand kids who will be safe if they ever find a gun in an unsupervised situation. Forgive me, I might sound a bit cynical here, but SaveTheGuns.com cannot possibly continue operating beyond 2002 with a contribution rate of under $4.00 a week. Can anybody help? At least for the kids, who are the future Second Amendment warriors. http://www.SaveTheGuns.com/contributions.htm Thanks for listening to me complain, now on with the rest of the newsletter... ************************************************** ************************************************** Under strict gun control laws and outright gun bans, felons cannot access firearms through their normal sources. These sources include friends and family members, robberies of the homes of lawful gun owners and through robberies of sporting goods retailers. Once the felon's typical sources of firearms dry up, the supply of illegal firearms shifts more toward areas that cater more specifically toward those who habitually break the law. Under strict gun control, lawful access to firearms is very limited. But because the demand for illegal guns still exists, the supply merely shifts toward the illegal drug trade, organized crime or well connected street gangs. Because illegal firearm supplies simply shift to different sources under strict gun control or bans, the violent felon finds illegal firearms to be just as easy or even easier to access. It is fully consistent with the basic laws of supply and demand. When a desired product is in demand, but its access is severely restricted, the sources of the desired product will almost always shift rather than completely diminish. This shift of sources, typically caters more specifically to those who habitually break the law. For example, under Prohibition, alcohol was still in demand, even though it was illegal. The sources of alcohol, merely shifted from breweries and retailers, to organized crime and "speakeasies". Alcohol was still readily available to those who were willing to break the law to get it. The very same principle is involved with firearms that are severely restricted or banned. This is precisely why crime committed with firearms is rising precipitously in Great Britain. In 1997, Great Britain banned civilian handgun ownership. Since then, nearly without exception, crime committed with handguns has risen at a truly alarming rate. England now experiences more violent crime than 17 other developed countries, including the United States. A resident of London, is now six times (6X) more likely to be violently attacked than residents of New York City. In 2001, in England, the rate of crime where handguns are used, was the highest experienced since 1993, (six years after the total ban). ***************************************************** ***************************************************** The Solutions? I cannot, in good conscience, simply complain about misguided gun control schemes, without offering my ideas... The real solution is for everybody to simply behave themselves for a change and obey the law and the Ten Commandments of God. But because that is not very realistic, I have a two-part solution. 1.) We must drastically increase the penalties for providing a firearm to a known felon. If a felon's family member or close friend, gives them a firearm, the penalties involved should be increased to the point that they will think twice. That will reduce the felon's firearm supply by approximately 39%. 2.) We must push for additional penalties to be attached to a crime, if a firearm was possessed during the commission of a crime. 5 additional years for possession during a violent crime. 10 additional years for brandishing a gun during a violent crime. 15 additional years for firing during a violent crime. 20 additional years for injuring or killing someone during the crime. We must focus upon reducing felony access to illegal firearms and specifically punishing those criminals who choose to use them to commit a crime with. HOW TRULY DIFFICULT IS THAT? ****************************************************** ****************************************************** You may copy, forward, quote, post, print or otherwise publicize this newsletter. AS LONG AS SAVETHEGUNS.COM IS MENTIONED SOMEWHERE. Thank you for registering as a Minuteman Monthly Newsletter Recipient. ________________________ If you don't want this newsletter or the legislative alerts anymore, just send me an E-mail with "Unsubscribe MMM" in the subject line to: info@savetheguns.com Thanks, Marc Owner/Founder www.savetheguns.com