Henry wants your opinion

Yesterday, 7:29 AM, in my continuing discussion with Henry he asks:

 It would be interesting to hear from others, who follow this blog, as to whether they have a view on what I have just stated.

If you have the energy and the interest why don’t you say a word or two to him?

Thanks.

 

Why not think for yourself?

FirstName LastName has an opinion to share with us.  Or does she?  It turns out she heavily plagiarized from a Brady CampaignSpecial Report” on Guns and Terror.  Here’s the proof:

FirstName:

Despite President Bush’s aggressive anti-terrorism program, the Bush Administration has a blind spot when it comes to gun laws in America. 

Brady:

Despite the President’s otherwise aggressive anti-terrorism program, the Bush Administration has a blind spot when it comes to guns.

FirstName:

Since the horror of Sept. 11, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has repeatedly reminded us that the airplane hijackers used box cutters – not guns – to terrorize the nation.   This observation holds little significance…

Brady:

Since the horror of September 11, the National Rifle Association (NRA) has repeatedly reminded us that the airplane hijackers used box cutters, not guns. What, exactly, is the significance of this observation?

FirstName:

 

Specifically, the study found that gun shows are a breeding ground for terrorist gun sales; nothing in federal law prevents terrorists from instantly amassing arsenals of weapons; the irresponsibility of the gun industry allows corrupt gun dealers to funnel guns to terrorists, and the loopholes in the law have allowed terrorists to buy military ammunition magazines and “gun kits” through the mail that can be assembled into untraceable assault weapons.

Brady:

 By examining in detail specific cases involving terrorists and guns, the report shows that:

  • Gun shows are a breeding ground for gun sales to terrorists.
  • Nothing in federal law prevents terrorists from quickly amassing arsenals of weapons.
  • The irresponsibility of the gun industry, as well as irrational statutory restraints on federal record keeping of gun sales and other necessary enforcement tools, allows corrupt gun dealers to funnel guns to terrorists.
  • Loopholes in federal law have allowed terrorists to buy assault weapons and high capacity military ammunition magazines.
  • A loophole in federal law allows terrorists to buy “gun kits” through the mail that can be assembled into untraceable assault weapons.

 

There are places where LastName attempts to think on her own but has problems getting things straight:

Congress’ failure to renew the familiar assault weapons ban has immunized gun manufacturers from civil liability for letting weapons fall in the hands of gun traffickers, snipers and terrorists – a critical factor in the dramatic nationwide killing spree.

She manages to mix up the expired “assault weapon” ban and the proposed restrictons on junk lawsuits.  Then she claims this is somehow connected to “the dramatic nationwide killing spree”.  I’ve not seen any evidence there is anything more than a random fluctuation in the murder rate and I doubt Ms. LastName has either.

Maybe I just answered my own question.  Perhaps there is a good reason why she doesn’t think for herself.

Update: FirstName responds.

Update2: September 18, 2006. I removed the actual name of the plagiarist and substituted FirstName LastName after she asked me to remove her name, wrote an apology, and I waited what I considered was a reasonable period of time.

Quote of the day–James Bovard

The question is not whether America would be a better country if fewer people owned guns but whether government seizures of some private guns will make people more safe.  Given the fact that the government can neither successfully ban guns nor defend American citizens, does the government have the moral right to attempt to selectively seize guns from law-abiding citizens?

James Bovard
Lost Rights
ISBN 0-312-12333-7
Copyright 1994, 1995