Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Bush-The Mastermind behind 9/11? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Earl who wrote (7184)	7/11/2004 2:16:10 PM
From: sea_urchin	Respond to of 20039

Don > For all practical purposes, increasing crime rates serve as a benchmark for how successful a government has been in rendering their citizens defenseless Interesting point of view. No wonder the crime rate in South Africa is one of the highest in the world. I can only tell you that friends of mine have, over the past few years, refused to carry firearms for the simple reason that many people have been targeted and killed just for their weapon. I, personally, know of three instances where people have been shot point blank and without any warning for this reason. In each situation the assailant simply walked up to the victim and shot him -- and then took his gun. End of story. The idea that one will be able to use a hand-gun in most confrontational situations is actually fictional because the element of surprise is usually with the assailant. Further, in order to use deadly force one has to be able to prove subsequently that one's life was actually under threat. For obvious reasons, this is extremely difficult, if not impossible. I must say that, in SA, the days of "shoot first and ask questions afterwards" are long gone. Even the police are not allowed to use their weapons unless under threat of death and definitely not in order to apprehend a possible felon by shooting him in the back, as was the case under the previous regime. You would not be surprised to hear that hundreds, if not thousands, of policemen have been killed in the pursuit of their duties and their weapons taken possibly because of the stringent laws which prevent them using their firearms.