JohnnyLightOn, you have a point. If you are, indeed, a well known attorney, I can understand your reluctance to identify yourself where a background investigator may be able to use your comments to compromise your position on a future case that may, or may not be related. Besides, if you were to sign on as Johnny Cochrane, (or whomever) you would be forever fielding requests for free legal advice.
I just have a problem with folks who are so willing to expound on a subject yet are afraid, for whatever reason, to identify themselves. In most cases, my philosophy is, "If you can't sign it, don't say it".
Don, Thanks.
Jim March, apparently, I touched a nerve. You don't handle criticism very well, do you?
I fail to see what Columbine has to do with knife laws in California. The reason no major feredal gun laws were passed after that fiasco was that the federal government didn't try that hard and soon found that they didn't have widespread support for such laws. Most folks recognized that nothing legsilative would have deterred those two anyway.
As for enforcing the laws already on the books, I'm a bit confused here. Are you referring to the hated Brady Law? Or maybe the Assault Weapon law? Aren't these the laws that we all fought so hard against and detest so much? What, now we're demanding that these terrible statutes be strictly enforced? That ought to have a few legislators scratching their heads. First we fight these laws tooth and nail and then we scream because they aren't being enforced vigorously enough. Nothing like a bit of consistancy to keep these guys on their toes. Yes sir.
As for that street punk you refer to: you know the one with all the priors that you don't want to be allowed to carry a 110? Wassup here? According to you he's guilty of assault, burglery, vandalism, etc., etc. and walking free. And you're worried that he might have a Buck 110? What about that Lorcin he's carrying or Jennings or Glock or whatever? I'd be more concerned that this creep was walking free. I'd be trying to fix that, not writing a 2002 version of "GCA'68 for knives".
Personally, I don't care if he has a Buck 110 or an AFCK or a HALO for that matter.
As for stripping him of the ability to legally carry one, not on your life, if it means that there is even a slight possibility of that prohibition spilling over to me or any other law abiding citizen.
I am not even close to being willing to abandon my rights to facilitate a statute that says some punk can't legally carry a tool that he's probably will carry anyway.
Besides, if he hasn't commited a crime with it there's no problem, is there? Oh! You say, but he MIGHT commit a crime with it? Well gee! So might anyone else. Even you! Until it happens, there's no crime. To create a crime (Felon(y) carry of a knife) to prevent the possibility that a crime might happen just makes no sense to me. THAT's practicality as I see it.
As for elitism, I never said that you couldn't spot it. I merely said that you are fostering it with your list of exemptions. Anytime you exempt anyone from being subject to any law you are promoting elitism, whether you want to acknowledge that or not. If a law doesn't apply to everyone then it shouldnt apply to anyone. Period.
Racism??? That's your word, not mine. I don't know how you made that leap but, considering most of the other stuff you've come up with, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.
If it was the term "Blond hair & blue eyes" that you're hung up on, that was just an illustration or example of picking a class of eligible (or ineligible) candidates. Maybe I should have said knockkneed and crosseyed.
Remember who I'm talking to? Why? Who are you? The self appointed guardian of our rights? You're going to protect our rights by making it easier to violate the rights of another class of people? Sounds like elitism to me.
Who is the "obvious gangbanger" you refer to in another post? What makes him/her so obvious? The clothing? Tattoos? Maybe a Latino with a buzz cut or a shaved head. A bandanna? Piercings?
Oh,I know, how about someone with long hair and lots of metal adornments and rings on his hands who wears a heavy black leather jacket in the heat of the summer? Sound like anyone you know? I do and he's a nice guy who I have a lot of respect for and is very concerned obout our situation.
Does this profile make it ok for local authorities to stop them and jack them up simply to see if they might be doing something wrong and, if your law gets passed, hauled in because they might be carrying a 110 on their belt or in their pocket? Of course, once they're checked out and found to be an ordinary citizen and released, that's supposed to be ok. Forget the humiliation and inconvenience of being arrested and booked. But hey, it's just the price of being safe, right? A small price to ensure we "good guys" get to keep our one handers. Yes sir. More elitism.
Of course, down here in San Diego, that will net you a bunch of high schoolers and skate boarders. The GB'ers down here have taken to wearing slacks and shirts. Some of them have gone downright ivy league. Where's your obvious street punk now?
You want to know what I've been doing to help our cause? Well, I've written the letters and e-mails and made the phone calls when I thought they would matter. The same as most of the rest of you. But I've also done something else.
I've been getting the message to the folks who don't read these forums. I've been talking to the folks who aren't in the NRA. In other words, I am preaching to someone other than the choir. I know who elected these idiots like Perata and the others and I trying to get the message to them. They are the ones who need the information.
It does you or me or none of us any good for you, or anyone else, to get on these forums and tell me that they are trying to take my guns or my knives. I already know that. You need to be talking to the people who don't usually hear that. That's what I've been doing.
I'm not going to waste my time or energy running to my politician saying "Oh please Mr. politician, Please don't take my rights". It hasn't worked in the past and it won't work now.
Finally, you misunderstood my last post. I wasn't whining. I was right smack in your face telling you how ****ED UP you are. Obviously, that didn't get through. Please tell me where I was unclear so I won't make that mistake again.
Now, if you want to discuss this one-on-one, my phone number is below. You can even use my nickle. Or, if you would rather discuss this in person, face to face, I will be at the gunshow at the Cow Palace at the end of this month. I'll even leave a free pass for you at the door. Bring your balls.....if you can find them.
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Dennis Wright
Wright Knife & Sporting Goods
La Mesa, CA
1-800-400-1980
wrightknife@ixpres.com
("Have a knife day!")
www.wrightknife.com
[This message has been edited by Dennis Wright (edited 06-06-2001).]
