Houston chronicle "handgun ban will stop suicides" opinion piece

I've had the aquaintence of 3 folks that took their own lives.

1 did the deed with a single shot 16gauge.

1 did the deed with his MGB

1 did the deed with his motorcycle.

2 of these were written up as single vehicle accidents w/fatalities. Those of us who knew, knew they were suicides.

I have always strongly suspected that this
slants the statistics horribly. For "By the record" I only know one, whereas I know for a fact I know three.
 
Here's a copy of my email to her:The suggestion that we ban an entire sport, industry, and self defense
method merely to keep people who can't cope with their troubles and who
haven't got the brainpower to realize that suicide is a very permanent
solution to an often temporary problem alive is absolutely ludircous. I can
almost assure you that if someone truly wants to kill himself, he will find
a way. There are "single car accidents," people who take poison, people who
hang themselves, buiding and bridge jumpers, and many other methods. Who's
to say that someone who can't cope with life isn't better off dead?
Firearms are merely the easiest method to do it. But even in countries with
little or no access to firearms, like Japan, many people still kill
themselves. Banning firearms to prevent suicides has about the same chance
of success as does banning automobiles. Perhaps, if you are so bent on
preventing your loved ones suicide, you should make sure that they get the
treatment they need, and not let them sink so deep into despair that they
find the taking of their lives to be the only way to end it.

As for there being no need for private firearms ownership, would you say
that to the attempted rape victim who just repelled that most heinous of
assaults with a gun. Would she think that handguns were unneccessary? Or
the college student who just saved his life from an attack by a classmate
envious of his achievements? Or the homeowner who just saved his life, as
well as that of his wife and children by repelling an armed thug? Would
these people find personal firearms to be unneccessary? I doubt it. Or,
even the collector. WOuld you take his hobby away? The Olympic marksman.
Would you take away their only claim to fame? US Department of Justice
statistics indicate that over 2.5 million people per year use personal
firearms to defend themselves, probably with countless more incidents going
unreported. I think that handguns are still a viable need, both for sport,
defense, and even as curios.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wonder if I'll get a response.
 
jimpeel:

The following are the texts of 2 e-mails I today sent to Ms. Mitchard. Response is unlikely however if any is had, perhaps it would make "interesting reading", one never knows. Thought I had both of them, only 1 appears, will try again, for the other.

Ms. Mitchard:

You seem unhappy with/about guns. Fair enough.

What is problematic is the following. That you seem intent on "drawing" an inanimate object upon a "rack" that essentially is made of human choices, no matter how ill-advised said choices might be.

Doesn't the questionable nature of such mental process "heave into view?

Your response, should any be offered, will be received with thoughtful attention.

Alan Schultz
 
jimpeel:

Text of other e-mail follows below:

Plain facts, which speak in a very prominent voice.

If, and IF is written large, there were no other ways for people to take their own lives, banning firearms, long guns or otherwise, would likely reduce, possibly even eliminate such activity, and their end results,deaths.

Interestingly however, there are a myriad of other ways for one to take their own life. They are, matter of fact, to numerous to list, and being an intelligent person, I'm sure that you are aware of at least some of
them.

You also seem to miss a particularly salient point. The gun, the rope, an excess of pills taken, hairpins stuck in the light socket, the gas stove, are merely tools used by someone, to achieve a "desired end". The
fact that there is the above mentioned "desired ending" is what leads to suicide, and not the tool or implement chosen.

How come it is that you seem to miss the above mentioned factors?

Alan Schultz
 
K-Frame, here in Texas (unless the last legislature changed it) suicide is legal. If a Peace Officer catches you trying it, he/she will take you into custody for a Psy Eval, but it's not an arrest.

It is against the law to help someone take their own life. And helping can have a very loose definition.

Intersting tidbit in Texas law: Anyone is authorized to use Deadly Force to prevent a suicide. ("Yes, Your Honor, I centered him with my .490 Moose Stomper to prevent him from jumping off the bridge.")

Gotta love them Texas laws.

;)LawDog
 
In case anyone is interested, the lady responded. Her response and additional comment from yours truly appear below. Who knows, but what she and I may end up as "pen pals".

Subject:
Re: a brief addendum to my earlier e-mail
Date:
Tue, 25 Jan 2000 18:15:58 -0500
From:
alan schultz <mrmidnite@earthlink.net>
To:
Jacquelyn Mitchard <mitch@mailbag.com>
References:
1

Jacquelyn Mitchard wrote:

> Hi-- Well, this inanimate object has only one purpose, you see?
>
> Jacquelyn Mitchard
> P.O. Box 259064
> Madison, WI 53725-9064
> mitch@mailbag.com

Good evening, and thank you for your response.

What might that purpose possibly be, I wonder. Guns are designed, i.e. their purpose is to propel an object, the bullet, through the air. The guns user determines the direction of flight, allowance being made for
windage and such.

I have used firearms for for many years. The direction of bullet travel was ALWAYS toward a target of some sort, a metal "gong", a paper target, the proverbial "tin can", all having been placed with due attention to
the safety of others.

Now then, if someone chooses to direct the bullet toward another person, that is their responsibility. Such action might or might not constitute a violation of the law, depending on circumstances. So, once again, I
wonder as to exactly what the "purpose" you envision might be.

By the way, since any number of other "legal products" can also cause serious injury, possibly death, when improperly used, how would categorize the "purpose" of any of these objects, including but not limited to automobiles, kitchen knives, hammers, etc.

Alan Schultz
 
Guns are designed to initiate and contain a rapid gas expansion and to use that gas expansion to propel a malleable alloy pellet through a vibrating metal tube with such consistency that the malleable alloy pellet travels the same flight path each and every time.

And that is all that any firearm is designed to do. Period.

LawDog
 
Guns were invented for the same basic reasons cars were.
They allow us, humans, to accomplish something easier than we could without them.

A car can aid in your travel to work, school, grocery store, etc.
A gun can aid you in catching food, warding off dangerous animals, warding off human attackers and more.
Both allow the user to sustain life.

A gun can be used to have fun. Target shooting, competition, increase hand-eye coordination, etc.
A car can be used to have fun. Drag races, lap races, outings with the family, etc.

A gun can be misused by the shooter and result in loss of innocent life.
A car can be misused by the driver and result in loss of innocent life.

I could go on and on, but you get the point.
-Kframe

[This message has been edited by Kframe (edited January 26, 2000).]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top