   From psc@sei.cmu.edu (Peter Capell) on rec.martial-arts...
   >I'm sure such weapons have been developed.  Our society does not,
   >however, condone their possession or use.  

Actually, Joe, I wrote the above.  Peter was responding to my article.

I'm actually rather confused by your post.  I suppose I didn't
make myself clear, cause you seem to have gotten exactly the
opposite impression from what I intended.  I suppose "the authorities"
might have been a better term than "society".  Carry and use a firearm
in many parts of the country (certainly the parts I live in), and expect,
at the very least, to have an awful lot of explaining to do.
And there is also appears to be  a trend in society at large that
actively opposes what many see as their right to defend themselves.

   In a few other parts of our society, handguns are banned or
   so restricted as to be practically unavailable to the law-
   abiding citizen for self-defense outside the home.  Funny, 
   though, how the criminals in such places continue to have a 
   lush supply of guns and no compunctions about using them.  
   IMHO, you don't need to be either a political philosopher or 
   a crime victim to realize that there's a flaw in the gun-
   grabbers' logic.  

Agreed.

   You're welcome to your HO, too, the First Amendment being as 
   important as the Second, but please don't let your obvious 
   good intentions be subverted by insupportable generalities 
   about something as big and diverse as US society.

My only intention was to comment that the existence of suitable
weapons of self defense doesn't mean you'll escape a whole shitload
of trouble should you be forced to use them.

   Or by the
   naive hope that making gun possession a crime will give pause 
   to someone who would be a criminal anyway.

I made no such statements, nor do I have such a naive hope or outlook.  
   
   Wishing you peace and the wherewithal to defend yourself
   if others' thoughts are not that kindly,

That's all I want: the opportunity to leave in peace, or to 
have the means to defend myself when that in not possible.

I *think* we agree on this issue.  I guess my position didn't
survive the transition from cognition to ASCII.
