Hello Alexander,   
      
    TR>>>>>> American citizens the right to keep and bear arms was to keep   
    TR>>>>>> an armed citizenry able to resist and overthrow a tyrannical   
    TR>>>>>> government.   
    ak>>>>> Small arms is useless for that purpose.   
    TR>>>> What makes you think all we've got is `small arms'?   
    ak>>> If the army use tanks, bombers, satellite, drones, spying   
    ak>>> equipment where can buy it? If you catch a tank it will be   
    ak>>> destroyed by a bomber withing minutes.   
      
    BA>> Tanks and bombers are pretty much useless in an urban environment -   
    BA>> unless the government wants to alienate the rest of the people.   
    BA>> They're pretty much useless in jungles and forests, too. We should   
    BA>> have learned that in Vietnam and you should have learn ed it in   
    BA>> Afghanistan.   
      
    ak> It is not correct. The Afghan and Vietnam rebel success has some sense   
    ak> only when they receive multi-billion military help and other high-tech   
    ak> equipment for fighting planes, tanks etc. The success of Taliban   
    ak> fighters now is due to they have in their hands "help" originated both   
    ak> from the USA and the USSR. ;)   
      
   It is all blowback.  In regards to Afghanistan, the people in   
   that area of the world have not changed much, if at all, in   
   centuries.  Rudyard Kipling wrote about them, his description   
   just as relevant today as in his own time.   
      
   Vietnam (Indochina) cannot be viewed in the same light as   
   Afghanistan, as it was more of a real country with a people   
   with shared values.   
      
   The one common element between Afghanistan and Vietnam is   
   the people of those places are still there, whereas the invading   
   armies have all gone home.   
      
   In Afghanistan, the people called the invaders "red monkeys".   
   In Vietnam, the people called the invaders "white monkeys".   
   But other than that, everything was the same.   
      
    BA>> Small arms, however, are very useful in such an environment. So are   
    BA>> knives and garrots.   
      
    ak> Garrot? Is it an arm, too?   
      
   A type of wire, used to quickly (and permanently) disable someone.   
      
    ak>    
    ak>>>>> Who are not allowed? Is there a certain database of those who   
    ak>>>>> are not allowed?   
    TR>>>> Yes. Convicted felons, some misdemeanor convictions, and those   
    TR>>>> who have been in mental institutions are usually caught in a   
    TR>>>> background check for a firearm purchase.   
    ak>>> If a person hasn't been in a mental hospital during his life it   
    ak>>> doesn't mean he is healthy mentally. That is the way how nutcases   
    ak>>> acquire submachine guns.   
      
    BA>> Submachine guns and "assault rifles" are just bullet hoses. They   
    BA>> are notoriously inaccurate. An experienced shooter can do far more   
    BA>> damage - from a much greater distance - with a scoped big game   
    BA>> rifle, and have little "collateral damage."   
      
    ak> But submachine guns are perfect weapon for mass murders.   
      
   Most mass murderers who choose to use submachine guns also   
   carry other weapons as well.  They want something that works.   
   Not something that will jam.  And they also want something   
   that can be used with some degree of accuracy.  Besides, not   
   many mass murderers can afford the high cost of submachine   
   guns, much less the ammo ...   
      
    ak> If the Americans buy such things it means that the criminal situation is   
    ak> similar to Intifada in Israel. ;)   
      
   Schoolkids armed with rocks, showing off their pitching skills   
   to major league baseball scouts.  It is their way out of poverty,   
   unnerstan'?   
      
    ak> The next step, I suppose, will be submachine guns installed on the   
    ak> balconies.   
      
   No need.  They are taking lessons from Chuck Norris in Texas on   
   how to become Palestinian Rangers.   
      
    ak>    
    ak>>> But anyway, allowing school teachers to have guns is a bad   
    ak>>> idea. ;=)   
      
    BA>> A century and a half ago in this country it was quite common for   
    BA>> students - ages 10 to 13 - in rural schools to carry pistols to and   
    BA>> from school. Yet there was none of the mayhem then that there is   
    BA>> now   
      
    ak> Well, if there were some wolves around. Otherwise the school teachers   
    ak> should have been unhappy. ;)   
      
   Several states in the US allow college students to carry guns,   
   including concealed.  You know what that means?  Every student   
   is guaranteed to get straignt A's.  No way a professor is even   
   going to think about flunking a student packing heat.  No way.   
      
   --Lee   
      
   --- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb   
    * Origin: news://eljaco.se (2:203/2)