Re: 2nd Amendment perspectives

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Yes. So, I will not be voting on it in the US. The real decision is up to you.

On 12/07/02, sharwinston wrote:
> Shmuel, could you please clarify for me: Are you an American
> citizen living in Israel advocating repeal of America's 2nd
> Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?
>
> On 10/31/02, rrr wrote:
>> Are Palistinians allowed to carry guns?
>>
>>
>>
>> On 10/31/02, Shmuel Goldstein wrote:
>>> My thesis: Repeal the 2nd Amendment.
>>>
>>> I live in Israel. The so-called West Bank, to be precise.
>> Here in Israel, we
>>> do not have a 2nd Amendment, and no one here has a "right"
>> to bear arms.
>>>
>>> There are basically three ways in which your average
>> Israeli citizen can/does
>>> use arms: 1) He can acquire a license, then buy the weapon,
>> 2) Work for the
>>> Police or other security agency, 3) Do reserve duty
>>>
>>> Now, just about every man does reserve duty, and typically
>> the weapon used is
>>> an Uzi, M-16, or perhaps a Galil, which handles like an AK-
>> 47, and uses M-16
>>> size bullets.
>>>
>>> In addition, reservists and regular army soldiers are all
>> over the country, and
>>> it is de riguer to see a 19 y/o soldier get on a bus with
>> an M-16 strapped
>>> around his shoulder. No one thinks anything of it. In fact,
>> there have been
>>> several incidents where one of these guys was near a
>> suicide bomber and stopped
>>> him by shooting him.
>>>
>>> In order for a regular citizen to acquire a weapon, say, a
>> pistol, he must
>>> undergo security checks, medical checks, and police checks.
>> It is not a given
>>> that he will receive a license for the weapon. Basically,
>> if he was an IDF
>>> officer, a cop, or if he lives in a dangerous area (the
>> gov't decides what is
>>> dangerous, and they make logical decisions, believe me), he
>> can get the
>>> license. Then he's got to go to an approved dealer to buy
>> the gun. Then he must
>>> do monthly target practice or risk having his license
>> revoked, and the weapon,
>>> which could cost hundreds of dollars, confiscated.
>>>
>>> I remind you, that this is ISRAEL, which is undergoing a
>> cruel war of attrition
>>> right now.
>>>
>>> Gunshot and violent crimes here are much more rare then
>> they are in the US.
>>> Part of the reason is that a weapon is hard to get. Part of
>> the reason, indeed,
>>> is cultural.
>>>
>>> Before the OSLO accords, signed in 1993, Palestinian
>> violence was primarily
>>> rocks being thrown, and the occasional bigger attack. Since
>> the accords were
>>> signed, and more to the point, since the Palestinian police
>> were given weapons
>>> by the Israelis, my children must go to school in BULLET-
>> PROOF buses. The
>>> Palestinians use the weapons freely against us, and even
>> use them at weddings -
>>> firing in the air in "celebration".
>>>
>>> An Israeli is VERY careful with the weapon he either has
>> bought, or was issued
>>> for his reserve duty. He must fill out a report and undergo
>> sometimes grueling
>>> interrogations by the Police (or the MP's) if he fires the
>> weapon.
>>>
>>> Many people where I live walk around with pistols in their
>> belts, and/or the
>>> Uzi or M-16. These are simple civilian residents of a
>> Jewish village in
>>> Samaria (aka West Bank). These people have the weapons
>> legally. In fact, the
>>> attack just a few days ago in Harmesh was stopped by people
>> with such weapons.
>>>
>>> Israel can be considered the valhalla for those who love
>> guns.
>>>
>>> BUT
>>>
>>> There is no 2nd Amendment, and there is no "right" to bear
>> arms.
>>>
>>> In the US, there is no "right" to drive, yet millions do.
>>> There is no "right" to be a doctor, yet there are many.
>>> There is no "right" to fly, yet there are many pilots.
>>> There is no "right" to be a pharmacist and sell potentially
>> deadly drugs, yet
>>> many are pharmacists.
>>> There is no "right" to be a prostitute, and in fact, it is
>> illegal in most
>>> places, EXCEPT certain areas of Nevada.
>>>
>>> In short, if the 2nd Amendment is repealed, each State and
>> locality can then
>>> set the weapons-use issue according to the customs and
>> mores of its own
>>> people. Even if there is no "right" to bear arms, this does
>> not mean that guns
>>> will be taken away from people. It only means that they
>> could (but not
>>> necessarily will) be monitored much more closely, which I
>> think will only help
>>> to reduce violent crime.
>>>
>>> Just my thoughts,
>>>
>>> Shmuel
>>>

Re: 2nd Amendment perspectives, 2/10/05, by Shmuel Goldstein.

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