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Show r ilt i'akr vLritinm al)c Sum,J Mor,,i"a- - ':ril 11 ., 1 Tribune luliloriuls Opinion 1 I A-- Allas 12 -- i: Common Currier: Control of User Really Needed Gog.lll J I follow mg the mm tier of .lulm Lennon, have prodm ed a renewed .flit's of emotional cries foi aiftlition.il laws whnh will, by some unexplained magic A J. ' r-- I lircann.s provide assurance that imssession will lie dfiiifit to all who would misuse them Suih a goal, and the motive to puisne it. is unblemished, as is the struggle for world ieuee, elimination of cancer and heart disease, universal quality education limitless eeonomi val clielgy supplies, the ehnunatlor. of world hunger and poverty, etc, etc Few, if any. seem to be naive enough to suggest that these humanitarian victories will be achieved by the addition of a few pages to a book of laws frl vA- of iJ! 5 r. Not More Formidable by Laws law does not provide any physical restraint It provides only a statement of what behavior is or is not acceptable to the community which has set forth that law In a sense, it is a warning. "Conduct yourself in a A manner consistent with the stated community standards or else. If the ". . OR ELSE is weak andor indecisive, then the determination of the community is perceived as weak and indecisive. It is a Paper Tiger, which, when confronted, runs to the print shop with more new pages for the law book. The prohibition against murder, either Arthur J. Gogan Jr. Insurance Inspector Time to I t thlealelied attempted el Miiicsstlll is made mm e fei imdublc bv laws w hu h t ci ite ,,n endless litany of the instruments and methods wtuiti have lieen or mav le emploved to aei nmplish the act It is onlv a detel cut to the extent that those who might contemplate ignomig it see unmistakable evident e ot the resolve with which our socictv will extiait a seveio penalty from any who choose to ptcy on the conerutive memlxTS of the commiliutv I'm quite sure that few of those who aie demunduu additional and tougher gun laws. Editor's note: This article was written by Mr. Gogan before an attempt was made to assassinate President Reagan. would, if asked, be able to accurately recount the number of existing local and federal gun laws and statutes which were violated by Lennon's assailant. New York City has for decades been touted as having the grandfather of tough gun laws m the form of the Sullivan Act By what logic does one perceive a successful abolition of crimes committed by the use of firearms, to be simply a matter of adding one more gun law to .he myriad of such laws already in existence? The objective of legislating guns out of existence is as ludicrous as that of legislating itmim.ils out of existent e Gilllxwdct anil the xian tivilia tuc. unis wcie ptmlucod likt'K lh.it .1 pt'tsiiii vt. liking lung M.tiu SI reel vx tu li.nl the expt I lent e ot ,t l Imllrt inking .i building null o (net dixl.inl hum turn would t iiillt'xxK .mil rxi itedlv li'l.tle the stoiv tol t.i x lull 111. i, wime pel on would .l.md on Hie t tit ti within in left ol .i passing loaded li'oik weighing -- ome VI Ions .mil avi'lmg .it !iri mpli .mil new-- give it ,i set mid though! Bv 'A "! ;! sn s iiii'du me, or ,m m.ithi'iuatirs the tnnk lepieseiits a nun h more serious tlne.it Why then the fast in.itum with the imtential risks ussm luted with the 111 lions s euilv as the till tcnlurv lloes ,uv iation.il si seiiuusly tieheve these simple let biiologies to !c a challenge to the ,'utli t eiii in v mciicun h. uitly mail m Ins gat age oi basement shop Or is It ttellevoblo that the tenuities of law for such activities, would tie mote enthusiastically applied than those atton il.mt to the existing gun laws We seem to have a fondness for lor an aweof statistics, and the "numbers jasnile" on txitli snles of the gun law issues, satiate us with an avalanche of opitosing numliers which appear to prove only that statistics could seemingly be made to disprove their own existence Because the molecules of oxygen and other gases in the air are in a constant state of random motion, there is a finite statistical probability that they might all at one time bo in the comer of the room opposite you and you will suffocate If that statistic is a factor in the way you occupy your living room, you will undoubtedly find numbers to console you from one or the other side of the gun control issue. Disproportionate Emotional Response Of the thousands of ways by which human life is ended daily either by accident or intent, it seems that death by firearms elicits a very disproportionate emotional response It is -- 1 , i m I I i I . i Books a Big Help In Saving Cash On Home Pro j eels By Bob Walton does a retiree do when his Social Security benefit plus his own income, such as a pension or earnings if hes a working retiree, arent enough to meet his average monthly cost of living? It is a problem that What of older couples whose lifestyles have changed drastically as prices of groceries and most other necessities climb ever higher. While most recipients of Social Security checks are loosing mrwaru to the monthly increase due in July, they know it wont solve anything or be sufficient to meet the rising cost of living. Automobile Becomes Necessity Gasoline, for instance, seems to be headed for a high of $2 a gallon. That is one cost Americans cant afford not to afford. The family automobile has gone from a luxury item to fn absolute necessity for the American way of life. else, the cost of a tune-u- p has also risen sharply. But did you know that for $2.50 you can learn to tune your own car engine if it happens to be a Chevrolet Chevette or a Toyota Corolla? Its all contained Auto Care Guides, in two new paperbacks, published by Wallaby Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020. The Chevette was chosen because it is the small car made and sold in America. The Toyota is the foreign car. It has been estimated that there are 10 million Chevettes and Toyotas on America's roads. Book Contains Shopping List Each book has a shopping list of the things you need to buy, and after that such explanations as how to change spark plugs and points; what one has to know about the cars electrical system; why tires should be rotated and how to do it; facts and tips on preventive maintenance; and, last but not least, some effective tips. book is fully illustrated and Each easy to follow. Keep in mind, however, that all cars are different, so dont depend on the book if you drive a Ford or a Buick. And that is not all. The same publisher has putj on the market six paperbacks, selling for $2.50 each, on how to save money by doing home jobs yourself These include How to Fix a Leak, "How to Redo Your Kitchen Cabinets and Counter Tops," How to Wire Electrical How to Outlets, Switches and Lights, How to Build a Deck," and How Wallpaper, to paint Interiors. One word of caution is necessary. Dont undertake to do more than one thing at a time! Along with everything best-sellin- g best-sellin- g gas-savin- g 64-pa- YOU SHOULD KNOW: Q. I submitted all my medical bills to Medicare, but I dont think they have paid me S.J., enough. Is there anything I can do? Muskegon, Mich. A- The carrier," the insurance organization that handles your medical claims, makes the decisions whether a service is covered by medical insurance and the amount of the payment. If you disagree with the decision, you should request in writing to the carrier or to any Social Security office that your claim be reviewed. This request must be made within six months of the date you receive the notice of the original decision. If, after the review, you still disagree with the decision, you can ask for a hearing before a hearing officer if the amount in question is $100 or more. Again, such a request must be made in writing within six months. (If you have questions you would like to have discussed, write Bob Walton, in care of this newspaper. For a personal reply, please enclose a stamped, envelope. Questions of general interest will be answered in the column.) (Copyright) - Senator Soaper If the president has to cut anything else from the budget, how about December, January and February This is an era characterized by the mortgage and the marriage. y Criminals Run Wild Activists Must Realize Who Enemy Is Anli-Gu- n By Knight-Ridde- Frank Rossi Newspapers r In my travels across middle America, Ive interviewed maybe 300 people who own guns. I interviewed them for other reasons. They just happened to own guns. They keep guns for many reasons. They hunt or they target shoot. Their fathers left them guns. Or they have shotguns for trap or skeet. No matter what their primary reason, most consider a gun in the house a form of protection. As far as I know, none of them has ever committed a crime with a gun. On the other side. Ive interviewed hundreds of people who have never fired a gun and dont want to. Two valid viewpoints. Things get rough, however, when radical elements from group two start screaming at group one; Turn in your guns and well all be safer, you fascists. This prompts the more reactionary elements of group one to counter: Like hell, you commie pinkos. And so it goes. While both sides blow smoke up each others rainpipe, the criminals run wild. Realize Enemy Strangely, on the major point, both sides nor agree. Neither want to see firearms used in crimes. Now if both sides got together, maybe they could do something about firearm use in crimes. Unfortunately, this wont happen until antigunners realize who the enemy is. The enemy is not most of the 50 million Americans who owm guns. Yet persist in equating rising crime with gun ownership. Tell them that the criminal wont turn in his gun. Tell them that banning guns will not stop criminals from getting firearms. dont want to hear it. But theres evidence. David Thomasson, a writer from Missoun who has investigated the controversy, has come up with some interesting findings. First, let me repeat Thomassons disclaimer: He owns no guns. He does not hunt. He does not anti-gunne- rs anti-gunne- rs Anti-gunne- shoot. He is not a member of the National Rifle Association. And he doesnt believe that the future of the republic rests on an individuals right to own guns. He does, however, support that right No Link to Crime Heres what Thomasson found: In 1975 the federal government funded a University of Wisconsin study comparing the rate of gun ownership with the crime rate in several communities. Conclusion- The availability of guns could not be linked to the crime rate in any community. The same study examined every variety of state restriction on pistols, including total prohibition, and concluded: Gun control laws have no individual collective effect in reducing the rate of violent crime. often compare England and the United States in an attempt to support the correlation argument. Englands strict prohibitions on pistol ownership, they contend, account for that nations relatively lower homicide rate. Anti-gunne- Editor's note: Today's Common Carrier article was written by Arthur J. Gogan Jr., 1175 E. 6600 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121, an insurance inspector. The author wrote this before the attempted assassination of President Reagan. Mr. Gogan 's views are his own. Comments expressed in Common Carrier do not necessarily reflect those of The Salt Lake Tribune or the Common Carrier board of lay editors. Articles in this department are determined by the lay board, which works independently of Tribune reportorial and editorial policies. The Common Carrier board, representof the community, is ing a cross-sectio- n composed of Afton Forsgren, a retired educator, board chairman; the Rev. France A. Davis, pastor. Calvary Baptist Wrong again, according to a 1971 study at Cambridge University. In 1911, New York passed the Sullivan Act to control pistols. England enacted no controls until 1920. Consequently, between 1911 and 1920, guns were controlled in New York and uncontrolled in England. The researchers concluded that New York, with its strict controls on the private ownership of pistols, suffered infinitely more from the criminal use of firearms of all types than did London in a period when all firearms were In fact, after pistols were freely available banned in England, the crime rate increased. Finally, the Cambridge study zeroed in on Switzerland, where practically every Swiss male belongs to the national militia and is required to keep his rifle, pistol or machine gun in his home. If the with ammunition availability of firearms were a significant factor in the crime rate, Switzerland would be Not so. crime-ridde- In 1978, Switzerlands per 200,000 populaton. homicide rate was 1 Church, board vice chairman; Linda Downey, a University of Utah library instructor; Tim Rice, public relations and John director, Utah State AFL-CLA. Gloriod, a retired Army officer and engineer. board seeks articles from all segments of the community. Articles need not be professionally prepared, but must be less than four pages of type copy. They should pertain to the economic, political or social of the Intermountain Area. Articles The double-space- d well-bein- g existence of firearms We are all susceptible to an irrational fear of the unknown Apjioalmg to those who are unfamiliar with the capabilities, limitations, and legitimate uses of firearms, the gun abolitionists have capitalized on the fear ot the instrument and as a result we are plagued w ith the futile insistence that by some w iardrv all guns lie legislated into oblivion The legitimate goals of controlling and or deterring the unacceptable conduct of the criminal element, whether his tool he a gun. a knife, a dub or any other device, receives little more than verbal allegiance Meaningful and decisive action finds little acceptance when it translates into additional tax dollars for judicial, penal, and enforcement agency budgets No Solution in Hysteria llow many advocates of additional gun control legislation know the cost of administering the federal and local gun control laws already on the Ixxiks? How many ask the cost of each additional law proposed And to what end Is there any objective evidence that even one aspiring criminal has fearfully submitted to the imagined power of any law forbidding him to acquire or use a firearm? I think not The misuse of firearms by some is, of course, a serious problem which is worthy of the concern of all of us, just as is the misuse of any power, be it of mechanical, political, or any other form. But the solution is not likely to be spawned in hysteria and agitated emotion. I believe that the answer will more likely be found in a resolve among ourselves, to demand swift and harsh penalties for those who prove themselves to be a threat to our society and to likewise effect the swift removal and replacement of those elected and hired officials whose performance does not mirror that mandate. The good, hard working, productive citizens of our country should not condone the coddling and pampenng of those who choose to threaten and destroy rather than contribute. In perspective, the gun wielding murderer is not substantially different than the torch wielding arsonist or the knife wielding rapist. Each has chosen an instrument appropriate to his intent. How many cries have we heard for laws against matches and knives? These are, of course, equally destructive when misused or when involved in accidents. The drunk driver's toll of human life has to my knowledge, never provoked a common call for the abolishment of automobiles. Similarities Are Miniscule for those who advocate is fashionable It severe gun control laws, to cite the prevailing conditions in Japan and England in support of a perceived effective gun control law. The similarities are miniscule. Both are islands with land masses of l25th and l62nd respectively, the size of the United States and with little unrestricted travel across borders. Both lack an economy which would contribute to sufficient affluence at the level of the average citizen, to permit widespread ownership of items of limited utility and neither offers the geography for extensive sport hunting. Of much greater contrast however, is the reality that both these nations have the undaunted determination to severely punish the lawbreaker. A visit to a Japanese prison will leave little doubt as to why homicides are substantially less common than in the United States The deterrent is the punishment, not the written pages in the lawbooks and not the scarcity of firearms. Gun control is neither desirable, attainable, nor necessary in a FREE country. Likewise. FREEDOM and subservience to a criminal minority are incompatible. If our common choice is freedom then we must unite to regain and perfect control of the criminal. oiH-ratu- j affects thousands -- should be timely, have unity of purpose, a central theme, promote dialogue and be challenging. Material should be mailed to Common Carrier, The Salt Lake Tribune, P.O. Box 867, Salt Lake City, Utah 84110. Orbiting Paragraphs Another advantage of having children is that you dont have to waste your time scrubbing floors during the rainy season A teen-ag- e girl is a person who comes in from getting the newspaper off the porch and asks if anyone called. At an age when a budding musician used to be satisfied with toilet paper and a comb, he now expects a $750 drum set Although man can travel faster than the speed of sound, by the time you hear the police siren it's too late. A small town is a place people leave so they can earn enough to move out of the city. Raffertys View Kiddie Porn Book Points to Organized Plot to Defile Y oung Morals By Dr. Max Rafferty wire service story from Chicago reports another episode in the escalating attempt by organized pornography to take over the minds and to defile the morals of American children. It seems that suburban Oak Lawn librarian James OBrien decided for reasons which to escape me totally add to his shelves of A kiddie literature a malodorous masterpiece titled Show Me, which contains various pictures portraying both adults and children engaged in several specific variations of the sex act. In more moral and less lascivious times, you couldn't have located with an electronic microscope any kind of a librarian who would even have dreamed of furnishing such filth to his patrons. Pornography was illegal; it was smuggled furtively and viewed nervously in dark comers. Most certainly it was not purchased with tax money and given openly to children with the approval of public authorities. Now, if youre blinking rapidly and asking, "Hows that again? let me inform you that this apparently nutty behavior is par for the course these days. Heres how the scenario Denies It's Pornography It's Dirty as a Drain The board members all know perfectly well that the book is as dirty as a drain. On the other hand, they know equally well that if they send it to the every "liberal bleeding-heart outfit from the American Civil Liberties Union to the Society for the Protecwill hold media tion of conferences and call the board members such s and goodies as So the board members put the book temporarily, knowing that later on when the heat is off they can quietly resurrect it and put it back in squalid circulation. OBrien denies that Show Me is pornography. "It could be of value in a sex education program, he said. But thats not the way 800 furious Oak Lawn parents felt about the putrescent little publication. Reasoning rightly that by any standard the showing of pictures of children engaged in sex acts is pornography, they formed the Oak Iawn Community Awareness Committee and descended en masse upon the suburbs library board at one of its public meetings. Confronted by this avalanche of anger, the board did what such boards usually do. It to keep chickened out. It voted waffled "Show Me on a private shelf in a librarian's office and not let anybody check it out. This, of course, escalated anger into total rage. 5-- goes: paper-shredde- Child-Corrupte- blue-nose- book-burne- s This kind of irresponsible cynicism assumes that the Oak Lawn Community Awareness Committee is composed entirely of driveling-klutze- s From a comment by one of its spokespersons. Nancy Czerwiec, I get the ) feeling that the boards assumption is all wet. "The board ignored a petition signed by more than 800 persons who want it off the shelves entirely. This was not a vote in favor of the First Amendment; it was a vote against family values and in favor of sexual perversion. The vote lacked responsibility and integrity You can say that again, Nancy. It did not, however, lack duplicity and deceit Lets get one thing straight right here. There have been books all through history which needed very badly to be burned. Hitlers atrocious Mein Kampf" was one of them. Further back in time, there were the infamous tomes of Black Magic, recommending the use of fresh babies blood in some of their more revolting recipes. Similarly, there are books today which are menaces to the general welfare and which should be stomped on like so many plagfie- carrying cockroaches. Why not start5 with volume which portrays children engaged tn orgies and sexual perversion? (Copyright) g J 1 i s |
