<$BlogRSDURL$>

My letters

Submitted letters to the editor and other parties. Only a few of these were published.

Monday, April 12, 2004


To the letters editor:

All the public discussion about the City Council’s new law regarding toy guns has only one defect: the discussion is all wrong. The relevant wording of the legislation is this:



Intro No. 298-2002. It shall be unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale, possess or use or attempt to use or give away, any toy or imitation firearm which substantially duplicates or can reasonably be perceived to be an actual firearm.

The emphasis is mine. So a bright orange water pistol, which does not substantially duplicate an actual firearm, nor could reasonably be perceived to be an actual firearm, would seem to be legal under this law. The law doesn’t ban toy guns that could be painted black or otherwise modified to look like real guns; it bans only toys that look like real guns.

If misunderstanding of the law succeeds in preventing potential felons from obtaining toys to use in rapes and robberies, and they turn to whittling bars of soap into the shape of a gun, and painting it black, will the City Council ban bar soap?

Meanwhile, I intend not to give up possession of my Super-Soaker.
______________________________________

Comments: Post a Comment

Archives

04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004   06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004   07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004   08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004   09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004   10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004   12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005   04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005   06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005   12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007  

This page is powered by Blogger. Isn't yours?