FWiedner wrote:
A tragic example of how effective gun-control regulations really are..
The one thing the regulators always seem to miss when they regulate, is that no matter how clear or strong the wording used, no matter how specific they get in creating an individual regulation aimed at a particular 'problem', somebody, somewhere ignores it.
The preferred solution? Make more regulations of course.
If the ones we have now don't work, we gotta keep making more. People keep slipping through 'loopholes' Makes sense to fill them in.
In spite of hundreds (probably thousands) of years evidence demonstrating that just making more rules has little or no effect on the problem they wish to control, our leaders continue with the same old concept of 'regulate until it goes away'... d'oh! :?
Let's see now, says one of our first cave-leaders. Sounds like it might be a good idea, if we want a trbe that is civil and peaceful, to disapprove of people killing each other out of greed, spite, jealousy, anger.. etc. Let's call that sort of thing murder, and make it against the rules to murder someone.
Don't want folks running around taking the lives of others for no good (i.e. approved) reason. And, besides, since we gave up cannibalism, it just attracts flies, rats, saber toothed cats and hyenas. It is dangerous, unsanitary, and just plain not nice!
Hey look, those guys over there are arguing over who has the biggest tusk. Oh, no... the hairy guy just stuck the bald guy with that sharp stick. Eeeeww the bald guy is bleeding all over the place.. Oh..Hairy stuck him again.. yikes Baldy died from too many holes. It was murder!!
Yeah, yeah. Some people are saying that if Baldy had a sharp stick too, he might have been able to defend himself better. Interesting concept, but really, what if Baldy, carrying his sharp stick, gets bumped by somebody on the trail and develops a case of 'trail rage'. What if the bumper has one as well? Mayhem, anarchy and mayhem. There would be blood running in the trails.
Gotta regulate sharp sticks! That sends a powerful message about what kind of society we want.
Yikes.. that new guy just killed Ol' Glong with a piece of knapped flint! Dang, we forgot to regulate knapped flint. Let's do it..in fact let's be pro-active and regulate un-knapped flint too, anything that even looks like, feels like, smells like, or sounds like flint. Including toy flints. Some of them are so realistic. Gotta send that message!
Oh look, somebody invented this really sharp metalic thingy for skinning animals and cutting up food, and whittling. It works way better than those flints we've been using, and definitely saves wear and tear on the ol' teeth and fingernails. Way Cool!
Ohh (bleep)! Some jerk has stuck one into his mate and killed her. Call out the regulators.. gotta put some limits on these things, they are just too easy to acquire. Why some people want to carry them everywhere, and some have them just laying around the cave. Even kids can get at them.
Since he used one that was two hand-spans in length, anything over one hand-span has gotta be made illegal. They are just too powerful and easy to mis-use when they are over one hand-span. But then again, they are easily concealed when they are under a hand-span. Heck, let's just regulate them all. They don't call us lawmakers for nothin'.
Actually we don't want people to have them at all, but we can't say that openly just yet. We gotta keep putting out that message about the safe and peaceful kind of society we want.
Truth be told, the army and the palace guards are the only people who need any weapons... to protect society.. and of course to protect the Emperor and the Court from all the people who despise them... And nobody inside the walls of a city has any use for one anyway. They are intended for only one purpose, and that is to kill.
Besides men only want long ones like that because they have power issues, and issues with their identity and masculinity. Our most favored researchers and advisers are convinced that men with those issues (they say virtually ALL men) should not be trusted with objects like that.
Why, just think about it: every natural man on the planet is already fully equipped to commit rape! Every man is a potential rapist! Who wants to complicate it by adding sharp objects to the mix.. how scary is that! Quick make more laws - it is the only way to guarantee security and safety for all!
Remember ... repeat the message It may take awhile, but repetition works - Joe Goebbels (paraphrased)
... and so it goes throughout history...
Until of course we arrive at the Utopian society that exists today in the 21st Century. Finally all those historic rules, regulations have had the desired effect. We live in a society where, safety, honesty, respect , peace, and kindness reign throughout. A society where we have security and protection.
The societal benefits described in the book '1984' have arrived. Better late than never, as they say.
Women can walk the streets at night in perfect safety. (Except of course it is prohibited anyway - why does anyone need to walk the streets at all? To go somewhere use public transit. To get exercise take a bus to an approved fitness center. Walking is suspicious; only people who are up to something walk.)
Manufacturers of locks have gone bankrupt. (Except it is prohibited to go bankrupt - no one is allowed to make another person unemployed - except the government of course.)
Greed and power have been regulated out of existence. (Well, our leaders still need to have a certain amount of power in order to lead us sucessfully - and though greed doesn't enter into it, they also need more stuff than the rest of us. Larger houses, private vehicles, you know stuff like that, stuff that helps them do their jobs better. They are under a lot of stress making regulations to protect us and all. They should have some benefits, some symbols of our gratitude and appreciation for all they do.)
There is no longer a need for as huge law enforcement or 'legal system'. People just simply follow the rules. No need for enforcement, because no one can any longer be outside the system. Enforcement has only been necessary in the past because certain people believed more in individual choice than in conformith. But finally, rules and regulations have won out over human nature. They have brought us the society we have today. Thank you law makers!
Whew, what a relief.
Just look ahead to the shining legacy we leave for our children and grandchildren. They will thank us... right..?
