This is the text of a letter I wrote to the Vienna Times. It was published in the April 16 1998 issue, under the title "Irresponsible use of guns, drugs real issue".
Two letters in the April 2 issue address issues that bear addressing together.
On one hand, I agree with Gary A. Bentzen ("Letter backing gun ban lacks logic"). We have about 20,000 gun control laws in this country, and, to no sensible person's surprise, criminals ignore them -- just as they ignore the laws against the other crimes they commit. For many more reasons why gun control is Just Plain Wrong, see my web site, at http://www.davearonson.net/.
On the other hand, I also agree with Chuck Eby ("War on drugs like Prohibition"), a fellow Libertarian. Indeed, many people refer to it as Prohibition II.
All three cases (guns, alcohol, and other drugs) have been used as excuses to expand federal power vastly, at the expense of innocent people's rights. All three cases make it clear that people who are willing to break the law can get their hands on anything they want; this means huge profits for black-market racketeers, and thus turf wars.
In all three cases, it is not the possession, nor even the use, but the irresponsible use (such as using a gun to perpetrate a crime, or driving under the influence of alcohol or other drugs) that present any public danger, while the overwhelming majority of use poses no public danger whatsoever.
Both political "wings" have come to their senses with respect to alcohol. However, the left wing realizes the above points about drugs but insists guns are evil, while the right wing merely reverses the items. A pox on both their houses! We Libertarians are almost alone in being for freedom in both matters, and all others. For more information, see the Libertarian Party's web site at http://www.lp.org.
You shouldn't be surprised to read that I also agree with Melanie Lindstrom ("Pain medicine should be allowed in school"). However, I wish to point out that her issue wouldn't be an issue in the first place, were it not for Prohibition II.
David J. Aronson
Vienna, VA