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Americans are
engaged
in
a fearful infernal
arms roce.
lncreasing
numbers
of indi–
viduals are buying watch–
dogs,
hiring uniformed,
armed guards, and sur–
rounding themselves with
electronic devices to protect
themselves against crimi–
nals
and
revolutionaries.
WHY this 11 1-need-protec–
tion11 frend in the U.
S.?
WHERE is it leading?
by
Jerry W. Webb
F
IREARMS
have always been a part of
American life. The armed citizen
soldier in 1776 was the country's
first line of defense.
The Founding Fathers of America,
believing that despots could never gain
control over an armed populace, pre–
served in the American Constitution the
right of the individual to keep and bear
arms. The famous Kentucky long rifle
trailblazed the wild frontier. The Win–
chester repeater valiantly "won the
West." And the deadly Colt 45 "made
men equal."
America's Interna! Arms Race
The soaring incidents of crime and
violence are causing many people to
111m
back
to that old remedy of a per–
sonal "shooting iron." W ith crime rates
rising, people losing confidence in
police protection, and civil disorders
threatening, the U. S. A. is fast again
becoming a pistol-packin', gun-totin'
society!
The issue at stake is
NOT
whether a
person should own a pistol or rifle. The
issue wh ich worries law enforcement
officials
ÍS
the
IMPROPER USE
of the
firearm - either in offense by criminals
or defense by aroused citizens.
The "Gun" Craze
American citizens privately own more
than 100 millíon pistols, shotguns and
rifles - perhaps as many as 200 mil–
lion. Another 3,000,000 fi rearms are
Wide Wor ld