Basic HTML Version
20
The
PLAIN TRUTH
Wide World
STOCKPILING OF WEAPONS -
Treasury agents and deputy sheriff show
Jorge ca che of conf isca ted automat ic weapons and explosives.
bought each year. The American Mili–
tary has, by contrast, only 4.8 million in
light arms.
From cities around the natioo come
reports of householders "arming them–
selves to the teeth" in Cincinnatí, of
gun sales "rocketing" in Baltimore, of
handgun ammunition "almost impos–
sible to buy" because of heavy demand
in Milwaukee, of "traffic in weapons
doubling in decade" in Cal ifornia, of
"everybody's buying guns" in Reno,
of "dealers have sold enough guns
to equip an army of 56,000" in
Massachusetts.
As onc Los Angeles businessman put
it,
"If
something happens,
J
want to be
ready !"
PLAIN TRUTH reportees asked Inspec–
tor O'Mahoney of the San Francisco
Police Department, "What reason do
people give for buying a gun
?"
H
is
answer was, "for the majority of the
people it's
home
protection."
A frighteni ng tnmd.
We are cntering a new phase of
American life - an era of
tlrmed home
fortresses,
"impenetrable retreats" for
self-protection from a frightening out–
side world.
People are "running scared," Los
Angeles Police Oepartment Detective
Al Ferrone commented of Southern Cal–
ifornians. They fear increasing violence,
attacks on police, civil disruptioos, mili–
tant groups who are arming. Most of
all, they fear
crime.
This cloud of fear and suspicion
hangs over many Americans. The reality
of crime, the reports of mounting crime,
and the
c/oseneJS
of crime have eroded
our basic qua lity of life!
Findings of the President's Crime
Commission indicate that one third of
all Americans feel it's uusafc at night in
110
100
February 1971
BURGLA
IS
RISING
8~
TIME
FASTER THAN-+-–
TION
1960 61
62
63 64
65
66
61
68
69
their
otm
neighborhood. More than one
third keep guas in the house for protec–
tion against criminals. And 28 percent
keep watchdogs for the same reason.
This universal fear of violeot attacks
and vicious strangers has become a con–
stant companion. Add to it the cold
horror of injury or death io a brief
spasm of senseless violen<:e, and the
anxiety that police may not respond m
time.
A National Insecurity
Many police officers frankly adrnit
that people are no longer confident the
police can protect them. "You can't
dcny a man a gun because he wants to
protect his homc," said ooe police
inspector. "You can go out into parts of
this city (San Francisco) anytime, day
or night, and hear gunshots. People are
afraid, and they want to
be
able to pro–
tect themselves."
Around the country, handgun pro–
duction is soaring to meet the demands
from prívate citizens. One company in
New York is now making a half mi l-