Comments about ‘Letters: Alcohol is a model for guns, too’

No one is even talking about banning the sale of guns, only certain types of guns. And yes, the state of Utah bans all kinds of alcoholic drinks in various situations.

Nobody is proposing a ban on all guns... but hey you might have a point. I mean look at all the regulations Utah puts on alcohol despite us having the "right" to it based on the 21st Amendment. Therefore there's nothing wrong with having regulations on guns. Background checks on all gun purchases (the likely legislative result) are not a threat to you... unless of course you would fail a background check and get guns through exploitation of things like the gunshow loophole.

Albert, nobody that has any real influence in government is proposing to ban the sale of all guns! The real debate is about assault weapons and high capacity magazines and mental health and whether we are all stupid enough to want armed teachers in classrooms. Am I missing something? Is the President or an influential Senator drafting legislation to prevent law abiding citizens from owning handguns or hunting rifles? Does this legislation have a snowball's chance of passing? Get over the paranoia!

Thanks for your letter Albert, comparing the circumstances of selling alcohol and selling guns. And thanks for what might be an unintended acknowledgement that both need regulation.

You rightfully point out that an outright ban on alcohol cannot be enforced as evidenced by past history. Just the same an outright ban on the sale of firearms could not and should not be put in place either. I know of no one who is proposing such an idea.

But just like alcohol, restrictioons can and should be placed on the sale of firearms.

We don't sell alcohol to minors. There are restrinctions on how late a bar can be open. In most states the sale of alcohol is regulated by the state with only certain outlets allowed to sell it. I am certain there are other restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol that I am not aware of but that probably annoy those who do drink.

And so let's look at some common sense resprictions that will not infringe on the Constitutional rights of law abiding citizens but that might have a chance to curb the violence that too often plagues our communities.

Why don't we throw in Tobacco & create a Federal Law Enforcement agency?

This "argument" is becoming awfully tiresome.

OK the Albert --

Using your metaphor --

We can expect YOU to agee with us and count on your support for,
severly restricted, controlled and regulated sales,
and much much hasher punishments in the event of "accidents".

Might I also suggest --

a State Gun Store,
Back ground checks,
100% Photo-I.D.,
Registration of all sales,
Limiting the size and amoint of ammo purchased,
Random search and seizures on everyone.

But somehow --
I'm quite certain your world is one full of double-standards and hypocrisy.

I wish alcohol was as freely available and so well defended as guns. If we'd loosen up a bit, maybe we wouldn't be interested in killing each other so much. Beer, not guns, is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy. I know this isn't a Franklin quote as is often attributed, but it is great nonetheless.

There are arguments for gun restrictions, and then there are......no arguments against them, only virulence.

I'm so tired of all these false analogies in this debate.

Thank you Emajor for adding the words "of real influence" because Roland and atl are flat out wrong. I have personally heard MANY anti gun folks saying that we need to Repeal the 2nd amendment and Get RID of ALL GUNS.

Hopefully those "of real influence" will never seek to ban all guns. Society should not elect such people to influential offices.

When I hear someone wanting to ban all guns, I wonder what illicit plans they have and don't want to have to meet any defenses.

And driving at 0.0795 % blood-alcohol isn't considered driving drunk either.
This isn't an all-or-nothing proposal people!

Get over it.

Restrict it,
Regulate it,
and enforce it.

since no one with any power to carry it out is trying to ban the sell of all guns we can set that aside but I think the letter otherwise maybe on to something. Maybe we should require that that stores only be allowed to sell 22 caliber rifles in the store and that anything lager must be sold only at a state owned store like we do alcohol. Certainly the letter writer must also support the man on clips larger then 8 rounds since that also falls nicely in line with current restrictions on the size of alcoholic drink hat can be sold in UtaH. perhaps we should also make sure that guns are never visible to children in public and that a person not have more then one gun in their possession at a time. I am kind of liking this idea of having gun laws reflect alcohol laws.

To Christian 24-7: I actually support gun rights. I just don't think a few minor restrictions will limit anyone's freedom. If anyone from the government ever came to confiscate your guns, I would be on your side. I just think the chances of that happening are zero.

Open minded Mormon, I'd be much more in favor of enforcement than regulate and restrict. I love letters so sarcastic that the liberals freak. Makes for fun reading.

hey Tolstoy, a little info for you that you may have missed.

I'd be just happy as a clam with your proposal since my AR-15 is a .22 Caliber weapon. To be specific .223 caliber which is 1/1000th of an inch bigger than most .22 long rifle bullets. Besides, you take a bullet out and measure the diameter, you won't find any appreciable difference in the diameter of the bullet from your beloved .22 long rifle. The caliber has nothing to do with the size of the container carrying the gun powder.

Don't thank me for this bit of education for you. I was happy to provide this service to you.

@flaashback
thanks for the education even though you did not ask for it. the turth is I actually do not support restricting gun rights the way we do alcohol, in fact much of what is being proposed gives me great pause, however, I am really tired of these very labored comparisons with other behaviors. why cant we have a rational discussion about guns without trying to pull in every ridiculous thing in the world?

Tolstoy, the only rational discussions about guns should be enhancement of criminal penalties and manditory sentances when fire arms are used, or the threat of use, that are so severe that some criminals will think twice about even having one. Utah's current law is, use or threat of the use gets a 0 to 5 enhancement come sentencing time. That is the felony equivalent of a slap on the wrist and most judges make it run concurrent to any other conviction anyway. It's a feel good law that is either abused or just plain plea bargined out of existence.

What needs to happen is, the bad guy either uses any weapon or threat to use that weapon, automatically gets a 20 year, non-pleabarginable sentance upon conviction that is consecutive and after any other felony conviction.

That is the only rational discussion about weapons that we should have, and we should leave law abiding citizens alone. The rational discussion about what to do with mentally ill people is a very slippery slope that we should tread carefully on. New York's recent law is prime example about that where it applies to mental illness.

@flashback
that's a far more rational place to start a conversation which I think is Tolstoys point? I do have a concern though. what about the issues we have run into with mandatory sentencing in the past? what about the fact that it also did nothing to stem crime?

I do not presume to have all the answers or many at all as a matter of fact but I think it is good you are trying to make rational suggestions and that we be able to have a rational and civil discussion on the matter.

This is actually a good point. How many of you have made fun of the restrictive Utah alcohol laws. I have and I don't drink.

However, alcohol contributes to more deaths, domestic abuse and rape than any other substance. I see this everday in the ER, where I work. So let's not prohibit alcohol, but let's restrict the hard stuff. No sales of any of the hard liquors. You can get drunk or a buzz or whatever you intend with beer. We also can allow wine. But we will restrict that hard stuff. Why do you need it? You can get drunk with the other two.