[SEL] OHS gone mad

[John Culp]

> But what I cant understand is why in the state of Texas I would need 
> to own an anti tank gun? or and M16 full auto can someone please 
> explain this to me?

You don't "need" to own that side by side shotgun, or a bow, or an 
engine, but you want to. There are people who own (having gone through 
intensive government investigation and paid heavy taxation to do so) 
arms like you mention, because they're fascinated with them and play 
with them like we do our old engines. They're not hurting anyone. 
Contrary to some myths, it's been pretty hard to legally own such 
things as fully automatic weapons, short barrelled shotguns or rifles, 
or "destructive devices" such as antitank weapons in the U.S. since 
1934.

But why should folks who aren't going to misuse them be forbidden from 
having them? The same question applies to all other categories of 
weaponry, including so-called "assault weapons" with semiautomatic 
actions and ugly black plastic stocks.

John Culp
Bristol, Tennessee, USA