[Drjones]

Just thought I'd share. Haven't sent it in just yet.

I'll wait for a few comments from you folks.

Keep in mind they limit letters to 200 words.

Thanks
Drjones



Diane Feinstein is the LAST person anyone should listen to about firearms. She is a thorough hypocrite; Mrs. Feinstein is one of precious few Californians to possess a permit to carry a concealed handgun. This means that at practically any moment that she is out denouncing, demonizing, and banning guns, she very well could be carrying one! Surprising, isn’t it?

Mrs. Feinstein very obviously understands the value of firearms as a defensive tool, yet she constantly seeks to deny this same tool to law-abiding American citizens, even in the face of terrorism. But “assault weapons” as a defensive tool, you ask? Recall the LA Riots of 1992; Korean shop owners who stood on the roof of their stores with AK-47’s (which were legal to own at the time) deterred people from looting and burning their stores. The stores that were defended with “assault weapons” or some other firearm were the only ones left untouched.

A question all you readers should ask yourself is; “Since Senator Feinstein so thoroughly understands the value of firearms, why should she be allowed to own and carry guns, but not you, a law-abiding citizen?”


Signed,
My real name

[David Roberson]

Short and to the point -- the most important qualities of a letter to the editor.

My suggestion: I don't think the store owners were carrying actual full-auto AK-47s; more likely their guns were AKMs or some other semiauto variant that was legal at the time. Fix that technical error and I think you're good to go.

Cheers,
DR

[Drjones]

Thanks for the kind words, but I never said anything about the AK's being full auto.

[4v50 Gary]

Shorter Dr Jones. Make your letters shorter if you want it published.

[BowStreetRunner]

she did have a CCW but i heard she doesnt anymore(? anyone know for sure?)....not sure if that makes a diff though....she is still a raging hypocrite
BSR

[David Roberson]

Doc, all AK-47s are full auto, whether you said so or not. Semi-auto versions are AKMs or other variants of the original AK design. If being accurate doesn't matter to you, then leave your letter as it is. I was simply trying to respond to your request for comments.

[Drjones]

Oh.

Well, that is my mistake.

Thanks for the clarification!

[dinosaur]

I think someone posted that she got herself appointed a Deputy U.S. Marshal.

Whether she still carries or not anymore is a moot point. The right to carry is also a right not to.

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Doc, all AK-47s are full auto, whether you said so or not. Semi-auto versions are AKMs or other variants of the original AK design.

No, this is not correct. AK-47 is the designation of the original 1947 model (Avtomat Kalashnikova - 47 or Kalashnikov's Automatic 1947). AKM is simply a product improved version and is also fully automatic. AKM stands for Avtomat Kalashnikova Modernizirovannyj - Kalashnikov's Modernized Automatic.

For all practical purposes there is no "official" name for semi-automatic AKs similar to the AR15/M16 series of weapons.

I like the letter fine and would not try to distinguish between full-auto and semi-auto AKs in your letter as it will needlessly complicate the nice, clean single point you are making and lengthen the letter unneccesarily.

[Standing Wolf]

Your comments are good.

The plural of AK-47 is AK-47s, not AK-47's. Plurals are never made with apostrophes.

[telomerase]

The letter is great, but Standing Wolf is right about correct plurals.

And "AK-47" is as understandable as you can be without adding a long irrelevant sidebar on semi- vs. full auto, blahblahblah. We weren't close enough to examine the select switches, so forget it.

[David Roberson]

I still question why anyone would want to claim that shopkeepers were running around with machine guns to to protect their stores. If our side is going to make false statements in letters to the editor, we can hardly complain when the antis do also.

The sentence could say "AK rifles" and be factually correct and less potentially inflammatory, and without adding an irrelevant sidebar. Again, it's not my letter, and I understand that others may not care about being accurate.

Bartholomew, I realize that there are full-auto AKMs, but as far as I know, the majority (perhaps all) the Chinese-made ones imported and sold in this country were semiauto. I know that the one I bought is.

[jimpeel]

Change the offending sentence from: Korean shop owners who stood on the roof of their stores with AK-47’s (which were legal to own at the time) deterred people from looting and burning their stores. to Korean shop owners who stood on the roof of their stores with assault rifles deterred people from looting and burning their stores.

Dump the quotation marks from the use of the words "assault rifles" as they give the impression of snidness to the casual reader.

Other than that, go with it as written.

[David Roberson]

Well, this horse might not be dead yet, so let's whack him a few more times.

Jimpeel, I disagree. I think it would better to call them "AK rifles" and to include the clause about them being legal at the time, since it emphasizes the fact that this type of self-defense is now prohibited in Kalifornia.. And I don't think they should be called assault rifles (without quotes) since we all know that semiauto guns aren't really assault rifles, although the antis like to protray them as such to increase hysteria. Why should we play along with them?

Doc, aren't you sorry now that you asked for comment?

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

"AK rifles" or "carbine-type rifles."

Also, lemme take a pass at the all-important first sentence:

Diane Feinstein has zero credibility on the right of the people to defend their own lives. Mrs. Feinstein is one of precious few Californians who has a permit to carry a concealed handgun, but she does not want any of her subjects to enjoy the same privilege.
- pdmoderator

[C.R.Sam]

How bout just plain... Rifles ?

Sam

[jimpeel]

Ninty-eight percent of those reading this letter will not be members of our choir!

They won't know the difference between a carbine and a Mannlicher.

They won't know the difference between an AK and an SK.

They won't know the difference between a semi-auto and a full auto.

They won't know the difference between a bolt action and a lever action.

They won't know the difference between a center fire and a rimfire.

They won't know the difference between a polymer stock and a wooden stock.

Worst of all, many of them won't know the difference between the truth and a lie.

Keep it simple, non-technical, and convincing. We win them over one at a time.

[Drjones]

Jimpeel nailed it in his last reply.

Guys, what I was trying to do is this:

The public knows what AKs are; "evil baby-killing machineguns." It would not be possible to properly inform the public about semi versus full-auto, what is and isn't CA-legal, etc. without writing a full-blown article. Even then most people would probably be confused.

I just wanted to demostrate that these objects, which have been demonized to appear worse than rapists and child molesters, do in fact have a purpose and can be put to good use.

That is the point I was trying to make.

Again, my local paper limits letters to the ed to 200 words. The letter I posted was barely under that limit, so I simply did not have room for even a cursory description of the actual guns and differences between semi and full-auto, etc.

Thanks for the comments....I think.... ;)

[Drjones]

Oh, and I recieved an email notification that my letter will be published within the next 10 days or so. :)

[alan]

Good letter.

If I might make so bold, try the following re your reference to self protection by Korean shop keepers. "..armed with semi-automatic rifles, incorrectly described by some as "assault rifles".

[Quartus]

Plurals are never made with apostrophes.


:confused: Shouldn't that be, "apostrophe's"???


:D


Doc, I like the letter, and I agree with jimpeel's suggestions. Why not post the letter as you sent it, and then follow up with the letter AS THY PRINTED IT?


Should be interesting...

[Drjones]

Quartus: Letter as sent by me posted in my first post.

Letter as they will print it:

Dianne Feinstein is the LAST person anyone should listen to about firearms. She is a thorough hypocrite. Feinstein is one of precious few Californians to possess a permit to carry a concealed handgun. This means that at practically any moment that she is out denouncing, demonizing and banning guns, she very well could be carrying one! Surprising, isn't it?

Feinstein very obviously understands the value of firearms as a defensive tool, yet she constantly seeks to deny this same tool to law-abiding American citizens, even in the face of terrorism.

But "assault weapons" as a defensive tool, you ask? Recall the Los Angeles riots of 1992; Korean shop owners who stood on the roof of their stores with AK-47s (which were legal to own at the time) deterred people from looting and burning their stores. The stores that were defended with "assault weapons" or some other firearm were the only ones left untouched.

Since Feinstein so thoroughly understands the value of firearms, why should she be allowed to own and carry guns, but not law-abiding citizens?

[Sactown]

I will look for your editorial in the liberal Bee rag, if that's the correct paper.

[DrPsycho]

Wow, good job Doctor. :)

[Drjones]

Yep, that's the right rag, sactown.