R: Colorado - Seen from abroad

["Oddone Virginio" <oddovir@xxxxxxxxx>]

To Jim Foster.

I'm a physician with a specialisation in forensic medicine. I've been
called in by the Judiciary in some tough cases, even at the times of the
Red Brigades terrorism; I once had to face a father, in his home, who aimed
his Colt at my navel. I never had, nor asked for, a gun permit; neither do
the majority of my medico-legal colleagues, or my friends, or the parents
of my children friends, or my relative. I do not feel being less "free" for
this. 

As for the Kosovars, they were all armed, with handgus, shootguns, because
in that area everybody has something at hand. Of course it helped a lot
against tanks, mortars, heavy artillery and the rest.

At any rate, if you go to the excellent international statistics provided
by the US Census Bureau, you will be able to analyze by yourself the
statistical differences between US and many other countries. It is worth
noting that Italy has usually - and unfortunately - the SECOND PLACE after
the US in terms of overall murder rate, all ages included, in the G7 group
(the situation dosn't change when you bring in the picture also the other
western european countries). This happens because we are, unfortunately and
for our great shame, the "inventors" of Mafia and similar criminal
organizations (the 'Ndrangheta from Calabria, the "Sacra Corona Unita" from
Puglia), which we exported to the US, to Australia etc.. Yet, we kill much
less children. My problem are: why? how? what hidden prices are paid by
both, the "high-killing countries" and the "low-killing countries"?

To me, violence is not only numbers, questionnaires or evidence given in
some office; it is human flesh massacrated, people suffering and bleeding,
survivors crying desperately, the mourners in a rainy day, police watching
because the terrorists might strike again. I cannot, and will never, accept
one killing as a "trifle", or as an acceptable price.

Virginio

----------
> Da: Jim Foster <jfoster@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> A: Child Maltreatment Researchers  
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> Oggetto: Re: Colorado - Seen from abroad
> Data: gioved“ 29 aprile 1999 19.45
> 
> It's true that every once in a while some deranged person will go off and
> kill a few innocent people in the US.  I'll take this and freedom over
> "ethnic cleansing" in Europe any day.  Imagine if you will, how things
> might have been different in just 1/4 of the half-million or so Kosovar
> refugees had been armed?  But that didn't happen because the EU doesn't
> tolerate "gun violence".  Anyone willing to give up freedom for security
> deserves neither.
> 
> At 12:20 AM 4/29/99 +0200, you wrote:
> >Dear colleagues,
> >
> <SNIP>
> >
> >I would add that the american "gun craze" is there for something, in
that
> >it makes available to everybody, in every possibile corner of the
society,
> >not just the weapons, but also the know how needed to use efficiently
them,
> >even to build new ones. 
> >
> >Friendship from Italy
> >
> >Virginio
> 
> --
> James I. Foster Jr.                         jfoster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Information Technology Director, Silver Springs - Martin Luther School
> 512 West Township Line Road          http://www.voicenet.com/~silver01
> Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462-1099       610-825-4440, 610-825-7261 (FAX)