
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 8, 1990                   TAG: 9004090254
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: F-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

NEXT, OUTCRY TO BAN GASOLINE SALES?

IN THE AFTERMATH of the latest mass murder in New York, what will be done to prevent its happening again? This atrocity was not committed with an "assault rifle," a handgun, or even a shotgun; it required only a dollar's worth of gas and criminal intent.

Will there be an outcry from the hysterical public and media to ban the sale of gasoline, or establish a waiting period for its purchase pending a background check? The statement that firearms are only for killing people is no more true than saying gasoline is refined primarily to incinerate human beings. The 87 innocent lives lost in this tragedy far outnumber the casualties from any of the past mass shootings with "assault rifles."

Are we to believe the anti-gunners' cry that elimination of firearms will eliminate such occurrences? Only by strict punishment of criminals and elimination of revolving-door justice will we slow the assault on the innocent citizens of this country. It is becoming increasingly important that all people take some responsibility for their own well-being by learning the safe use of firearms as defensive weapons. REGAN C. UNDERWOOD PILOT

by CNB