STOP THE `SPIRITED' CRIME WAVE

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

DATE: TUESDAY, January 19, 1993                   TAG: 9301190321
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short
STOP THE `SPIRITED' CRIME WAVE
IN REFERENCE to the fairy tale about Virginia and how it is supplying the North with illegal guns:
Our part-time governor quotes a comic book and how he will distribute it to members of the General Assembly. I must admit that our sometimes-governor should be in a Batman comic; perhaps he could replace the Joker.
One handgun a month he proposes. I have a better idea: How about one-fifth of liquor a month per adult person? This would cut crime and social problems about 98 percent. I can speak from personal experience, having served as a police officer for 32 years. I would say that 98 percent of all crimes against the person started when that bottle of spirits was purchased from a local ABC store. Of course, the state would have to give up a big chunk of revenue to enact this restriction.
The survey of 815 Virginia residents who favor one handgun a month is misleading, and they do not speak for all of Virginia. I will wager that not one single person at a gun show, a rod-and-gun club, a skeet club or a Virginia pistol match was polled. JERRY RICE ROANOKE

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB