Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Rfiaister har Much has been said about gun control, but apparently not ! enough. Assuming that words can influence the behavior of rational humans, here are the statistics once again. Tn 1Q71 0r?r?nrHincT tn (ha Gtntn T 1 I *?? AVIV, UVVVI \u115 vv u*v uiait JLXIW i^nivi LClllCUl J Department's (SLED) Uniform Crime Report, 421 murders 1 were reported in South Carolina. Police estimate that more than half were committed with handguns. < Of these murders, 152 were crimes of passion within families, an increase from 148 in 1974. Polls by both Louis Harris and George Gallop in 1975 1 indicate that 67 to 77 per cent of the American people favor mandatory federal registration of handguns. Gun owners 1 themselves favor mandatory registration of handguns by 69 per cent, Harris reported to the Senate. Gun control will not end violent crime; unemployment; differing cultural values and social inequities provide too much cause for crime to end it any time soon; but if we don't start until handguns number 100 million instead of 40 million we will already have lost the battle to save lives. The legislature has responded partially to criticism of TheG LJ?E \JWi IHklMXS GAMEOOCl George Morris Editor Mickey TrimArchi Karen Nova Hditor Prtitnri*! Catherine Thrift GeneGaillard Bill Asst. News Editor Photo Editor Spor Mitch Alyco Ko/ma Bob King Sail Copy Desk Chief Ad Manager Asst. Sp Marguerite Ryan Susan Paquet Chuc Graduate Assistant Production Manager Entertai THE GAMECOCK welcomes letters from its readers. Letters should be limitec subject and a maximum of 300 words. They must be signed with the writer's Pseudonyms or other aliases will not be used, but the writer's name will be circumstances warrant. To assist us in verifying the identity of writers, pie your mailing address and a telephone number where you can be reached. Pie class standing and major, also. We reserve the right to edit all letters, not for < to meet our space limitations. Address: Campus Opinion, The Gamecock, , USC, Columbia, S.C. 2920B. idguns,owr kmth Carolina's gun laws. A bill in 1973 outlawed handguns vhose diecast frame would melt at 800 degrees Fahrenheit otherwise known as "Saturday Night Specials.") This telped, according to some gun shop owners, to get cheap juns off the market; cheap meaning under $100. Then in 1975 a bill was passed requiring handgun pur:hasers to fill out two forms. The forms include questions on ige, drug use, criminal record and mental competence. A itatement must be signed saying the person has not been tonvicted of a violent crime, is not a member of a sub rersive organization, has an honorable discharge from nilitary service, is not addicted to drugs and has not been ound unfit to have a gun by any court. Proof of South Carolina residence in the form of a driver's icense must be given. Then, if a person is 21, he may buy a >istol, if he is 18 he may buy a shotgun or rifle. The state form is sent immediately to SLED. The other is ;ent to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Vashington. SLED checks the information on the form for ruth, but by this time the buyer has the gun and possibly '? \ amecock minion i u JSj BAP NEWS-CAF |F OFFERED BET! Volunteers pre To the Kditor: ? Your assistance would be most appreciated, providing the means by which I can convey my g k student-volunteers who assisted the State DHE the Russell House last week. Without the ch students, both undergraduate and graduate, t pageaEdltor | have foundered. The entire methodolocv. the sea traffic pattern, all were a product of their , Baker ingenuity. Again, as Director of the Student is Editor speaking for the DHEC, I congratulate the stud all, for a job well done! Sherwood t Wilson arts Editors j<^ studer (Cromer . iment Editor, ! to a tingle | I I .ftipm hi thp o^itnr Ar ?inln??? ? < pwww- wv */ v? wiuiiiiio mgm Iithheid^t are the opinions of those authors and do se include position of The Gamecock. ?se include r r^tent, but Orawer A, v fJ . ? ______ lers killed someone. The 1975 bill included a law limiting purchases to one gun in 30 days. The waiting pericdof 10 days originally in the bill was taken out by the Senate. It would have been used to verify the eligibility of the purchaser before he took possession and to help prevent crimes of passion. These bills are not satisfactory. First, the number of handguns being produced and sold must be slowed down. W Second, we must register the handguns already owned and those subsequently purchased so that police will know who has what gun. The process need not be any more difficult than car registration. While registering handguns would not prevent criminals from getting them, the reduction in the number available would make it more difficult. Our right to bear arms is guaranteed, but that right must be exercised with responsibility. It is not now. As Martin Luther King said of Americans after the firearms death of his President, his son and his wife,"If we don't like you, we shoot you down." ^ Reviewer I supported (TeR TUST on Hair' "f A CABINET pAgT- Several times I have considered V 1 writing a letter to the editor, but in |a| y .. the end I never felt that it was y worth the time. However, after \J readinf .Tanp Shpalu'c lfltt?p in >-?? j|g|\ November 8th Gamecock, I felt I |?l|\ had to respond. ^ Although I read only parts of ? Terry Dugas' review of "Hair", Mr what I read I thought was perceptive. Having seen "Hair", I thought that his criticisms were J most valid. Either Ms. Shealy did r * r\ not read Mr. Dugas' article I carefully or else she just cannot |\| 1 accept criticism. From the tone of ||I I her letter, it seems to me to be the ?|| I latter. Ms. Shealy says that the Hir sentiments of the people she PL cnooses to quote should be # respected, yet she chooses not to respect Mr. Dugas' sentiments. Also, I must question Ms. / j Shealy's logic. She says she is not ( ?^~ J knowledgeable enough about the V fl0tiS?y theater to explain for herself why ^ she disagreed with Mr. Dugas' \ review. Yet she offers Karen Amos' statement that voices must be fashioned to fit the role and that "it takes a lot to develop a voice suited to the character . . ." as a reason why some of the actors did # | riA( hoitfl kninHfitl T lu ^ Iiui iiu vt i/cauiliui VUltca. i was JIS^3fj under the impression that the purpose of try-outs was to find the voices that suited the roles. , indeed invaluable, in Ms . Shea'y alJPears to <*luate ratitude to all the manv man-nours witn a superior ? C flu-vaccinc teams in Product llowevcr. iust because a eerful efforts of these cast and crew put in hundreds of entire effort would hours il doeslVt mean 0,81 the ting^ar!rangemente"the Pr?duct wi? be morc than concerted effort and me<il0l're : Health Service, and Lest one get the wrong idea, I ent-volunteers, one and mUst interject the fact that I personally found "Hair" to be a rather enjoyable performance. Ao HIKATA, in., M.D. However, there was certainly kt health CPnt??r L ' ? iuucii room ior improvement. ? v Finally, I hope the Gamecock continues to print reviews that are ieu by individuals actually reviews and doesn't resort ' not represent the to printing only what the cast and crew want to hear. PAULETTE II. ZIEGFELD ? S faculty wife