Casey's arguments on gun control misrepresent facts, fail to persuade

I was dismayed by the poorly written and inaccurate column entitled, "Observing Patriots' Day" by Jackie Casey appearing in Tuesday's Wildcat. The column failed to produce a coherent argument, misrepresented numerous facts, and altogether failed in its purpose to persuade.

One of the most glaring problems was Casey's description of the standoff in Waco, in which Casey depicts our government gassing and burning 24 children because it did not "approve" of their religion. First of all, the standoff was more likely a result of our government not "approving" of being fired upon by heavily armed civilians. Secondly, it is absurd to believe that the government was responsible for burning down the compound. The law enforcement officials involved had absolutely no motive to cause an outcome that would produce so many criticisms and accusations of incompetence.

When Casey finally begins discussing the point of her paper, the reader is still recovering from a meandering discussion of the military strategies and tactics used during the Revolutionary War. Casey attempts to show some connection between the ethnic cleansing policies of Nazi Germany and a Tucson ordinance banning guns in public parks. That is quite a stretch. Why not stretch it further and compare laws requiring one to stop at stoplights to the grim, totalitarian society conveyed in Orwell's 1984? The point is, Casey, that you have no point.

The issue of gun control is of great importance to me. It's a serious issue and requires serious discussion. I have heard many convincing arguments that oppose gun control. For the sake of those who wish to make credible statements both for and against gun control, I implore the Wildcat to clear the space that Casey's meaningless dribble of a column is taking and to give it to real writers.

By Andrew McClory (letter)
Arizona Daily Wildcat
April 21, 1997