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Fri, 12 Apr 2002 21:34:03 -0700

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Dear Mr. Armstrong-

Okay, Pal, now you've done it.....

You've stomped most egregiously on my guns and ammo nerve, so you will =
hold still a moment while I give you both barrels, metaphorically =
speaking of course.

My career as a Medic here in Texas spans over 20 years and has had a =
wonderful mix of big city, back woods, west Texas and my home, the =
Coastal plain. Having traveled widely, both US and abroad, I have =
experienced my share of violence of all stripes.

I will make the following anecdotal statements and leave it to you and =
the rest of the "ban the guns, ban the violence" morons to refute them =
as best you can:

More fatal wounds have been inflicted by alcohol and motor vehicles in a =
single year than all the gun related deaths in the last decade, and this =
substance (ETOH) is more heavily taxed than tobacco or gasoline with no =
appreciable effect on the number of deaths.

And last time I looked at any morbidity / mortality charts, heart =
disease was #1 on the hit parade, making cholesterol far more lethal =
than bullets.

Living in the state with more guns than any other, more carry permits =
than any other and the worst press reputation for gun violence of all, I =
am still far more likely to be killed by a drunk at the wheel than by my =
own or my neighbors or some strangers gun.

So don't do me any favors, Bubba.  Find some other feel good, warm fuzzy =
crap to support, and leave my damn guns and ammo out of it.   I will =
continue to carry my already heavily taxed scary ol' handgun with me =
when I travel to my job, when visit the beach, when I roam around the =
state to see the sights and any other damn time I see fit.  I have =
submitted to an extensive background check that verges on an anal exam, =
paid a  hefty fee for the privilege of having my personal history =
examined in minute detail, stood the test at a firing range and accept =
the responsibility of making life and death decisions behind the trigger =
just as I continually do behind the wheel of my car, or in the back of =
my ambulance.

If the presence of all these darn guns is so upsetting to you, I will =
make my own meager monetary contribution to a fund to provide for your =
swift transport to a the local of your choice, as long as it is outside =
of the borders of TEXAS, preferably somewhere with truly draconian gun =
laws such as Washington DC, New York City, or Los Angeles.  Or perhaps =
the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts will appeal to you.  Just be sure =
to leave your personal weapons with the nearest Department of Public =
Safety officer as you leave, I would hate for to carry this contagion =
with you.

Warms Regards and Fond Farewells-

T.A. Dinerman EMTP

----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Barry Armstrong=20
  To: trauma-list@trauma.org=20
  Sent: Friday, April 12, 2002 6:47 PM
  Subject: RE: Taxing Bullets

  Caesar:

  The idea is an old one and a good one.=20

  USA TODAY Update
  Oct. 26, 1992
  Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network
    =20
  BULLET TAX PROPOSED:
     A tax on bullets could pay for the health crisis created by the
  widespread availability of guns, doctors told a Senate panel
  Friday. Violent injuries add about $5.3 billion to the U.S.
  health-care tab - mainly to the cost of high-cost emergency care,
  says American Medical Association trustee Robert McAfee, a
  Portland, Maine, surgeon.

  Senator Daniel P. Moynihan supported the proposal for McAfee.  =
Moynihan advocated using the proceeds to fund a research centre, to =
study the causes and effects of gun-related violence.  The National =
Rifle Association was opposed.

  Barry Armstrong=20

  -----Original Message-----
  From: caesar ursic
  Subject: Taxing Bullets

  Esteemed colleagues:
  Tomorrow (Friday), California State Senator Don Perata
  will hold a press conference here in Oakland to
  introduce a proposal to tax the sale of bullets.
  Revenues from the tax would be disbursed among state
  trauma centers to help cover the costs of trauma care.

  The basic premise of Perata's proposal is:
  "...gunshots are among the most expensive injuries to
  treat...most victims are non-insured...a majority of
  trauma centers take a financial loss to serve the
  trauma needs of their communities...gunshots are a
  preventable cost to society...taxing bullets will help
  offset this cost..."

  If approved by the California State Legislature, the
  measure would require voter approval in November of
  this year.  Where it would go from there if the voters
  make it law is anybody's guess, but as they say.."as
  does California, so eventually does the rest of the
  country..."  (I apologize to all the non -US list
  participants, as this post may not really be relevant
  outside the US - or maybe it is...)

  So my question to you all is:
  How many of you agree with this proposal, and why?=20
  Would you be willing to support it if and when it
  became an issue in your state or community?

  Please do NOT turn this into another Second Amendment
  discussion.  Keep it relevant to healthcare and what
  you see as best for your patients.  Is a bullet tax a
  viable option?
  Thanks.

  Caesar M. Ursic, M.D.

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<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">Dear Mr. Armstrong-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">Okay, Pal, now you've done =
it.....</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">You've stomped most egregiously on my =
guns and=20
ammo nerve, so you will hold still a moment while I give you both =
barrels,=20
metaphorically speaking of course.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">My career as a Medic here in Texas=20
spans&nbsp;over 20 years and has had a wonderful mix of big city, back =
woods,=20
west Texas and my home, the Coastal plain. Having traveled widely, both =
US and=20
abroad, I have experienced my share of violence of all =
stripes.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">I will make the following anecdotal =
statements=20
and leave it to you and the rest of the "ban the guns, ban the violence" =
morons=20
to refute&nbsp;them as best you can:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">More fatal wounds have been inflicted =
by alcohol=20
and motor vehicles in a single year than all the gun related deaths in =
the last=20
decade, and this substance (ETOH) is more heavily taxed than tobacco or =
gasoline=20
with no appreciable effect on the number of deaths.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">And last time I looked at any =
morbidity /=20
mortality charts, heart disease was #1 on the hit parade, making =
cholesterol far=20
more lethal than bullets.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">Living in the state with more guns =
than any=20
other, more carry permits than any other and the worst press reputation =
for gun=20
violence of all, I am still far more likely to be killed by a drunk at =
the wheel=20
than by my own or my neighbors or some strangers gun.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">So don't do me any favors, =
Bubba.&nbsp; Find=20
some other feel good, warm fuzzy crap to support, and leave my damn guns =
and=20
ammo out of it.&nbsp;&nbsp; I will continue to carry my already heavily =
taxed=20
scary ol' handgun with me when I travel to my job, when visit the beach, =
when I=20
roam around the state to see the sights and any other damn time I see =
fit.&nbsp;=20
I have submitted to an extensive background check that verges on an anal =
exam,=20
paid a&nbsp; hefty fee for the privilege of having my personal history =
examined=20
in minute detail, stood the test at a firing range <U>and accept the=20
responsibility of making life and death decisions behind the trigger =
just as I=20
continually do behind the wheel of my car, or in the back of my=20
ambulance</U>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">If the presence of all these darn guns =
is so=20
upsetting to you, I will make my own meager monetary contribution to a =
fund to=20
provide for your swift transport to a the&nbsp;local of your choice, as =
long as=20
it is outside of the borders of TEXAS, preferably somewhere with truly =
draconian=20
gun laws such as Washington DC, New York City, or Los Angeles.&nbsp; Or =
perhaps=20
the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts will appeal to you.&nbsp; Just be =
sure to=20
leave your personal weapons&nbsp;with the nearest Department of Public =
Safety=20
officer as you leave, I would hate for to carry this contagion with=20
you.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">Warms Regards and Fond =
Farewells-</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS">T.A. Dinerman EMTP</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3D"Comic Sans MS"></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr=20
style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; =
BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
  <DIV=20
  style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: =
black"><B>From:</B>=20
  <A title=3Ddocbear@sympatico.ca =
href=3D"mailto:docbear@sympatico.ca">Barry=20
  Armstrong</A> </DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A =
title=3Dtrauma-list@trauma.org=20
  href=3D"mailto:trauma-list@trauma.org">trauma-list@trauma.org</A> =
</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, April 12, 2002 =
6:47=20
PM</DIV>
  <DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> RE: Taxing =
Bullets</DIV>
  <DIV><BR></DIV>
  <P><FONT size=3D2><FONT face=3DArial>Caesar:<BR><BR>The idea is an old =
one and a=20
  good one.&nbsp;<BR></FONT><BR></FONT><FONT color=3D#0000ff =
size=3D2>USA TODAY=20
  Update<BR>Oct. 26, 1992<BR>Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National =
Information=20
  Network<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<BR>BULLET TAX PROPOSED:<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp; =
A tax on=20
  bullets could pay for the health crisis created by the<BR>widespread=20
  availability of guns, doctors told a Senate panel<BR>Friday. Violent =
injuries=20
  add about $5.3 billion to the U.S.<BR>health-care tab - mainly to the =
cost of=20
  high-cost emergency care,<BR>says American Medical Association trustee =
Robert=20
  McAfee, a<BR>Portland, Maine, surgeon.</FONT></P>
  <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Senator Daniel P. Moynihan supported =
the proposal=20
  for McAfee.&nbsp; Moynihan advocated using the proceeds to fund a =
research=20
  centre, to study the causes and effects of gun-related violence.&nbsp; =
The=20
  National Rifle Association was opposed.</FONT></P>
  <P><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Barry Armstrong </FONT></P>
  <P><FONT size=3D+0><FONT size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR>From:=20
  </FONT></FONT><FONT size=3D2>caesar ursic<BR></FONT><FONT =
size=3D2>Subject: Taxing=20
  Bullets<BR><BR><BR>Esteemed colleagues:<BR>Tomorrow (Friday), =
California State=20
  Senator Don Perata<BR>will hold a press conference here in Oakland=20
  to<BR>introduce a proposal to tax the sale of bullets.<BR>Revenues =
from the=20
  tax would be disbursed among state<BR>trauma centers to help cover the =
costs=20
  of trauma care.<BR><BR>The basic premise of Perata's proposal=20
  is:<BR>"...gunshots are among the most expensive injuries =
to<BR>treat...most=20
  victims are non-insured...a majority of<BR>trauma centers take a =
financial=20
  loss to serve the<BR>trauma needs of their communities...gunshots are=20
  a<BR>preventable cost to society...taxing bullets will help<BR>offset =
this=20
  cost..."<BR><BR>If approved by the California State Legislature,=20
  the<BR>measure would require voter approval in November of<BR>this =
year.&nbsp;=20
  Where it would go from there if the voters<BR>make it law is anybody's =
guess,=20
  but as they say.."as<BR>does California, so eventually does the rest =
of=20
  the<BR>country..."&nbsp; (I apologize to all the non -US =
list<BR>participants,=20
  as this post may not really be relevant<BR>outside the US - or maybe =
it=20
  is...)<BR><BR>So my question to you all is:<BR>How many of you agree =
with this=20
  proposal, and why?&nbsp;<BR>Would you be willing to support it if and =
when=20
  it<BR>became an issue in your state or community?<BR><BR>Please do NOT =
turn=20
  this into another Second Amendment<BR>discussion.&nbsp; Keep it =
relevant to=20
  healthcare and what<BR>you see as best for your patients.&nbsp; Is a =
bullet=20
  tax a<BR>viable option?<BR>Thanks.<BR><BR>Caesar M. Ursic,=20
M.D.<BR></FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>

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