Mikul
Member
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/opinion/local1/10784583.htm?1c
(Emphasis Mine)
David Bookstaber's prescription for safe streets ("The state's firearms law hampers self-defense," Jan. 10) was as ridiculous as it was uninformed.
In the first place, he made little sense taking our gun laws to task for supposedly hampering self-defense, while referring to the shooting of a rapist by the potential victim's husband. The fact that the husband will not face prosecution disproves Bookstaber's case.
Bookstaber pointed to Philadelphia as a shining light because folks there can carry concealed handguns, thereby, he claims, discouraging violent crime. How did he miss the rash of shootings of children besetting Philly of late? The fact is that Philly is one of America's most vibrant gun black markets, fueled in part by dishonest concealed-carry permit holders who buy guns in bulk and sell them to traffickers.
Pennsylvania's lax gun laws have enabled the growth of the illegal gun distribution system in Philly, which reaches across the Ben Franklin Bridge to Camden, helping lead to its designation as "America's Most Dangerous City."
The "theory" behind the whinings of pro-gunners is that an armed society is a polite and safer society. If that were true, the United States would be the safest from violent crime and gun violence. Instead, it has, along with the highest rate of gun ownership among developed countries, a rate of gun violence many times higher than its fellows.
No, New Jerseyans prefer our gun laws. After all, it is no coincidence that our state's per-capita rate of gun violence is among the lowest in the country, much lower than the "beacon" of Pennsylvania.
Bryan Miller
Executive director
Ceasefire New Jersey
(Emphasis Mine)
David Bookstaber's prescription for safe streets ("The state's firearms law hampers self-defense," Jan. 10) was as ridiculous as it was uninformed.
In the first place, he made little sense taking our gun laws to task for supposedly hampering self-defense, while referring to the shooting of a rapist by the potential victim's husband. The fact that the husband will not face prosecution disproves Bookstaber's case.
Bookstaber pointed to Philadelphia as a shining light because folks there can carry concealed handguns, thereby, he claims, discouraging violent crime. How did he miss the rash of shootings of children besetting Philly of late? The fact is that Philly is one of America's most vibrant gun black markets, fueled in part by dishonest concealed-carry permit holders who buy guns in bulk and sell them to traffickers.
Pennsylvania's lax gun laws have enabled the growth of the illegal gun distribution system in Philly, which reaches across the Ben Franklin Bridge to Camden, helping lead to its designation as "America's Most Dangerous City."
The "theory" behind the whinings of pro-gunners is that an armed society is a polite and safer society. If that were true, the United States would be the safest from violent crime and gun violence. Instead, it has, along with the highest rate of gun ownership among developed countries, a rate of gun violence many times higher than its fellows.
No, New Jerseyans prefer our gun laws. After all, it is no coincidence that our state's per-capita rate of gun violence is among the lowest in the country, much lower than the "beacon" of Pennsylvania.
Bryan Miller
Executive director
Ceasefire New Jersey