Desertdog
Member
Lack of concealed carry only helps bad guys
By George Ott
http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/sep05/356947.asp
Two Wisconsin Republicans are planning to reintroduce legislation that would allow law-abiding citizens in Wisconsin to carry a concealed weapon for protection and self-defense. Similar legislation was narrowly defeated last year. Rep. Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford) and Sen. Dave Zien (R-Eau Claire) are working on the new measure.
With this news comes the renewed debate over the merits of allowing people to carry a concealed weapon for personal protection. The arguments on both sides aren't really new, but the logic used by the anti-gun lobby just doesn't make sense to me.
It is only fair that I state up front where I stand on guns. I have never owned a firearm of any kind and have no intention of ever doing so. I will not encourage my elected officials to support or oppose any legislation that allows Wisconsin residents to carry weapons.
My main problem with the anti-gun crowd is this: Any legislation banning or restricting the possession of firearms only ensures that the only people carrying weapons will be the bad guys. And the bad guys know it.
One of the arguments against concealed carry is that it would fill the streets with guns, resulting in increasing gun violence. I don't buy this, and the statistics don't bear this out. An FBI Uniform Crime Report concluded that "violent crime rates are highest in states with laws limiting or prohibiting the carrying of concealed firearms for self-defense."
We could have hundreds and hundreds of laws banning the possession of every kind of firearm, and there still would be gun violence. How? Criminals by their nature don't obey the law.
Wisconsin does not allow the carrying of concealed weapons. Does anyone really believe that gang members and drug dealers leave their guns at home because it is against the law to carry them?
Milwaukee's murder rate has skyrocketed this year, with 80% of the murders committed by people with guns. How did our current law not allowing concealed carry do anything to prevent those murders? It didn't. The perpetrators chose to break the law and carry a gun anyway. That is what criminals do.
Another argument against concealed carry and gun possession in general is that the gun is the root of all evil, not the person pulling the trigger. No gun has ever loaded itself, jumped off a table or out of a drawer and shot anyone. It takes someone with no regard for human life to point the gun and pull the trigger.
Those against legalizing concealed carry in Wisconsin are also concerned that there would be an outbreak of vigilante justice. Again, I don't see the logic in that argument. Thousands of Wisconsin residents already legally possess firearms but are not using them for the commission of crime. Why? Because they are not criminals.
I do not believe that by simply allowing these same, law-abiding citizens to leave their houses with a firearm that gun violence will increase. Will it decrease?
A Department of Justice report stated that "40% of incarcerated felons have claimed they decided against committing a crime for fear that their would-be victims would be armed." I would think that any level of deterrence would provide some peace of mind to those who live, work or travel in higher crime neighborhoods.
Law enforcement has come out against legalizing concealed carry because it means more armed citizens. Again, I hark back to my point that many citizens already possess the firearms that they would carry with them and, because they obey the law, are not inclined to use them for any reason other than self-defense.
Forty-six states allow some level of concealed carry. None of those states has reported waves of new gun violence. In fact, many find a modest reduction in gun violence because the bad guys don't know who is armed and who isn't. I could find none that was planning on reversing course and prohibiting concealed weapons.
Will concealed carry end gun violence? No. But I support it because good, law-abiding citizens should be allowed to protect themselves from those who choose to break the law.
George Ott of Franklin is a salesman for an industrial distributor in Waukesha. His e-mail address is [email protected]
By George Ott
http://www.jsonline.com/news/editorials/sep05/356947.asp
Two Wisconsin Republicans are planning to reintroduce legislation that would allow law-abiding citizens in Wisconsin to carry a concealed weapon for protection and self-defense. Similar legislation was narrowly defeated last year. Rep. Scott Gunderson (R-Waterford) and Sen. Dave Zien (R-Eau Claire) are working on the new measure.
With this news comes the renewed debate over the merits of allowing people to carry a concealed weapon for personal protection. The arguments on both sides aren't really new, but the logic used by the anti-gun lobby just doesn't make sense to me.
It is only fair that I state up front where I stand on guns. I have never owned a firearm of any kind and have no intention of ever doing so. I will not encourage my elected officials to support or oppose any legislation that allows Wisconsin residents to carry weapons.
My main problem with the anti-gun crowd is this: Any legislation banning or restricting the possession of firearms only ensures that the only people carrying weapons will be the bad guys. And the bad guys know it.
One of the arguments against concealed carry is that it would fill the streets with guns, resulting in increasing gun violence. I don't buy this, and the statistics don't bear this out. An FBI Uniform Crime Report concluded that "violent crime rates are highest in states with laws limiting or prohibiting the carrying of concealed firearms for self-defense."
We could have hundreds and hundreds of laws banning the possession of every kind of firearm, and there still would be gun violence. How? Criminals by their nature don't obey the law.
Wisconsin does not allow the carrying of concealed weapons. Does anyone really believe that gang members and drug dealers leave their guns at home because it is against the law to carry them?
Milwaukee's murder rate has skyrocketed this year, with 80% of the murders committed by people with guns. How did our current law not allowing concealed carry do anything to prevent those murders? It didn't. The perpetrators chose to break the law and carry a gun anyway. That is what criminals do.
Another argument against concealed carry and gun possession in general is that the gun is the root of all evil, not the person pulling the trigger. No gun has ever loaded itself, jumped off a table or out of a drawer and shot anyone. It takes someone with no regard for human life to point the gun and pull the trigger.
Those against legalizing concealed carry in Wisconsin are also concerned that there would be an outbreak of vigilante justice. Again, I don't see the logic in that argument. Thousands of Wisconsin residents already legally possess firearms but are not using them for the commission of crime. Why? Because they are not criminals.
I do not believe that by simply allowing these same, law-abiding citizens to leave their houses with a firearm that gun violence will increase. Will it decrease?
A Department of Justice report stated that "40% of incarcerated felons have claimed they decided against committing a crime for fear that their would-be victims would be armed." I would think that any level of deterrence would provide some peace of mind to those who live, work or travel in higher crime neighborhoods.
Law enforcement has come out against legalizing concealed carry because it means more armed citizens. Again, I hark back to my point that many citizens already possess the firearms that they would carry with them and, because they obey the law, are not inclined to use them for any reason other than self-defense.
Forty-six states allow some level of concealed carry. None of those states has reported waves of new gun violence. In fact, many find a modest reduction in gun violence because the bad guys don't know who is armed and who isn't. I could find none that was planning on reversing course and prohibiting concealed weapons.
Will concealed carry end gun violence? No. But I support it because good, law-abiding citizens should be allowed to protect themselves from those who choose to break the law.
George Ott of Franklin is a salesman for an industrial distributor in Waukesha. His e-mail address is [email protected]
