Gun Control, Concealed Carry and Gun Myths

Posted By on October 13, 2006

Woman HandgunThe issue of ‘gun control’ and ‘conceal carry’ came up while talking with a friend since she was planning to take a handgun class and wanted to be able to carry a handgun in her purse. As a supporter of a civilians right to bear arms, I was still somewhat concerned and hadn’t fully thought out the ‘conceal carry’ issue in my own mind. (I’m probably not alone?) My concern is ‘who’ around me is eventually is going to be carrying a concealed weapon on a daily basis? Its quite the responsibility and I was on the fence until I listened and thought it though.

My friend’s incident began with ‘road rage’ directed toward her a few weeks ago and became one of the reasons she wanted to carry a handgun. I was concerned that someone in a ‘panic’ with close proximity to a gun could make a deadly mistake and so I still wasn’t sure I wanted motorists to have ready access to a gun, but was starting to understand her position too. She explained that during the recent trip, a man stormed out of his car and came up to her window yelling profanities. At first he yanked on her locked door handle and then pounded on her window. Fearing it would break, she quickly drove through the traffic light in a panic and called 911 on her cell phone. Nothing came of the incident as the guy was never stopped, but that evening she began thinking about what could have happened.

A couple weeks later she read about a sexual assault in a park just a few miles from her house that she regularly goes to and that clinched the desire to not be a victim. I’ll include the Cincinnati Enquirer story below as well as an interesting ABC John Stossel video clip talking about ‘Gun Myths.’ I’m now on board with the Ohioans for Concealed Carry and believe that no one should have to be a victim. Who knows, if criminals have to think twice about who around them is armed, crime statistics might improve? As for bad guys getting guns, they’ll buy, steal or carry a gun with or without a permit anyway … only the responsible citizen goes through the training, background check and permitting procedure to carry one.

Mom recognized attacker – Cincinnati Enquirer 10/11/2006

SHARONVILLE, OHIO – – The woman who was sexually assaulted yesterday in a park here recognized her attacker. In her 911 call to police, the woman said, “I see him over here all the time.”
…
“In my entire career I have not come across anything this appalling to me,” Sharonville Police Lt. John Cook said. “The fact that he did this in front of the two children is disgusting.”
…
The teen approached the woman while she was at the park playground with her children, Cook said. In the 911 call, the 21-year-old woman said the teenager told her he had a gun in his bag. “I got both my babies with me and I wasn’t gonna argue with nobody,” she said. “I have a gun in my backpack. You need to come with me,” the teen told the victim, Cook said.
.
The woman pleaded unsuccessfully with the teen to allow her to take her two children home before he forced her to go to a nearby shelter area, Cook said. There, Cook said, the teen ordered the woman to undress and then forced her to perform a sex act.
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A couple of park employees noticed the naked woman and went to investigate, Cook said. The teen ran away as the park employees approached. One park employee stayed with the woman and called police. The other chased the teen, but lost sight of him. A Sharonville police officer spotted the teen a short time later in a nearby church parking lot, Cook said. The teen was arrested and taken to the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center.

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Comments

  • Steve

    Rich,

    Not sure the gun would have been useful for the poor woman in the park. That is, I think you have to have the weapon loaded and handy if you’re with your kids in the park, else your reaction time will not be sufficient to use the weapon, worse, it could be used against you if you’re subdued in the frantic process of trying to load it upon noting your attacker’s approach.

    Your friend in the car probably would have had time , b/c her door was locked and window was up. So, useful there.

    But basically, I don’t think it’s a good thing to have loaded handguns in most people’s pocketbooks.

    Your statement that “it’s quite the responsibility” hits the nail on the head.

    An aside, I am sure that criminals, like those on ABC can in fact easily get theirs on the black market. But I also think the prices are relatively low b/c the supply is so high (would not be the case if handguns we’re severely restricted or eliminated in terms of sale to public?).

    Related: The program did not touch on an option to eliminate handguns all together. And I certainly don’t think we’re near getting to that state. But that’s something to think about. That is, do we really need to have handguns, what would happen if we didn’t? But that can become a very animated discussion indeed!

    Steve
    Princeton NJ

  • Steve

    Rich,

    Not sure the gun would have been useful for the poor woman in the park. That is, I think you have to have the weapon loaded and handy if you’re with your kids in the park, else your reaction time will not be sufficient to use the weapon, worse, it could be used against you if you’re subdued in the frantic process of trying to load it upon noting your attacker’s approach.

    Your friend in the car probably would have had time , b/c her door was locked and window was up. So, useful there.

    But basically, I don’t think it’s a good thing to have loaded handguns in most people’s pocketbooks.

    Your statement that “it’s quite the responsibility” hits the nail on the head.

    An aside, I am sure that criminals, like those on ABC can in fact easily get theirs on the black market. But I also think the prices are relatively low b/c the supply is so high (would not be the case if handguns we’re severely restricted or eliminated in terms of sale to public?).

    Related: The program did not touch on an option to eliminate handguns all together. And I certainly don’t think we’re near getting to that state. But that’s something to think about. That is, do we really need to have handguns, what would happen if we didn’t? But that can become a very animated discussion indeed!

    Steve
    Princeton NJ

  • Steve

    Rich-

    Here is the tragic story I referred to off-line.

    http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_288151327.html

    Steve
    Formerly at Princeton NJ, Now in Yardley PA!

  • Steve

    Rich-

    Here is the tragic story I referred to off-line.

    http://cbs3.com/topstories/local_story_288151327.html

    Steve
    Formerly at Princeton NJ, Now in Yardley PA!

  • William Turner

    Steve and Rich,

    Bad guys are always going to have guns, I only hope that a conceal carry law makes them think twice before commiting a crime. I don’t like guns, but want trained citizens to have the right to defend themself too.

    Will

  • William Turner

    Steve and Rich,

    Bad guys are always going to have guns, I only hope that a conceal carry law makes them think twice before commiting a crime. I don’t like guns, but want trained citizens to have the right to defend themself too.

    Will

  • Steve

    Hi Will.

    I think that the conceal and carry will make criminals think twice. In the video link posted above, inmates say that in fact they do take this into consideration.

    What none of the inmates say though, is that they decided not to pursue a crime because of these worries, just that they are more careful about it.

    I’m not extremely committed to outlawing handguns, but I do wonder, as a thought experiment, whether the consequences would be an improvement or not. Here in PA the big debate is over whether to impose a 1 gun a month law. It will not pass because people here beleive this is a gross infringement on their rights. I can’t relate to that. But it gives you some perspective from here in PA.

    And, in the realm of “you can’t make this up,” here’s a link to another story that developed in my hometown of Phila (same place as my previous link posting):

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102300862.html

    Steve

  • Steve

    Hi Will.

    I think that the conceal and carry will make criminals think twice. In the video link posted above, inmates say that in fact they do take this into consideration.

    What none of the inmates say though, is that they decided not to pursue a crime because of these worries, just that they are more careful about it.

    I’m not extremely committed to outlawing handguns, but I do wonder, as a thought experiment, whether the consequences would be an improvement or not. Here in PA the big debate is over whether to impose a 1 gun a month law. It will not pass because people here beleive this is a gross infringement on their rights. I can’t relate to that. But it gives you some perspective from here in PA.

    And, in the realm of “you can’t make this up,” here’s a link to another story that developed in my hometown of Phila (same place as my previous link posting):

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/23/AR2006102300862.html

    Steve

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Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.