Thursday, January 28, 2010

Response to NWH Letter to Editor

In today's Northwest Herald Crystal Lake resident Betty Doak expressed her opinions about concealed carry.

She asked, "Do citizens really need to walk around with loaded weapons? Would that make us safer?"

If the criminals weren't walking around with loaded weapons, then citizens would not need (or want) to.

"Would that make us safer?" The answer to that question is an emphatic "Yes."

She alleges that more guns would result in more gun violence. All you have to do is read Professor John Lott's book, More Guns, Less Crime, and you'll learn that more guns do not result in more gun violence. And that crime has dropped in every state that has adopted concealed carry.

She is right that we don't need "paranoid unbalanced people" toting concealed weapons. The same laws that permit concealed carry are designed to weed those people out.

I disagree with her position that only the reckless and imprudent think that concealed carry is a good idea. City, county and state officials around the country have learned from their actual experiences that concealed carry is a good idea. Are they all "reckless and imprudent"? Many law enforcement officers support concealed carry. Are they "reckless and imprudent"?

Ms. Doak, if I see you getting mugged on a street in Crystal Lake, what would you like me to do? Run to where I can get a good cell phone signal? Try to get someone to open a door, so I can call the police? Drive to the Crystal Lake Police station and send them back to you. When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

Wouldn't you want me to defend you?

2 comments:

Another Lawyer said...

Gus, with due respect, I think you missed the point.

When someone asserts a Constitutional right, what is Ms. Doak's first challenge?

"Would that make us safer."

Constitutional rights do NOT make us safer, they make us free.

Somewhere while I was napping, these people came out from under the bed, with their safety concerns.

They have totally misled us all. Now when we are considering laws that is the first question asked.

Will this make us safer?

When you look through that fake prism, all of your rights look questionable, and you freedom is at risk.

Do not argue with these people on their "safety" argument, once you go down that path you will lose your rights.

Gus said...

Thanks for the good counsel.

I liked the question I heard recently that asked which Amendment to the Constitution was the most important. Many believe the First Amendment is.

The speaker that night asserted that the Second Amendment is the most important. The Second Amendment is how we keep the First Amendment. I agree with that.