imported post
Opinion response printed in the next issue. Big suprise. Suprisingly, the comments after the article have been mostly pro-gun
http://badgerherald.com/oped/2008/04/24/trovato_shoots_self_.php
http://badgerherald.com/oped/2008/04/24/trovato_shoots_self_.php]Link
Trovato shoots self in foot
Conceal and carry is a dangerous and idiotic policy that has no business in any state, let alone this one. Joe Trovato’s column (“For safety’s sake, state needs new gun law,” April 23) advocated that this vigilante strategy be implemented in Wisconsin — or as he would have it, the new Wild West. Scare tactics are often used to cloud reasonable people’s judgment, but don’t be fooled. This is absolutely the wrong plan for anyone concerned with safety.
The National Rifle Association statistics quoted in Mr. Trovato’s article should not be trusted, for it has been widely studied and proven that countries with low numbers of firearms have much lower rates of crime. More guns do not equal lower crime and are best left out of the equation altogether. We must counter a culture of violence by standing up and declaring that violence is not acceptable. Because where does it end? Any slight provocation, spurred on by racism or small feuds, may end in a shooting. And even if there is evident wrongdoing, where do we cross the line? Does petty theft really qualify in the right to shoot a person?
And while we are on it, imagine this policy’s real efficacy.You are walking home and an armed robber corners you and demands your wallet.Is it really possible to unholster your weapon, undo the safety and aim before the robber has already taken care of the job? Come on.It only makes a bad situation worse.
For states to really “get with the times,” society needs to attack the root causes of crime, such as poverty, by focusing on education and family assistance programs.These are the kinds of progressive and forward thinking policies that really will ensure safety; Mr. Trovato’s eye-for-an-eye justice is outdated and best left for Sunday school.
Sierra Ready
UW junior
sready@wisc.edu
Opinion response printed in the next issue. Big suprise. Suprisingly, the comments after the article have been mostly pro-gun
http://badgerherald.com/oped/2008/04/24/trovato_shoots_self_.php
http://badgerherald.com/oped/2008/04/24/trovato_shoots_self_.php]Link
Trovato shoots self in foot
Conceal and carry is a dangerous and idiotic policy that has no business in any state, let alone this one. Joe Trovato’s column (“For safety’s sake, state needs new gun law,” April 23) advocated that this vigilante strategy be implemented in Wisconsin — or as he would have it, the new Wild West. Scare tactics are often used to cloud reasonable people’s judgment, but don’t be fooled. This is absolutely the wrong plan for anyone concerned with safety.
The National Rifle Association statistics quoted in Mr. Trovato’s article should not be trusted, for it has been widely studied and proven that countries with low numbers of firearms have much lower rates of crime. More guns do not equal lower crime and are best left out of the equation altogether. We must counter a culture of violence by standing up and declaring that violence is not acceptable. Because where does it end? Any slight provocation, spurred on by racism or small feuds, may end in a shooting. And even if there is evident wrongdoing, where do we cross the line? Does petty theft really qualify in the right to shoot a person?
And while we are on it, imagine this policy’s real efficacy.You are walking home and an armed robber corners you and demands your wallet.Is it really possible to unholster your weapon, undo the safety and aim before the robber has already taken care of the job? Come on.It only makes a bad situation worse.
For states to really “get with the times,” society needs to attack the root causes of crime, such as poverty, by focusing on education and family assistance programs.These are the kinds of progressive and forward thinking policies that really will ensure safety; Mr. Trovato’s eye-for-an-eye justice is outdated and best left for Sunday school.
Sierra Ready
UW junior
sready@wisc.edu