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Question for Gun Week story project, Reply ASAP 4-9-2009

Dave Workman

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I am cross-posting this question to a couple of active gun rights forums on Thursday, 4-9-09 for a story I'm working on.

It is a simple question and I'd like simple, concise answers (no speeches, please).

PLEASE SEND REPLIES ASAP TO:
davew@liberty.seanet.com




Q. As a gun owner, what do YOU think is a reasonable, responsible solution or response to the rash of multiple shootings over the past month? Nearly 60 people have been killed in shootings in New York, Oakland, southern Alabama, and elsewhere.



A.



Remember to sign your responses and include:



NAME AND TOWN

NAME AND TOWN

NAME AND TOWN
 

Dustin

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Here'smine,

My answer would be to get rid of these so called "Gun Free" zones.

Clearly a criminal who commits these acts in a gun free zone, DID NOT care that there was a sign on the front door that said, "GUN FREE ZONE".

The only people who do not carry weapons in a gun free zone, are those that OBEY THE LAW.

I wonder if that's ironic or intentional ?
 

curtm1911

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Total, Unencumbered Nationwide Reciprocity for Permitees And/Or Open Carriers, I add the "Or" for those last 2 states that have NO provision for permits or Open Carry, and you know who you are Il. & Wi. Also, No Ammo Capacity limit on magazines, if it holds them and it works, there ya go.
 

Don Barnett

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I would make some references to the book: More Guns, Less Crime by John Lott. He has some good statistics in there. Also, forbidding people to be able to have guns to protect themselves in such situations in unconscionable. For instance, the end result of the Virginia Tech shootings was a firmer committment by the University NOT to allow students to possess guns?????? The logic (sic) does NOT make sense.
 

prcE6

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Because villians are armed, so too must be the good folks of society. Throughout history, gentlemen would bear their arms, train with them, and stand ready to employ them when needed.

Mass shootings are the direct result of the gentleman (or woman) not being allowed to deter the villians of society.
 

Carnivore

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#1: we as responsible gun owners must police ourselves, that includes unstable relatives..

#2: When a trusted aquaintenance is burdened down with lifes BS. lend a good listening ear, you will either be keyed in on some part of conversation that will need attention (ie) suggestiong counsel, and let me lock your firearms in my safe until things calm down..

#3: eliminate all gun free zones for law abiding citizens, that won't completely stop those among us that wish to commit suicide by initiating a terror spree in hopes of someone killing them in self defense, but theoretically it should spare innocent lives.

#4: OC for United States citizens nation wide!!
 

demnogis

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Q. As a gun owner, what do YOU think is a reasonable, responsible solution or response to the rash of multiple shootings over the past month? Nearly 60 people have been killed in shootings in New York, Oakland, southern Alabama, and elsewhere.
I'm not sure if your question pertains to application of new laws, enforcement of current laws or possibly the overall stigma of guns in society. In my personal opinion the recent "massacres" or shootings with multiple victims possibly could not have been prevented. It has been proven time and time again that a determined individual will follow through as far as they can. The knee-jerk reaction would be to expand limitations on law abiding citizens and pass new legislature making it even harder for the normal law abiding citizen to acquire firearms, even trying to pass legislation forbidding possession. This only further enables those who disregard the law to continue criminal activities with much less opposition. What do I think would help prevent such things from happening? I can only provide answers according to my experiences and knowledge of growing up here in California...

First, loosen restrictions on the ability for Law Abiding Citizens from being able to carry firearms for their defense. It has been proven that the outward, visible presence of a firearm in the possession of an everyday citizen is enough to deter another person from conducting unlawful behavior. The Federal regulations we have in place prevent sales of firearms to disqualified individuals and some states have even stricter laws in place. Sadly, these restrictions do not prevent illegal sales on streets. The total number of illegal sales is purely speculative and no law to date has stopped illegal sales - it just makes them illegal.

Second, we should start bringing back firearms education. I believe that most every anti-gun-rights group will be against this, saying things such as "we're training our children to be murderers" or some-such hyperbole. The truth is that teaching people (adults and children) how to responsibly use, care for and handle firearms only benefits them. My personal experience in this matter comes from a history in Boy Scouts, where at a young age I learned about proper firearms safety and the beginnings of being a good marksman. Making firearms education widely available (and affordable, if not free or state-sponsored) would also help against accidents that cause fatalities or injuries involving firearms.

Third, we should work to dispel the negative stigma attached to firearms by the media. It has become prevalent here on the "left coast" and also in other states with heavy metro areas (DC and New York come to mind) that there are many social systems vilifying firearms overall. From the public education system, to our government, law enforcement and even heavy activism from anti-gun-rights groups. If people have an opportunity to learn about firearms in an impartial (meaning, factual only, not 'feelings") they can develop their own beliefs on whether or not firearms are for them. Part of this issue is that people lack experience, and fear what they have no experience with. Especially something blasted by every major outlet as evil. This partly ties into my second point. The citizenry of this country should learn about the importance of firearms in our country's history and culture. We would not even be a country today, if not for the Revolutionary War. Can the same be said if they had only sticks and stones?

Fourth, abolish federal and state legislation on "gun free zones". It is being proven with the recent shootings and massacres that the creation of these "sterile" areas has not reduced crime at all. A criminal who does not care about the law will not abide by it regardless. Not only was the creation of these zones unconstitutional, but they truly do nothing to allow a person to even defend themselves in one of these zones. For example, in California there are Penal Codes 626.9 and 626.95. These prohibit the possession of handguns (concealed firearms and firearms capable of being concealed) in school zones and other places. Sadly, there is not even a provision in either of these penal codes that make the allowance of using your firearm, in public, to defend yourself from injury or potentially lethal harm. The truth of these types of Gun Free Zone laws is that they do nothing to prevent crime and serve to disarm the law abiding.

Those are the major points I can think of. The most important being education. I sincerely believe that the more people are educated in their rights as well as how to properly use a firearm will result in a society that effectively protects itself; not only from crime, but oppression.

~D
Orange County, California
 

Don Barnett

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Some more thoughts:

I really do not think that many people arm themselves eventhough they may be allowed to do so, I doubt that the people inside the place where that "nut case" started to shoot up were armed. If authorities would encourage more people to arm themselves for protection, maybe that would help. Certainly, passing more gun control laws doesn't work. This though,rarely happens; in fact, the opposite occurs; authorities say that arming yourself will only make matters worse (B _ _ _ S _ _ _!).

Further, local governments should provide training especially in schools, about what to do if some nut case comes in with a gun. When I heard the death toll at VT, I naturally assumed that he must have had a rifle...but when I heard it was a handgun, and a 9mm at that, I thought: "What were those students thinking?" Now, I was not there, so I cannot make judgements, but surely those 9mm bullets will not penetrate some of those textbooks that they make.If some of them had made a "shield" with the books over their chest, and rushed the guy, perhaps they could have overpowered him...but tolay there, hoping that hewould not shoot them does not make sense. Some schoolofficials in some districtshave made this suggestion but were "shot (no pun intended) down" by feel good liberals, who said that such training would be too traumatic for kids. I used to teach school, and one of my students asked me what I thouht they should do if someone came in and started shooting (they knew I like guns and hunting). I replied, "Take that Math book that you never open, hold it overyour center of mass, and rush the guy." Chances are that he has a 9mm,and the bulletswould never make it through to page 100...and if they are hollow points, to page 50.

I believe that the shooting spree in which 13 people were killed, the perpetrator was armed with a handgun.

Just some more thoughts.
 
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