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Letters to the Editor - Missoulian 5/27/09

Augustin

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This letter shows how ignorant some of the generally-dumb public really is:

http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2009/05/27/letters/wed/wed98.txt#blogcomments

Letters to the Editor

Soon, weapons will be everywhere

Some of our greatest national treasures are the breathtaking and serene national parks that many of our wise leaders have set aside so all Americans and future generations may enjoy their beauty. National wildlife refuges are another fabulous treasure. These are places of family outings, renewal and learning as America becomes more and more urbanized. Most Americans treasure memories of visits to these places of awe. I now wonder if I would want to take my grandchildren to these hallowed places; who knows when some person with a concealed, loaded weapon might become ticked-off or paranoid? Of course, our park rangers will now need to carry guns and wear bullet-proof vests. This new bill will require many changes.

Sen. Tom Coburn must be right. Why should we have “confusing rules and red tape” when it comes to determining the places where loaded, concealed weapons are allowed or banned? But why stop with the parks and wildlife refuges? Let’s get rid of confusion and allow concealed, loaded weapons in all schools, courtrooms and the many other places where they’ve been banned. Especially we should allow them on airplanes. We mustn’t confuse the travelers. The next place we must allow loaded and concealed weapons is in the United States Senate. Loaded, concealed weapons are banned from there now and that certainly is causing confusion and red tape for the American tourist. I think that many Americans would relish the idea of concealed, loaded weapons in the House and Senate. We’re so fortunate to have a brilliant senator like Coburn who is looking out for American citizens and their safety.

It is awesome to see that our senators are thinkers and statesmen who would never bow to political influence such as that pushed by the National Rifle Association. We can be so proud. Marcia Bishop, Missoula
 

MontanaCZ

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I guess that Marcia has not been in a park for a while. They are already armed and wear vests. I would just hope that they would be better trained than my neighbor is.

-CZ
 

JBinMontana

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MontanaCZ wrote:
I guess that Marcia has not been in a park for a while. They are already armed and wear vests. I would just hope that they would be better trained than my neighbor is.

-CZ
I have shot next to a few of them at IDPA, and well lets just say they need lots of training.
 

woodsman

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Replying to Agustin you may be interested to know that very few conceal carry permit holders are ever involved in any altercation. As far as carrying in the capitol I have carried all throughout the capitol buildings here in Washington state. Threre are NO restrictions on carrying there and I had no issues with anyone, even the State Patrol guard at the door of the Governors office. Remember, an armed society is a polite society.
 

Augustin

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woodsman wrote:
Replying to Agustin you may be interested to know that very few conceal carry permit holders are ever involved in any altercation.
Woodsman,

Yes, I know.

I didn'twrite the antigun letter to the editor. I did state that it "shows how ignorant some of the generally-dumb public really is."

To quote Gary Marbut:

"For the last 20 years Montana has tested a public policy of trusting citizens to behave well if allowed to carry concealed firearms for self-defense. That experiment has worked stunningly well. Since 1991 a concealed weapon permit has not been required for a person to legally carry a concealed firearm outside of the limits of a city or town (99.4% of Montana according to the Montana League of Cities and Towns). There are ZERO reported incidences of people abusing this privilege in the 99.4% of Montana it applies to in the past 20 years. The Legislature did the right thing in 1991 to trust its citizens to behave well."

There was another similar letter in today's Missoulian:

http://missoulian.com/articles/2009/06/05/letters/fri/fri97.txt


Letters to the Editor
Too many people worship guns
Worship: extravagant devotion to an object. When we use this wording, does the gun lobby see itself?

According to Gary Marbut, a vocal member of the group, “defending oneself and one’s family” is justification for arming every law-abiding citizen. To him, being without guns is a form of “forced victimhood.”

How about a shot of reality. Arming everyone is an effort to provide validation of the gun agenda, not protection.

Marbut’s rhetoric is as fervent as his argument is specious. Bureau of Justice Statistics have long shown that the majority of us will never be victims of violent crime. There are not “predators” behind every door. Shootings in schools, malls or churches are ripe for excessive media attention, which belies their rarity. People don’t need to stop going to the mall, or carry a weapon.

No, most shootings (besides suicide) are between people who know each other. It’s problem-solving by gun. It’s getting even with the estranged wife or the neighbor with the barking dogs, a bar fight - the people who were “law-abiding gun owners” until they chose to pull the trigger.

I suggest a reason men - and it’s mostly men - worship guns is the convenient way such weapons become an identity. There seems to be empowerment with a mean-looking firearm that can’t be gained otherwise. Empowerment by gun.

But how do you justify owning all those guns designed to kill people? Here’s a simple scenario. Shout about gun rights but avoid mentioning responsibilities. Use fear: imagine armed assailants behind every door and convince others to do the same. Decide our gun laws.

W. Bennington, Polson
 

40s-and-wfan

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Some of these people need to be beat about the head and neck with a large blunt object. Let them come to our 'Cuss & Discuss' meetings and see how polite individuals who carry guns can be. I would love to see the reaction on these peoples faces when they see upwards of 5-10 people all gathered around a table in their local restaurant, who aren't cops but are carrying guns, getting along and enjoying being out and exercising their freedom and their rights. We sure as heck aren't gonna be waving our guns around in everyone's face, trying to intimidate the local population!! Just because they don't like it and they don't agree with it, doesn't mean it's going to turn into the OK Corral at every corner and in every park!!
Get a grip, people!!
 

40s-and-wfan

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I love the part of the title to this thread that reads: "Soon Weapons Will Be Everywhere."
I can only hope that this statement is true. If weapons were everywhere, in the hands of law-abiding citizens across the country, we would be a lot safer and this country would be headed in a lot better place than it is now!
The streets would be safer, crime would be drastically lower than it is now, women and children would be safer staying home alone nights!!
People seem to think that one's chances of becoming a victim of a deranged criminal or a violent crime stop at the borders of certain places, national parks for instance. I haven't ever seen where it states criminals aren't allowed in parks or places similar to them. So far as I know, it doesn't say that, therefore criminals still have the ability to gain access to national parks, wildlife preserves, national forests and anyplace else in the outdoors for that matter. Several brutal crimes, and murders, have happened within the boundaries of national parks. Women have been raped, people have been killed, children have been kidnapped, the list goes on!
I know I'm probably preaching to the proverbial choir right now, but it's nice to say this all to someone.
We could only dream of a place so safe and secure. Imagine what it'd be like... a virtual Utopia!!
I guess you can't fault a guy for having dreams, can you?!
 

Flintlock

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Augustin wrote:
Some of our greatest national treasures are the breathtaking and serene national parks that many of our wise leaders have set aside so all Americans and future generations may enjoy their beauty. National wildlife refuges are another fabulous treasure. These are places of family outings, renewal and learning as America becomes more and more urbanized. Most Americans treasure memories of visits to these places of awe. I now wonder if I would want to take my grandchildren to these hallowed places; who knows when some person with a concealed, loaded weapon might become ticked-off or paranoid?
The same anti-garbage mentalitywe have been fighting my entire lifetime. The whole more guns = more crime, unsubstantiated emotional rhetoric. Many people don't realize that Alaska already has had National Parks that allowed weapons carry before this new legislation was passed and it's just astounding that our parks haven't become havens for mass-murders and firefights.

I have read that concealed carry permit holders actually have less of a crime rate than police officers as a "per capita percentage."


Of course, our park rangers will now need to carry guns and wear bullet-proof vests. This new bill will require many changes.
The totally unknowledgeable shouldn't be writing articles. They already have carried guns for decades and now many wear vests. There are southern border National Parks that have drug smuggling, illegal aliens that protect their full Marijuana fields with AK's and other small arms. The NPS is not a Marine Expeditionary Unit and is not designed for combat so at least "letting" the citizenry have a chance at protecting themselves is all that is asked with this legislation.


Sen. Tom Coburn must be right. Why should we have “confusing rules and red tape” when it comes to determining the places where loaded, concealed weapons are allowed or banned? But why stop with the parks and wildlife refuges? Let’s get rid of confusion and allow concealed, loaded weapons in all schools, courtrooms and the many other places where they’ve been banned. Especially we should allow them on airplanes. We mustn’t confuse the travelers. The next place we must allow loaded and concealed weapons is in the United States Senate.
I would like to hear a compelling argument against it being that soldiers andpolice forces are allowed to do so. Something other than the typical emotions of the situation and actually a compelling legal argument or shoot, even a an argument that has some stats to back up the anti claims.


Loaded, concealed weapons are banned from there now and that certainly is causing confusion and red tape for the American tourist. I think that many Americans would relish the idea of concealed, loaded weapons in the House and Senate. We’re so fortunate to have a brilliant senator like Coburn who is looking out for American citizens and their safety.
Actually, yes, he is. I am sure he is appreciative of your understanding and thorough research into the topic at hand.


It is awesome to see that our senators are thinkers and statesmen who would never bow to political influence such as that pushed by the National Rifle Association. We can be so proud. Marcia Bishop, Missoula
They all bow to political and many other influences and none of them can be considered statesman, IMO.
 

woodsman

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Here in Washington state it is legal to carry a loaded concealed pistol in all buildings

of the state capitol. I have done so several times with no problem. There are no

signs or metal detectors.
 
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