I was able to get off work early today and drive down for this meeting.
I have to admit that I felt a little bit sorry for Delegate BaCote as she made her annual plea to allow localities to ban guns from public libraries. She delivered an earnest speech, tugging at all the heart-strings she could think of.
She struck me as someone who sincerely desires for there to be no gun violence, no violence or crime of any kind in our public libraries, around our children and families. Who doesn't want that? She probably thinks "we" are all evil and cruel beyond comprehension.
As the chair of the committee paused to give the delegates a chance to ask her questions, she was met with silence. I so very much wanted to ask her, as politely, but as sincerely as I possibly could, "Delegate,
none of us
wants crime or violence in our libraries, or anywhere else around our children. But
please tell me, how does your bill stop a criminal from bringing it to us while we are there?"
Of course the answer is "absolutely nothing," but they are blind. What has caused this blindness, I cannot say. I sure wish we could figure it out and develop the cure.
I've said this before, and I'm going to keep saying it (although most likely in different ways, until I finally stumble upon that magic sound-bite slogan that will stick):
The state should allow legal gun carry in every single place that it is unwilling or unable to establish and maintain a 100% secure perimeter with full screens for weapons. Any place a criminal can sneak a gun, we should be able to carry a gun.
TFred