GUNS: Armed against bad info

This is in response to the people (Kenneth Green and Mike Ruskovich) who wrote uninformed opinions on HB222 the bill to allow right to carry holders to possess guns on campuses in Idaho.

First, Mr. Green needs to do some research before writing a piece in The Press condemning the ability of the holders of right to carry permits in the United States to protect themselves anywhere. Why should the right of self-protection stop at the campus grounds? The concept of the bad guys always getting the upper hand when it comes to the uses of firearms is ludicrous. The report by Dr. Gary Kleck, Ph.D., titled "Guns and Self-Defense" shows that every 13 seconds an American gun owner uses a firearm in defense against a criminal. Very few of these gun owners actually had to fire their weapon. The mere presence of a firearm and the willingness to use it was enough to deter the criminals. The report was the result of the National Self-Defense Survey done by Kleck and Marc Gertz in 1995 and a similar survey done by the Police Foundation sponsored by the National Institute of Justice in 1996.

Second, Mr. Ruskovich has shown himself time and again to be of the left wing liberal persuasion and falls into the category of others of his ilk who are constantly crying "the sky is falling" if their salvation does not come from the trough out of Washington, D.C. A few years ago when the vote to allow right-to-carry in the state of Florida was to be put to the people, all the good little Democrats cried that there will be blood running in the streets and a gunfight every afternoon if the law passed. Well, the law passed and there was no carnage, but guess what, the crime rate fell dramatically. And this was all done without the help of Washington, D.C.

When people stand up for themselves and are self-sufficient things happen for the good of the people not the bad guys. Unfortunately three state senators voted the bill down in committee. They bowed to pressure from the school administrators who want to prevent their teachers and students from being able to protect themselves while on campus.

DENNIS EDELBROCK

Hayden