GUNS: Back up your claims
I was appalled to read about the gun rally to eliminate the concealed weapon permit. The organizer says, “Criminals do not obey laws or obtain permits. Law abiding citizens should not be burdened with an unnecessary permitting process which has no effect on criminal activity.” Where is the research that backs up this claim that the permitting process is unnecessary and has no effect on criminal activity?
This statement is not only illogical, but also false as Greg Sargent details in his well researched article in the Washington Times.
There is a common fallacy that a more heavily armed populace will make us safer. This is not true. According to the World Health Organization data, “Among the 27 developed countries, there was a significant positive correlation between guns per capita per country and the rate of firearm-related deaths. However, there was no significant correlation between guns per capita per country and crime rate.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24054955
The vast majority of gun-related injuries and deaths (don’t have time to research now — need to get back to work, can provide later if you’d like) come from “negligent discharge,” i.e. accidents, rather than from self-defense. People who die from firearm-related deaths are not “bad guys.” They are innocent victims such as a mother shot by her child in Walmart, victims of domestic violence, kids getting into things they shouldn’t, and — yes — suicide.
For public safety, people need to take a test and get a license before they can drive a car. It should be no different with concealed carry. If you want to carry a gun, fine, but prove you know how to use it. (Before I took hunter’s ed, I thought the trigger guard was where you rested your index finger, seriously!)
This argument is like second-hand smoke on steroids. Your “right” to carry a gun doe not trump my right to be free from the danger of accidental discharge.
And is this area really that dangerous that we needed to be armed at all times?
PATTIE STRUB
Coeur d’Alene