Posted on 03/18/2015 1:41:25 PM PDT by Osage Orange
Straight Talk from Senator Knox
Dangerous Tools
March 15, 2015
What’s the most dangerous thing you will do today? You will drive your car. Today I drove about 150 miles on two lane highways. Multiple times I came within a few feet of a head on collision with another vehicle, traveling at relative combined speeds of well over 120 miles per hour. A car is a tool, an object used to help us accomplish a given purpose. Why do we use such a dangerous tool that puts us so often, so close to certain death? We consider the risk worth taking, because this enables us to accomplish desired tasks with ease and speed. Statistics prove to us that it is worth the risk.
SB 45, allowing any person who can legally possess a handgun to carry it concealed, has already passed the senate with my support and is now on the House side. Kansas has always allowed its citizens to openly carry firearms. Last year we preempted certain cities that had tried to limit this constitutional right, clarifying this right statewide. Since then, there have been no issues and, in general, there just aren’t issues in Kansas with the carry of firearms by law-abiding citizens. In America the constitution prohibits government from presumptively criminalizing law-abiding citizens. Why should it be a crime to conceal a firearm?
As open carry of firearms can sometimes cause people to be nervous, I believe it would be better to allow Kansans to carry concealed in public, where people are generally not worrying about who might have a concealed gun. Out of sight – out of mind. However, criminals are thinking about it, and it is best they don’t know who is carrying.
A firearm is a tool, a dangerous tool. I use firearms at home to protect my livestock, and my family. Over the years, I have killed many varmints, some rabid, some close to my house. It’s sometimes been necessary to control predators who have killed my livestock. Without the proper tools this would have been much more difficult, if not impossible. I have been fortunate in that I have never needed to protect any person from criminal activity, and I hope to never have this need. However, every day we hear of such instances.
In America there are many guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Statistics show that as this number increases, crime decreases. Though there is always the “wild, wild west” rhetoric - in 2009 when we passed concealed carry in Kansas, in 2013 when we passed the public building security act (allowing concealed carry in unsecured public buildings), and in 2014 when we preempted local units of government for open carry - but it hasn’t happened. As a matter of fact, it’s been a non-issue. Citizens now have the tools to defend themselves.
Contrary to the “wild, wild west,” the opposite has occurred. As more guns are carried concealed, crime decreases. Every day much crime is averted by the use of guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens, often without the gun being fired.
Recently, the courts overturned laws restricting firearms in Washington, D.C. and in Chicago. Interestingly, an immediate decrease in crime occurred in both places, the opposite of what occurred in the 80’s, when Chicago instituted very tight restrictions on guns and serious crime skyrocketed.
It’s an issue of trust. Licensed concealed carry has now been passed in all 50 states. Also, several states have taken the step of allowing permit-less concealed carry. There is a track record; we already have the statistics. Criminals already carry concealed weapons. We can trust law-abiding citizens to responsibly carry concealed firearms to provide for their own protection, and for that of others. Vehicles kill many people in America, but are not outlawed. Firearms are also dangerous tools, but statistics show it is worth the risk.
In America, the constitution compels government to trust its law-abiding citizens, to protect individual liberty. The 2nd Amendment is there because, in America, law-abiding citizens do not trust the government. In world history and current global events we see that when government does not trust its citizens, and only the government has guns, horrific events ensue.
Forrest Knox
Kansas Senate, District 14
17120 Udall Road, Altoona, KS 66710
Office: 785 296 7678
Home: 785 783 5564
Cellular: 620 636 0051
Email: forrest.knox@senate.ks.gov
senatorforrestknox@gmail.com
Wow - common sense. I almost forgot what it looked like.
For some reason, it is rare for common sense to rise above the state government. Probably something in the water in Washington, DC.
Ditto that!!
Bingo!
“For some reason, it is rare for common sense to rise above the state government. Probably something in the water in Washington, DC.”
I have tried to understand this phenomena as well. I believe that it is because the national media has great influence on national elections. The greatest influence is on the Presidential elections, then the senator, then the House of Representatives. They have much less influence on state elections.
Thus, the federal congressmen and senators rely on the national media much more to get elected and to stay in office, so they have had to toe the media line more closely.
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I would agree, and would add lobbyists and large party donors to the mix.
Forrest is one of the good ones. A truly good man.
And he has a wonderfull family.
Ditto that
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