Who's won and who's lost in a year of conceal-and-carry

Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | May 28th, 2004 | Wes Skoglund

[cryptical]

The conceal-and-carry law -- more aptly named the Handgun Marketing Act of 2003 -- took effect one year ago on May 28. Proponents of the law said having guns handy makes people safer, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They say the use of guns in self-defense is common.

Where are all these defensive gun uses in Minnesota? Although more than 20,000 new handgun permits have been issued since last May, there have been no incidents of defensive gun use by permit holders, according to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. This is a major problem for pro-gun activists, who constantly repeat the National Rifle Association's assertion that there are more than 2 million defensive gun uses each year. If that were true, Minnesota should have seen 35,700 defensive gun uses last year. But where were they?

[cryptical]

Wes Skogland, mouth-breathing idiot.

At least he didn't rant about his favorite boogey man, the window-peeper with a carry permit.

[cryptical]

*BANG*

[smith288]

This very image must make this author pee his pants.

[rockrr]

Heck! That practically makes ME pee MY pants!
(I want one, I want one ;'}

[RebelBanker]

The author does not get the concept that successful defensive firearm uses almost never generate any kind of report because the weapon was never fired, just shown.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

...because the weapon was never fired, just shown.

Or because the potential perp fears that it is there, even if he doesn't see it.

[RhoTheta]

Ping

[Eric in the Ozarks]

The Strib now suggests gun proponents prove a negative. They just don't get it, do they ?

[brbethke]

More to the point, he's lying. The night shift nurse at Abbott-Northwestern who used a legally carried handgun to foil a carjacking is one. The driver in Eden Prairie who used a legally carried handgun to stop a road range incident that turned into an assault is another. There have been more.

But...Wes Skoglund is lying? That's about as surprising as that other thread this morning that says the New York Times is slanting their news to make Bush look bad.

[white trash redneck]

Let me see if I understand this goon better.

A law has been passed giving Minnesotans more personal freedom. Some have expressed concern that an unintended consequence of this additional freedom will be an increase in unjustified and accidental shootings. Others have claimed that this additional freedom will lead to a decrease in crime.

Neither additional shootings, nor a decrease in crime have been documented. However, a restrictive law against carrying a weapon has been made less restrictive, a net increase in freedom, with no cost in human life or injury.

And his problem with this is what...?

[brbethke]

In Minnesota carry permit holders are trained to carry a cell phone, call the cops immediately, and insist on filing a report, because even if the gun was never fired, you can be pretty sure that the other party is already on a phone to the cops trying to tell his version of the story.

That said, I know that the author of this piece is intentionally lying, because I know of two defensive gun uses that have been reported, investigated, and ruled to be legal self-defense by the investigating authorities.

But...how do you know when Wes Skoglund is lying? It's easy. His lips are moving.

[Puppage]

Where are all these defensive gun uses in Minnesota?

Where are all these shoot outs at stoplights? What an idiot.

[jdege]

Where are all these defensive gun uses in Minnesota?

I'm aware of close to a dozen - most of them never reported to law enforcement.

Of the two that I know were reported to law enforcement, in neither case was it to the issuing agency. There's nothing in the law that requires the sheriffs to be informed of defensive gun uses by holders of permits they issued - and hence they have nothing to include in their annual report to the BCA.

OTOH, the law requires prosecutors to inform the sheriffs of all charges filed against permit holders, and of all convictions.

Last year, there were two permit holders convicted of crimes.

[Puppage]

Although more than 20,000 new handgun permits have been issued since last May, there have been no incidents of defensive gun use by permit holders

That have been REPORTED. Statistics show guns are used more than, an estimated, 2 MILLION times a year to stop crime & save lives.

Not everyone will report the fact that they drew their weapon for fear of losing their CCW, etc.

[brbethke]

His problem is that he's a metro-area Democrat who's been in the state legislature for 30 years and he's made gun control one of his central issues for his entire political life. If you look at his list of legislative accomplishments, it's pretty much one gun control bill after another.

If you want to know what he thinks of gun owners, here's another op-ed piece he wrote just after the carry bill became law last year.

This guy has topped out. With his proclaimed attitudes about gun owners he's dead meat if he ever tries to run for a statewide office, so his best hope is to stay in his safe ultra-liberal metro district, continue to make noise, and hope that Martin Sabo dies soon so he can run for Sabo's Congressional seat.

[wjcsux]

This guy is a real dickhead.

[Johnny Gage]

Click here Wes "Looney Dim" Skoglund to send 'Mr' Skoglund your thoughts on his looney ramblings.

[Hat-Trick]

Here's the one that really makes Wes Skoglund and his ilk completely soil their britches:

[arthurus]

Most defensive uses of a gun in defense or to deter crime are never reported because the gun is not fired. Years ago I had a shop and was working late with my door open for ventilation (my blowers weren't blowing) and a fellow walked briskly in with a hammer in his hand. I showed him my Makarov and said hey get out of here, I don't have time for your sh#1! The fellow said Hey okay I see how it is, and left immediately. I felt no need to call the police afterward. They would have used up a lot of my time and would not have made any attempt to find the guy and would have told me that he was probably just a customer with a hammer and had not threatened me. I never saw him again.

[William Tell]

From the linked article: "Perhaps that man had read in the NRA magazine that firing a gun is sometimes justified to protect property. "

If it were in my power, I would force this man to place his wallet on his front porch every night until his losses mounted high enough to deprive his wife and children of the food which sustains them. Then I would ask him whether his notions of protecting property have changed.