Allowing concealed guns a bad idea

Coulee News ^ | November 23, 2005 | ADAM A. MEYERS

[jdege]

Allowing concealed guns a bad idea

By ADAM A. MEYERS Racine, Wis.

I am a police officer with the Racine Police Department and a part-time police officer for another community in Racine County. This is strictly my opinion and I am not speaking on behalf of the communities or law enforcement agencies that employ me.

The Wisconsin law against carrying a concealed firearm has worked effectively for over 130 years. Deciding to pass a concealed carry law in Wisconsin that will allow almost every adult to carry a concealed firearm is a potentially dangerous decision.

Carrying a concealed firearm and deciding to shoot another human being is different from what is perceived on television, in the movies or while playing a video game. Allowing Wisconsin residents to carry concealed firearms may not reduce crime. If anything, crime may increase and there will be, without a doubt, more firearms in our homes and on our streets.

I strongly support the ability for people to defend themselves, but I don’t believe that carrying a concealed firearm is the only way to accomplish this. There are a lot of responsibilities that come with carrying a concealed firearm and being able to effectively use it against someone in their self-defense or in the defense of another human being.

I agree that retired law enforcement professionals should be permitted to carry a concealed firearm as long as they follow state and federal laws and those policies presented to them by their former law enforcement agencies.

I believe that there is no credible evidence that carrying a concealed firearm reduces crime and that passing a concealed carry law in Wisconsin will do more harm than good.

[jaguaretype]

"Ever since 10 Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputies emptied more than 120 rounds from their service pistols into an unarmed suspects vehicle"

Do you recall that a number of houses in the neighborhood were hit by some of those 120 or so rounds?

I've commented in the past on the low standards lately for SoCal PD's and now believe it or not LAPD now wants to allow former dopers to join up. Not recreational pot smokers either.....felony class stuff......amazing.

[eastforker]

Here in Harris county they can actually purchase a "Deputy's Mom Badge". It looks just like a deputy badge but it can only be gotten through the sheriff department.

[Casloy]

The Wisconsin law against carrying a concealed firearm has worked effectively for over 130 years.

Worked effectively at doing what, keeping law abiding citizens from carrying concealed weapons? What it has not been effective in doing is allowing law abiding citizens to protect themselves. Besides, if it's concealed the bad guys have to guess who is actually armed. That means if I don't choose to carry a concealed weapon I gain a certain measure of security simply because the bad guys don't know my personal decision not to carry.

[TC Rider]

What a tool of the Brady Bunch. This is typical gungrabber pap. They mix in a bit of truths and halftruths with the fibs, lies and outright whoppers.

For example:

Carrying a concealed firearm and deciding to shoot another human being is different from what is perceived on television, in the movies or while playing a video game. Unlike the movies, the average CCW holder may go years or a lifetime without blowing away dozens of bad guys. And in real life, the bad guys won't crash through plate glass windows when shot. Allowing Wisconsin residents to carry concealed firearms may not reduce crime.Unlike every other state to institute a 'shall issue' policy. If anything, crime may increase Crime may increase, global warming may melt the polar ice caps, asteroids may crush Racine, etc. and there will be, without a doubt, more firearms in our homes and on our streets. He obviously considers this a bad thing.

I strongly support the ability for people to defend themselves, but I don’t believe that carrying a concealed firearm is the only way to accomplish this. What he would support is roving bands of Mall Ninjas!

The author maintains a website dedicated as a memorial to Racine cops who have died while on duty. After checking his site, I've determined that if he sincerely wanted to save the lives of cops, he would work to ban motorcycles and doughnuts.

Racine's Fallen Heroes

[varon]

There are a lot of responsibilities that come with carrying a concealed firearm and being able to effectively use it against someone in their self-defense or in the defense of another human being.

What a schmuck. This A-hole thinks that only LEO have the judgment in handling a firearm responsively.

I've heard more news reports of LEOs shooting off their firearms by accident with or without personal injury but with definite threat to others than I have of civilians carrying a concealed firearm.

I would like to have this bozo provide statistics on the number of "questionable" shootings by LEOs versus civilians with concealed carry permits.

[epow]

I heard it speculated that impuslive young people who think its all of a sudden cool to be packing might use a gun where otherwise they might use fists.

I hadn't thought of that angle, and I suppose it's a valid point. But Vermont doesn't require a permit for concealed or open carry, and AFAIK there is no problem of that kind there. I think most people are more prone to control their temper when they know the other guy may be armed too.

IMHO no one should carry a gun when he or she is drinking or planning on drinking, and that applies to all people with or without permits. Carrying a gun is an awesome responsibility as well as a right, and people who abuse that right should be punished severely. If innocent people begin to be killed or injured by reckless gun carriers all of us will soon lose our RKBA whether we act responsibly or not.

[epow]

Now admittedly, city-wide the total number of murders was unchanged. But the murders that did happen almost all seemed to happen in that one neighborhood.

But how many of those murders were committed by people with CC permits? My guess would be NONE.

If Minneapolis is anything like Atlanta, the type people you are likely to find in inner city housing projects are usually the type who don't pay a lot of attention to the law in general and are likely to carry a weapon of some kind whether it's legal or not.

[jdege]

But how many of those murders were committed by people with CC permits?

One, I'm afraid.

But the major effect seems to have been the gangs have been killing each other mostly in their own neighborhoods, instead of spreading out around town.

[jaguaretype]

There you go.

That's actually pretty brazen but sounds like the kind of thing I mentioned.

Of course, they'll say that doesn't allow them to CCW like all the other peon/civilians......wink,wink.

[cowtowney]

He meant to say...

All empirical evidence to the contrary,

"Allowing Wisconsin residents to carry concealed firearms may not reduce crime".

[ArmyTeach]

IMHO no one should carry a gun when he or she is drinking or planning on drinking, and that applies to all people with or without permits. Carrying a gun is an awesome responsibility as well as a right. 100% agreed, as one good shooter to another.

[DMZFrank]

Apparently this guy has done absolutely NO studying on the relevant stats that detail the success od CCW laws in 38 states of the Union. Instead he seems to be governed by personal predjudice and anti gun distortions and lies. In other words he is a typical gun grabbing cop albeit one who is completly atypical of the rank and file beat copper. I spent 28 years on the streets of Chicago's West Side as a street cop, and I know that crime has nothing to do with any lawful possesion of guns by criminals.

[so_real]

I wouldn't be too eager to allow criminals the sole ability to maintain the element of surprise. They won't expose their weapons even if required to do so by law until their weapons are needed -- which they will be shortly after the criminals have identified all the targets in the area with weapons displayed prominently. I don't view myself as a target. I prefer to be an unknown ace-in-the-hole. I prefer not to give my opponent an undue advantage.

[CodeToad]

"Bill Lockyer to spew forth a bureaucratic prohibition"

So true, but ya gotta give Bushie an A+ for effort.

[SNIPER7]

I’m with you on that!!! What makes a cop so special that he or she may carry off duty??? Or money carriers, what money is more important then human life. It sounds like a big JOKE!!!! To me

[TMSuchman]

911........

Government sponsored dial a prayer!

What part of will infringe do they not understand?

[TMSuchman]

My mess up!

It should read will NOT infringe...

[goldstategop]

But a nut cop is allowed to carry a gun and slaughter any one who gets in his way. He can be trusted with a gun but ordinary Wisconsonites can't. That's what passes for liberal logic on the Second Amendment these days.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus