Posted on 03/13/2006 12:52:30 PM PST by neverdem
Henry Riekert's column cites the Violence Policy Center as a "well respected, non-profit, gun control advocacy group" -- true, if citing selective statistics and ignoring data that do not support yours is respectable.
One of the group's stated goals is a nationwide ban on the private possession of handguns. That isn't gun control; it's gun elimination.
The figure Riekert cites -- 5,314 arrests of Texas concealed-carry licensees -- sounds incriminating until you look behind the raw numbers. Total arrests spread over the period selected (Jan. 1, 1996, to Aug. 31, 2001) averages 1,138 a year. That includes arrests for all offenses, including traffic arrests.
Since there were about 213,000 concealed-carry licenses issued during that period, that calculates to a percentage of 0.5 percent a year being arrested, not exactly a staggering rate.
And I hope Riekert is not confusing arrests with convictions; they are not the same. Texas Department of Public Safety records show that 55 percent of the concealed-carry licensees arrested were cleared of violent offenses.
The department also says that concealed-carry licensees' frequency of arrest for violent offenses is only 17 percent that of the general public. The rate for non-violent offenses is even lower: only 7 percent.
How about the revocation rate of concealed-carry licenses in Texas? That will indicate how violent those licensees are. Between Jan. 1, 1996, and May 1, 2002, 1,724 licenses were revoked out of 240,506 issued; a revocation rate of .07 percent. That's not an overwhelming number and certainly does not indicate the rampant lawlessness Riekert would have you believe.
In Florida, 1,123,373 concealed-carry licenses were issued between Oct. 1, 1987, and Feb. 28. Only 157 licenses have been revoked because the licensee used a firearm while committing a crime. That's a rate of one 0.01 percent. Also, 2,976 licenses have been revoked for all offenses; that's a rate of 0.26 percent. Not what one would call a crime wave.
How about a couple of quotes from Texas officials regarding the concealed-carry law?
District Attorney John B. Holmes of Houston said, "I (felt) that such legislation ... present(ed) a clear and present danger to law-abiding citizens by placing more handguns on our streets. Boy was I wrong. Our experience in Harris County, and indeed statewide, has proven my initial fears absolutely groundless."
Glenn White, president of the Dallas Police Association said, "All the horror stories I thought would come to pass didn't happen ... I think it's worked out well, and that says good things about citizens who have permits. I'm a convert."
In 1996, many of us said that passing Kentucky's concealed-carry law would not lead to blood in the streets, and it hasn't.
As for making the names of concealed-carry licensees public, to what purpose? Riekert implies that under the legislation he opposes, House Bill 290, a woman being stalked would not be able to find out whether her stalker had a concealed-carry license.
But the bill clarifies that once an EPO or DVO is issued against a licensee, a law enforcement officer is immediately dispatched to confiscate the license.
Straw men are easy to knock down, but they don't make much of a case.
Robert L. Pruden of Owingsville is secretary/treasurer of the Kentucky Firearms Foundation.
thanks for the 411. She is really excited about getting started.
I bought a Browning HighPower 9MM for the girlfriend to use. We tried different guns and this one fit her the best. I was a little disapointed the Kahr didn't fit her.
Mine likes the Glock 19 but loves her .32acp Tomcat.
Thanks for the help.
I am hoping that the range lets her try different pistols to see what fits her hand best.
I will check out the Glock.
Standard advice is to go to a range that rents guns and have her try out several.
Just don't buy her the wrong gun. Not only will she then be pissed, but she'll be armed too!
Of course, you can also buy a gun for you but pretend it's for her. You'll give it to her and she'll whine about it but then you can keep it. This works most of the time for me but I don't think she believed me when I brought home the S&W 500.
;-)
That was my plan. Buy the Ruger KP90 and have her whine that its too big and she doesn't like the .45. Then I get to look like Magnum PI while I 'm blazing away wih my new .45 Auto!
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