Posted on 04/01/2009 4:42:33 AM PDT by marktwain
Atlanta's gun free zones are not free of guns or violent crime.
Georgia has one of the toughest laws in the country when it comes to banning guns from school property. The law creates what it calls the "school safety zone," an area of 1,000 feet surrounding any school, including universities and adult technical schools, where it is a felony punishable by ten years in prison to possess a firearm or other weapon. So why do armed and violent criminals keep striking near Georgia schools?
In just the last couple of weeks, Atlanta's prominent engineering university, Georgia Tech, has experienced five robberies of its students, who are disarmed by law within 1,000 feet of campus.
In the first four incidents, Georgia's draconian "school safety zone" law did not deter the robbers from using firearms to commit their crimes. Here are the incidents as reported by Georgia Tech.
On 3/16/09 at about 12:00 AM, an armed robbery occurred on Third Street near Spring Street. As the victim (not affiliated with the Institute) exited his vehicle near Third Street and Spring Street, an unknown male, accompanied by two females, pointed a handgun at the victim and demanded his belongings. All three subjects fled the area on foot.
On 03/16/2009 at approximately 12:30 AM, a Georgia Tech student was robbed at gunpoint on 14th Street just west of the 14th Street Mosque. According to the student, he was walking alone from the Family Living Center towards the BP Gas Station located at the intersection of 14th Street and Hemphill Avenue when he was approached from behind by a black male. The offender displayed a silver, semi-automatic handgun and demanded the student’s belongings. The student gave the male his wallet and was not injured. The offender then left the area on foot.
On 03/14/2009 at 4:30 AM, a Georgia Tech student was robbed at gunpoint on Centennial Olympic Park Drive near North Avenue Apartments. According to the student, he parked his vehicle on Centennial Olympic Park Drive and began walking southbound. As he was walking, he noticed four males walking his direction. Two of the males crossed the street while the other two continued walking towards him. As the two males got closer, one displayed a revolver and demanded the student’s belongings. The student gave the males his phone, wallet, and car keys. He was not injured. The two males who were across the street joined the other two males and stole the victim’s vehicle. They were last seen traveling northbound on Centennial Olympic Park Drive towards North Avenue.
On 03/16/2009 at 11:50 PM, a Georgia Tech student and his wife were robbed at gunpoint at the intersection of Calhoun Street and Hirsch Street. According to the student, he and his wife were walking back to their residence in the Home Park Area from the Mason CE Building when they were approached from behind by two black males. One of the offenders displayed a dark colored handgun and demanded their belongings. Their book bags, wallets, and cell phones were taken. The offenders then fled the area on foot.
Experience demonstrates that the law does not deter criminals from using firearms. The only known result of the "school safety zone" law is to make it known to predators in Atlanta that there are "easy pickings" in and around college campuses, since students, faculty, and law-abiding visitors scrupulously obey the "school safety zone" law and disarm. The Georgia law has nothing whatsoever to do with "safety" and everything to do with denying students and faculty their inherent right of self defense.
In the fifth robbery, the robber did not need a firearm to rob his compliant victim.
On 03/22/2009 at 6:05AM, a Georgia Tech student was robbed by force while walking back to campus from the 10th Street MARTA Station. The victim stated he was approached by a black male who asked for money to get something to eat. The offender followed the victim to the area of 10th Street and Williams Street where the offender pushed the victim to the ground and took his wallet. The offender then fled the area on foot. The victim suffered minor scrapes to his knee and elbow from the fall. This case is under investigation by the Atlanta Police Department. Description of Suspect:* Black Male 20-25 years of age * Approximately 5’10” Tall * Approximately 160lbs. with a thin build * Short hair * Clothing description is possibly a green jacket and dark colored pants
Additional Safety Information for Georgia Tech
None of that "additional safety information" includes carrying the most effective means of self defense available, a firearm.
Georgia Tech is not the only campus recently to experience violence at the hand of armed criminals. The month of March also saw the shooting of a pregnant woman at Savannah Tech. Obviously, the current approach of pretending that one more law is going to stop criminals from carrying guns is not working.
Utah, by contrast, has very few armed crimes on its college campuses and, in spite of a state law overriding college gun ban policies, has yet to experience a single accident, gun crime, or gun theft from an armed student or faculty member. Utah's current approach seems to be working.
Several states are re-examining their school gun bans, and Georgia is one of them. Rep. Timothy Bearden (R-68) introduced HB 615 this year, which would, among other things, repeal the felony "school safety zone" law as it applies to holders of Georgia firearms licenses. HB 615 has about 40 co-sponsors and is expected to pass in 2010, the second year of the legislative session.
Both Tennessee and Texas have similar legislation pending, but it is facing opposition, some of it from the students themselves. John Woods, pictured above, said, "The idea that somebody could stop a school shooting with a gun is impossible. It's reactive, not preventative."
Mr. Woods should study his premise a little more carefully. It is not "impossible" to stop a school shooting, as several active shool shootings have been stopped by armed students and faculty. Mr. Woods' dogmatic statement leaves one wondering why there are not more reports of mass shooting murders in police stations and at shooting ranges on Saturday, which tends to be the most crowded day. The answer is simple, the mass murderers go where the disarmed and helpless victims like John Woods are. The psychopaths who commit these crimes like to have defenseless victims at their non-existent mercy. Right now, the best place to find such a crowd of disarmed victims is on your local school campus - unless you happen to live in Utah.
UPDATE - Following publication, it came to my attention that, in spite of the supposedly "gun free" zone status of Georgia Tech, there was yet another armed robbery committed by a robber with a gun. Apparently, those among us who are predisposed to commit violent crimes tend not to care much about violating one additional law. Georgia's law is not working, and it is time to stop denying us the right of self defense while visiting a school campus.
On 03/30/2009 at approximately 11:26 Pm, two Georgia Tech students were robbed at gunpoint in the Mechanical Engineering Alleyway, near the Skiles Classroom Building Walkway and Crossland Library. According to the victims, the offender approached them from behind and produced a silver semi-automatic handgun, demanding their wallets and book bags. The victims complied with the offender’s demands, and the offender fled the area on foot. No one was injured during the robbery.
This case is under investigation by the Georgia Tech Police Department.
Description of Suspect:
· Black Male, dark complexion, slender build, approximately 5’10” – 5’11” tall wearing a black hoodie, dark blue jeans, and a ski mask armed with a silver semi-automatic pistol
Additional Safety Information for Georgia Tech
Is anyone really surprised by this? Perhaps GA should pass a law stating that the sun should rise in the West...that has about the same probability of success.
Banning guns has NEVER kept the bad guys from having guns to use on the good guys who don’t. Never has, never will.
Liberals hate freedom and love being victims. It’s their comfort zone. Besides, fewer guns = more crime. More crime = more victims = greater latitude to restrict freedom. Liberals are evil.
GA Tech is located in downtown Atlanta, near some high crime areas. The campus is open to the public but at least has some campus cops and numbers of people around. Walking through the outlying areas frome the MARTA station or even the Varsuty hamburger joint puts an unarmed potential victim at risk. Knowing the victim is unarmed is just a plus for the predator. Best solution, don’t go to GA Tech or go by car and leave before the night predators come out.
One common thread in these events, the perps fled on foot. Seems like shoe control is needed to stop crime in these Gun Free Zones.
Seriously, what do you do if your dwelling is within a thousand feet?
“Seriously, what do you do if your dwelling is within a thousand feet?....”
DO as the criminals do: IGNORE IT and don’t tell anyone!!!
If you need it, use it. Tried by 12 is a heckuva lot better than being lugged by 6.
“Liberals hate freedom and love being victims. It’s their comfort zone. Besides, fewer guns = more crime. More crime = more victims = greater latitude to restrict freedom. Liberals are evil....”
As said before: Liberalism is an evil insidious mental disease with no know cure. Years ago, those kinds of people used to be kept locked up in state institutions known as “nut houses”. They tried everything to cure em, including shock therapy...nothing helped. They are now out in society dictating social and political policy. They will get us all killed if allowed to have their way.
Imagine that! Criminals don't obey the law! Who'da THUNK it?
Worse yet: the GT campus butts right up alongside the massive I85/I75 freeway. Gotta wonder how many otherwise perfectly law-abiding citizens are unwittingly committing a punishable-by-10-years felony by merely driving from point A to B via passing the Varsity.
I have a carry license. My 14 year old daughter plays with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta. They rehearse at a Georgia State University campus building on Sundays. There are times I have to park several blocks away and walk to meet her at the door. This law prevents me from carrying my pistol in a bad part of the city. I’ve been panhandled, but luckily nothing worse than that.
I’ve taken to circling the block over and over again until she calls. Then, she comes out when my car pulls up.
I have had Georgia concealed carry permit for the past 20 years. always carry concealed no matter where I am at, including when I’m at the GT campus.
The point of concealed carry is that no one should know you are carrying. I’m not a law breaker and never have been detained or searched by law enforcement.
Should I ever need to use my weapon in a “no carry’ zone, I rather have the option to try my case in court if charged than have my family and friends have to testify in court on my behalf at my killers sentencing hearing (if he would be caught at all).
The old “better tried by 12 than carried by 6” approach.
Boycot Goodyear if you are afraid of Gun Free Zones like I am. And take a second step ... tell them why.
Liberals are evil.
I used to think that they were either Insanely Stupid or Evil.
Recent evidence is starting to really support the Evil hypothesis.
I ignore those signs.....The only legal recourse the store owner has is to ask you to leave.
That stated, I also would not patronize that business and let the owner know why as well.
Great job! Goodyear can take their stinkin’ tires back up north....
“always carry concealed no matter where I am at, including when I’m at the GT campus.”
So the gun free zone rule don’t work for you neither. Not much point in having one other than to make theives and rapitists feel more comfortable is there.
It makes the lib's feel like they are doing something about it. In reality, they are making matters worse. But it how they feel about it that matters, not your life or freedom. Applies to lib's at a federal level as well.
It's not about you, it's about their feelings.
By the way, the Full Auto Ban Amendment to the 1986 “Firearms Owners Protection Act” never REALLY passed! And the BATF knows it. It was just on a voice vote, and the Nays WAY outweighed the Yeas on the Amendment’s adoption ballot! I heard it! Rep. Charles Rangel, D-NY, substituting for Tip O’Neil, just PROCLAIMED that it passed, to the GASPS of many in attendence, and the minority Repubs could not challenge him because of the parlimentary rules in effect at the time! HONEST! It is History!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.