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Concealed carry not the answer [to retired Treasury Agent]
The Southtown Daily's Letters to the Editor ^ | Thursday, January 10, 2002 | Joseph A. De Leon, a retired U.S. Treasury agent

Posted on 01/14/2002 10:35:13 AM PST by dhuffman@awod.com

Concealed carry not the answer

Thursday, January 10, 2002

On Jan. 1, your Public Forum published a letter titled, "Illinois needs concealed-carry law." I would like to respond to that letter because the last thing Illinois or any other state needs is a concealed-carry law.

I realize that some misguided states have enacted conceal-carry laws to satisfy a minority of their citizens. Those states have ignored the right of the rest of their citizens, and visitors to their states, to go about their daily lives without being exposed to the potential danger of bullets fired by people carrying legally concealed firearms.

While I have seen no statistics showing that people are being accidentally shot daily by indiscriminate shooting from people carrying legally concealed firearms, I sincerely doubt that accidental shootings will not occur in the future. One has only to review news reports of the many people killed and injured each year by hunters legally carrying and discharging firearms during the hunting seasons to know that an intended target is not always a proper target, and it is not always the only thing shot. Those wanting concealed-carry laws should be assured that, no matter how well intentioned their actions, they can do more harm than good.

In addition, if they harm some innocent person they will no doubt be sued for every cent they have, or will ever have.

Legal carry proponents contend that crime statistics show a drop in crime in states authorizing legal carry. However, FBI statistics show that crime is down across the country. If concealed carry had even a small effect on crime prevention, I doubt that concealed carry is the answer to further drops in the crime rate. I am a retired U.S. Treasury agent, and I can tell you unequivocally that no law enforcement officer wants to rely on guns in the hands of the general public as a means of enforcing the laws of this country.

In addition, no law enforcement officer, uniformed or in plain clothes, while in the performance of his or her duty, would be happy to be confronted with a situation where a civilian either draws a gun, or is found to be carrying one for any reason. Despite the civilian's good intentions, such people would be in substantial peril.

Proponents of concealed carry say that there is no record of abuse of the right to carry concealed firearms, that an armed society is a polite society. To this I say, "Just wait. It is just a matter of time."

Just because a state has allowed citizens to carry concealed weapons, it has not automatically endowed them with good sense, or complacent tempers.

Lastly, if an armed society is a polite society, Afghanistan must be a country of very polite people. Just the type of society we need. Not!

Joseph A. De Leon
Orland 'Park



TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial
KEYWORDS: banglist; donutwatch
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Illustrating the depths of ignorance through which we wade.

The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.

1 posted on 01/14/2002 10:35:13 AM PST by dhuffman@awod.com (dhuffman@awod.com)
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Joseph A. DeLeon is lucky he wasn't a passenger on one of the doomed jets on Sept. 11th. If he had a concealed carry gun the outcome might have been different and all the lives could have been saved. Think of all the passengers who couldn't defend themselves from terrorists armed with box cutters and razor blades because anti-gun idiots like him ensured they were completely disarmed. The blood of every disarmed victim in the United States today is as much on the hands of the gun banners as it is on the criminals who murdered them.
2 posted on 01/14/2002 10:40:04 AM PST by goldstategop
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
I will bet this moron carries his gun regardless of what his mouth is saying.

More us and them that we are not supposed to recognize. Just lick the boots.

3 posted on 01/14/2002 10:41:16 AM PST by Nov3
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Yup, he's right. Just as the City of Chicago is right in declaring that NO private citizen may legally own a handgun.

Separate note: Chicago just overtook New York in the number of annual homicides.

The two items above are not, of course, related. As is the statistic that shows not only lower homicide rates in CCW states, but that abuse of guns by CCW holders is miniscule to non-existent.

But hey, facts are irrelevant in the face of imagined fears.....

4 posted on 01/14/2002 10:41:32 AM PST by Own Drummer
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Notice how the writer acknowledges the truth of each of the pro-CCW assertions he quotes?
5 posted on 01/14/2002 10:49:08 AM PST by Freemyland
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
I love statements like "I don't have any facts on this, but I'm sure that ...". This guy could benefit from reading the statistical analyses in "More Guns Less Crime". He'd find that the drop in violent crime in CCW states is greater than that for the country as a whole, and that the author, John Lott, has established a clear statistical correlation between CCW and lower crime rates.
6 posted on 01/14/2002 10:50:00 AM PST by John Jorsett
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Typical imperious Federal agent attitude, more afraid of the citizens he's supposed to serve than the criminals he's supposed to pursue. I'm glad he's retired, but I'll also bet dollars to donuts that he didn't turn in *his* gun when he turned in his badge.

For what it's worth, I spend a lot of time around cops, hunters, and licensed-to-carry civilians, and nearly EVERY negligent discharge I've witnessed has come from the hands of a cop who was playing cowboy.

7 posted on 01/14/2002 10:51:54 AM PST by brbethke
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Well, Mr De Leon is presumably an expert in what he's discussing, so I must grudgingly agree with him. Neither he nor any other retired U.S. Treasury agents should be allowed to carry firearms like regular full-fledged citizens.

-archy-/-

8 posted on 01/14/2002 10:52:03 AM PST by archy
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
I am a retired U.S. Treasury agent, and I can tell you unequivocally that no law enforcement officer wants to rely on guns in the hands of the general public as a means of enforcing the laws of this country.

Straw man argument. No one is suggesting that an armed public start enforcing laws. Those carrying concealed simply want to defend themselves if necessary, and have something other than their bare hands to do it with.

9 posted on 01/14/2002 10:52:57 AM PST by John Jorsett
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Concealed carry not the answer

A 'firearm' is the greatest equalizer a woman can have - and this guy says no way should you carry it.

Well scr*w him ...

10 posted on 01/14/2002 10:54:17 AM PST by _Jim
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To: bang_list
This guy's a liar, and he knows it. Twice in my life I've successfully defended my life with a firearm. In either case, I would have most likely ended up seriously injured or dead. In both instances, I did not have to fire, the bad guys simply hauled a$$, no one was injured, and no report was ever filed.

I have no interest at all in what any toady from the Treasury has to say about my inalienable right to keep and bear arms.


11 posted on 01/14/2002 11:02:06 AM PST by Joe Brower
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To: bang_list; donut watch
To the bang list and the police issues list donut watch. This retired treasury agent (could that be F troop, BATF) seems to think that no matter what only LEO's should be armed perhaps he never read the US Constitution but according to him he was sworn to protect that.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

12 posted on 01/14/2002 11:04:08 AM PST by harpseal
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
I am a retired U.S. Treasury agent, and I can tell you unequivocally that no law enforcement officer wants to rely on guns in the hands of the general public as a means of enforcing the laws of this country.

Translation from Federalese into ordinary American English: "I want my pals to keep their jobs. An armed citizenry and laws that honor the Second Amendment's commitment to the right to keep and bear arms will not only lead to lower crime, but also will cut down on arrests, raids, and prosecutions of ordinary, law-abiding American citizens on the basis of some 'gun control' law's provisions. That means less need for armed Federal agents and lower law enforcement budgets. Screw that." [End of translation]

13 posted on 01/14/2002 11:04:57 AM PST by Map Kernow
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
no law enforcement officer wants to rely on guns in the hands of the general public

As a 16 year LEO, I can say this guy is an idiot. The public is much safer (and freer) with RKBA.

14 posted on 01/14/2002 11:07:34 AM PST by LJLucido
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
," no law enforcement officer, uniformed or in plain clothes, while in the performance of his or her duty, would be happy to be confronted with a situation where a civilian either draws a gun, or is found to be carrying one for any reason."

Well, that about sums it up, doesn't it? The proletariat can't be trusted with guns- they can ONLY be handled by the exquisitely well-trained Law Enforcement folks, like this bozo.

When I have a T-Man assigned to me (and every member of my family) as a personal bodyguard, I will reconsider carrying my own pistol. (Well, no I won't, really- I trust myself more than I do most Government employees with guns. Think WACO).

15 posted on 01/14/2002 11:12:03 AM PST by RANGERAIRBORNE
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
"I am a retired U.S. Treasury agent, and I can tell you unequivocally that no law enforcement officer wants to rely on guns in the hands of the general public as a means of enforcing the laws of this country. "

No, because they are for only themselves having all the power. They do not want armed citizens that at one time might protect themselves from the criminals but the next time might be tempted to protect themselves from the "Jackbooted Thugs" that we know may federal agents are.

16 posted on 01/14/2002 11:12:46 AM PST by tberry
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To: goldstategop

I realize that some misguided states have enacted conceal-carry laws to satisfy a minority of their citizens. Those states have ignored the right of the rest of their citizens, and visitors to their states, to go about their daily lives without being exposed to the potential danger of bullets fired by people carrying legally concealed firearms.

Our founding fathers did not seem to have a problem with armed citizens. They thought it important enough to put in the constitution.

Funny, I don’t see “the right of the citizens…to go about their daily live without being exposed to …danger..” What ammendment is that?


17 posted on 01/14/2002 11:17:51 AM PST by CIB-173RDABN
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
" While I have seen no statistics...."

You don't, we do. STFU.

18 posted on 01/14/2002 11:17:55 AM PST by Shooter 2.5
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To: Shooter 2.5
My concealed handgun has killed fewer than Ted Kennedy's Oldsmobile!
19 posted on 01/14/2002 11:29:26 AM PST by Fireone
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To: dhuffman@awod.com
Afghanistan:

My understanding is that firearms are held the exclusive domain of tribal paramilitaries in their respective regions over which they exercise absolute authority. If firearms were possessed generaly by the regular folks (including women) how could it be that these regional "police" could , with such regularity, survive their nightly forays of rape and plunder among the citizenry?

There was an article a few weeks ago that exploded this Afghani myth that's been circulated by the media; in Afghanistan, only the police have arms.

20 posted on 01/14/2002 11:32:15 AM PST by dasboot
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