John D. See: We'd be less safe with concealed weapon law (Barf Alert)

As an avid hunter and conservationist, I have watched with growing alarm the way the gun lobby and its political allies have insinuated their way into Wisconsin's outdoor sports.

We now see that the Wisconsin Conservation Congress has agreed to become a forum at its April meetings for Sen. Dave Zien's concealed weapon bill (Personal Protection Act, Senate Bill 357).

Once again Zien is trying to force this pet legislation of the National Rifle Association down the throat of Wisconsin. It may interest you to know that Zien is listed as a contact person in an advertisement that accuses Attorney General Jim Doyle and state Sen. James Baumgart of being terrorists. The ad states that Doyle and Baumgart are out to destroy our way of life and plan to ban guns and hunting in Wisconsin. It concludes by saying, "Let's get rid of them!" (Tradin' Post Buyer's Guide, Feb. 19-25).

This is the type of hateful rhetoric we associate with skinheads and militia groups, not state senators. Let's hope Zien will disassociate himself from such talk.

For its part, the Conservation Congress has absolutely no business taking up the question of concealed weapons. Its chartered function is to advise the Department of Natural Resources on issues that pertain to conservation and wildlife. It is not a forum for discussing larger societal issues such as crime or public health, and it betrays the public trust when it enters into such a charade with right-wing politicians.

They hope to sway the outcome by focusing on such things as funding for shooting ranges and protecting hunters' rights to carry handguns in the field, but these are just camouflage to obscure the real question, which is whether the carrying of loaded pistols on our streets will decrease the level of violence.

This is a public health question that should not be put to a popular vote; it can be answered only by scientific research. There are many responsible hunters and NRA members, but on this issue they are allowing themselves to be hijacked by a gun lobby that is more interested in power politics than public safety.

Here are some of the main issues surrounding the concealed-carry weapon (CCW) laws.

The first thing the gun lobby claims is that concealed weapons will protect us from violence, but in fact the evidence for such a proposition is highly controversial. They continually cite the work of John Lott (More Guns, Less Crime, 2000) as proof that more concealed handguns result in less crime. What they don't tell you is that many scholars have seriously questioned Lott's statistical analysis as well as his conclusions (Myths About Defensive Gun Use and Permissive Gun Carry Laws, Webster & Ludwig, 2000, www.jhsph.edu/gunpolicy). They also don't tell you about the large and compelling literature that points in exactly the opposite direction, i.e., fewer guns lead to less harm.

Wisconsin is one of the safest places in America. We rank 45th in violent crime, and our overall crime rate has been dropping steadily for the past decade without any help from concealed-carry weapon laws. Our police do an excellent job of protecting us and they do not need or want the help of bumbling vigilantes with handguns. The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association continues to oppose this legislation.

Since Sept. 11, Zien and others from the gun lobby have said that concealed-carry weapon laws will help in the fight against terrorism. Do these guys really believe this nonsense or is it just more shameless opportunism? In either case, it should be ignored. Gov. Tom Ridge, Bush's head of homeland security, says in regard to armed citizens, "That's not the best antidote to 21st century terrorist attacks." (December, CNN report). Certainly, recent events have shaken our confidence and we should be deeply worried about terrorism, but concealed handguns in Wisconsin are irrelevant to the discussion.

The gun lobby continually peddles the myth that those states that have adopted concealed-carry weapon laws have had few if any problems. This is a half-truth at best. To get the rest of the story, check out "CCW License Holders: Law Abiding Citizens?" at www.bradycampaign.org. In Florida and Texas alone, there have been thousands of concealed-carry weapon licensees arrested for the full range of criminal behavior, including murder and assault. The savagery unleashed by these legal, concealed weapons should be disturbing to anyone whose brain isn't bloated with testosterone.

For those who want to examine the handgun issue in depth, here are some good resources that Sen. Zien and the NRA will never tell you about: "Gun Violence, The Real Costs" by Cook & Ludwig, 2000; "Every Handgun Is Aimed at You" by Josh Sugarmann, 2001; the Violence Policy Center at www.vpc.org; the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence at www.bradycampaign.org; Americans for Gun Safety at www.americansforgunsafety.com.

John D. See, Ph.D. is a retired college professor, life-long hunter, and member of numerous conservation groups such as the Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy. He lives in Menomonie.

* Voice of the people, 120,000 Policemen kill more honest citizens than 2,500,000 Citizens with CCW every year*

* *

Liberal bias newspapers commit a First Amendment felony crime on the Second Amendment by not all the story.

Editorial Headline “Annie get your fanny pack”. Every school child has heard “yelling fire in a theater is not protected by the first amendment. Likewise yelling fire fear without a thread of evidence or research is yelling FIRE” on the second Amendment.

I returned from a vacation to read the Chicago Tribune June 25th editorial article with amazement and the responses on Saturday June 30th.

Citizens in 42 states “Do not fear Gun Owners who conceal (CCW).” To Tribune readers you make the call.

In 1986 only eight (8) states allowed citizens to CCW and crime was on the rise. In the year 2001, 42 states now have CCW laws on the books and crime continues to drop. Researchers to the self-defense issue, has noticed crime begin dropping immediately after enactment in each state and showed up four - five years before the Brady law. GG’ers don’t want you to know this. This is not CCW media spin; the criminal does not want to get shot. Our Indiana neighbor has issued 350,000 CCW permits and zero (0) has been revolted for a firearms homicide.

In the last twenty years Chief of Police in converting CCW states were pleasantly surprised to find the quality of CCW application is a mature (35-65 yr old) solid citizen, enduring extensive required firearm safely training and training how to avoid a showdown with a criminal and as a group commit less crime than even Policemen.

There are 21 times more (est. 2,500,000) CCW owners than street policeman (120,000) in the United States. Policemen killed 330 innocent citizens in 1996 and CCW’ers (30). Statistically you are 300 times more likely to be innocently shot by a policeman than a CCW owner. Another way to measure it. Every time you see a policemen in a CCW state you have rubbed elbows with up to 21 CCW’ers. Sidebar: 700,000 Doctors kill by mistake 90,000 people annually in our nation. Our hearts should go out to each and every family and our heads need to be crystal clear on this issue.

Women are the fastest growing group of gun owners in the United States. “Dial 911 and Die” is real with 911 response times from 5 to 30 minutes. What logic would the Chicago Tribune tell a woman to use to “talk down” the rapist with AIDS or HIV or STD? 10 minutes is a long time. Get your watch and start talking. Do gun grabbers honestly think the rapist will use a condom? Women should be outraged at the gun grabbers for forcing such defenseless thinking.

Who really needs CCW? The Handicap, wheelchair bound, the elderly, mothers, and daughters, the poor.

Question to the Tribune reader? Why do you think, judges, probation officers, bail bondman, attorneys and social workers are given the right to CCW in Chicago or carry illegally? If you ask they will tell you, they are dealing bad guys everyday and know the mindset of these early release felons. 3.7 million early release prison felons (prison over crowding) out on probation. Where do these felons live? In your neighborhood.

Bad guys will always have guns. It is dumb and dumber to believe America is safe by taking away firearms from honest American Citizens. Anti gun groups in Chicagoland are doing just the opposite are providing “gun free zones” for criminals.

Most all State Statues are written to protect the general public not the individual. It is the individual’s responsibility to protect themselves and their families at home and away from home.

It is a myth that CCW owners kill cops, or citizens with road rage. In the United States over the last twenty years only two (2) known road rage shootings have occurred. Believe me if Road Rage shootings were a problem, the gun grabbers, and miss informed politicians would let us know. After an car accident in TX, the driver begins to punch the man in the face, breaking his eye socket, nose. Profusely bleeding from the face, the 65 yr old driver pulled his gun and shot the road raged driver saving his life.

· My personal thoughts: Every solid citizen who elects to CCW will carry a tremendous burden. This burden is to stay legal, or be charged with a felony or at least a grand jury indictment, should they ever break one of 25,000 gun laws or kill an attacking criminal.

· Jesus in the Bible was smart enough to cast blame on Cain for killing Abel, not blame the stone. Those who believe the “GG” fear spinners need to wake up.

· One final closing thought, Christian religions and other religions teach the need to protect ones self. Jesus said in Luke 22:36 30 He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one. The sword was the finest weapon outside of the home of its time, far better than rocks, clubs, and stones.

*Keep and Bear Arms *

http://www.keepandbeararms.com

* 9000 Doctors *

PS 9000 Doctors http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a3acdecea1205.htm

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