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

[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

[StriperSniper]

Yesterday on Fox News I heard that there are 1 million guns for the 20 million Afghans, is that not a much lower ratio than in the U.S.?

[Squantos]

Joseph A. De Leon is a blithering idiot socialist.......IMHO !

Citizens don't "enforce" anything. That is repeated over and over in every "good" CHL training class . The CHL is for last ditch "personal/self defense" of individuals and their immediate families nothing more , nothing less !

His comments of CHL's will prove his point....."just wait .....he says .....well "De Leon the moron" I have carried with civie CHL since 1996 when I retired from the sheriff department and we don't have your blood in the streets and dead LEO's everywhere scenerio.

How friggin long do ya want us to wait for your mythical anarchy to occur ????

This guy WAS one of the communist door kickers who IMHO used the constitution of this country to wipe his @ss with on a daily basis. Good riddance , now shut your stupid socialist clintonista @ss up !

Sorry for the rant but this Sh*t, Spin and Shineola approcach to Socialism pisses me off to the max ! Damn these SOB's !

Stay Safe TM !

[Trident/Delta]

If you are going past a police car-stop and observe an officer being threatened with his own firearm or about to get his head squashed with a tire iron, please feel free to intervene and spray some lead at the bad guy until backup arrives. That cop might be me: 16 years and still going. I love gun nuts.

Well, "boot", as a 22 year LEO, I can tell you that your head is firmly up your posterior. Your attitude demonstrates your belief that your little tin badge bestows upon you "jedi-like" wisdom when it comes to firearms. I have always felt that the two things that 90% of cops have little to no knowlege of: guns and the law!

Semper Disgusted

[Squantos]

I can see the surgical single shot use of the .50 Barrets etc etc for LEO's but that view of the LAPD with the M-60 locked and loaded at the last public execution is evident that law enforcement and good police work is lost on their leadership (political and departmental) and risk management litigators.......

Stay Safe !

[RetiredArmy]

He is Liberal scum.

[dansangel]

"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."

"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."

This rocket scientist hung himself with those two statements.

[Joe Brower]

Hey, Squantos, re your #62 -- don't hold back, my good man. Tell us how you really feel.

[hattend]

Well, "boot", as a 22 year LEO, I can tell you that your head is firmly up your posterior. Your attitude demonstrates your belief that your little tin badge bestows upon you "jedi-like" wisdom when it comes to firearms. I have always felt that the two things that 90% of cops have little to no knowlege of: guns and the law!

Did you read dasboot's comments correctly? He wants armed citizens to came to his aid. At least that is how I read it. You wouldn't want a person armed with a gun to come to your aid if you faced a deadly threat?

[PatrioticAmerican]

Moral of the picture: Aim high or low. ;>

[Zon]

Guns are used two million times a year in self-defense.

The best way for a person to combat crime is to not become a victim.

[harpseal]

I still can not think of a situation where a local PD needs an M60.

Stay well - Stay safe - stay armed - Yorktown

[Dukie]

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

Interestingly, with the exception of a Navy, the framers made absolutely no mention of arming any part of the federal government. How does the proliferation of armed federal agencies - to say nothing of the agencies themselves - meet the test of constitutionality ?

[harpseal]

For your information there is a police issues bump list on Free Republic called donut watch. I was trying to be humorous when I named it.

To find all articles tagged or indexed using above index words

Go here: OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

and then click the topic to initiate the search! !

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[Squantos]

Sad that we (people that actually work and pay taxes) pay for this weasals retirement who still seeks to destroy this country from within either knowingly or (I doubt) unknowingly by aiding and abetting the domestic enemies of this to date great nation .......

As a former LEO I don't fear common sense law enforcement at all. I "fear/hate/despise" those in unifrom or not who think they are of a special class above the rest of citizens................BS !!!

Some things are just worth spending time in jail for and bitch slapping this idiot when he opens his yap to spew forth such is one of em IMHO. But I suspect he needs a come-along just to pull his head outta his butt just to eat his pablum every day.........thus preventing anyone from getting in a slap to his noggin !

Arrrrrrgh ! Stay Safe Joe !

[harpseal]

Your reading of the Constitution does match mine and they did mention the right of the people to keep and bear arms.

Stay safe - Stay well - stay armed - Yorktown

[Squantos]

Ditto, that's a criminal act in and of itself IMHO and I will sue the State, City Department, LEO, his wife, his kids, his grandmother and his friggin dog if it's used in my neighborhhood or ville for "law enforcement".......

Stay Safe .....

[harpseal]

I agree with all the lawsuit targets except maybe the dog.

Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown

[SauronOfMordor]

Oh, and BTW, Joe T-Man...I am the wife of a policeman, and I can assure you that nowhere NEAR "all" law enforcement officials have your twisted view of the Second Amendment. In fact, my husband worries quite often because I am not permitted to arm myself -- or to properly defend our children.

THis is an important point: police officers have wives, kids, parents, brothers, sisters, non-cop friends, etc, all of whom have no more right to carry guns in self-defense than any other non-cop citizen. And cops know the value of having a gun to defend yourself.

[Squantos]

OK , yeah,... maybe that was a bit much.....Gerbal ?

Stay Safe :o)

[Sloth]

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.

Translation: I know the facts don't back me up, but pay attention to my feelings!