More Firearms Equal More Grief, Loss of Life

The Columbus Dispatch ^ | 26 December 2003 | Officer Pat Barr

[buccaneer81]

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Local/State > Editorials More firearms equal more grief, loss of life Friday, December 26, 2003

As the debate over the concealed carry of handguns continues, I am baffled that any law-enforcement officer or agency would come out in favor of the bill. I applaud Gov. Bob Taft; obviously, he is a man of conviction and common sense.

I have yet to hear the pro-carry people explain why putting several thousand more guns out on the street is a good idea and how that would make us all safer.

There have been about 105 homicides in just Columbus this year, many of them involving firearms. Without looking at the statistics, I’ll bet not one of the firearms used was a weapon registered to the suspect, purchased legally or that the suspect completed any firearms training.

Folks, I have a newsflash for you: Most of the firearms used in shooting and homicide incidents are stolen during burglaries or from automobiles. Very rarely are they legitimately owned.

I have been a police officer in Columbus for almost 24 years. Having spent most of that time on the street and in homicide, I have knocked on many doors to tell family members that someone they loved wouldn’t be coming home because someone with a firearm had ended their loved one’s life.

I watched the TV coverage of the "peaceful" pro-carry rally at the Statehouse by those who claim it is their right to carry a firearm. One man was wearing a pearl-handled .44 Magnum in a Western-style holster. He’s just what we need standing in line next to a family while they wait to get into a Blue Jackets game. After years of seeing firsthand the grief, suffering and loss of life, quite frankly the thought makes me sick.

And these same people are fighting public access to records of the people issued permits to carry concealed firearms. Well, it’s my right, should this bill ever pass, God forbid, to know who they are!

OFFICER PAT BARR

Columbus Division of Police

[RLK]

There have been about 105 homicides in just Columbus this year...

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The reason for this is the thugs know nobody will fight back in a city of disarmed wimps. When there were few antigun laws in the '50s the amount of criminality was one tenth of what it is today.

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"about 105 homicides in just Columbus this year, many of them involving firearms."

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And many not involving firearms. Banning firearms would only mean the thugs would find a second weapon ot technique of convenience while leaving victims completely unprotected.

[umgud]

Over 35 states allow CCW and many of them just went thru the throws of allowing it (Minesota). All the opponents said the streets would be flowing in blood. But all the doom and gloom has never happened. I'm sick of the ignorant hype. The stats from the CCW allowing states need to be brought up at every debate.

[Mulder]

The stats from the CCW allowing states need to be brought up at every debate.

I used the numbers from the Texas CCW website, and calculated that if everyone were as law-abiding as Texas CCW holders, violent crime would decrease by 70%.

Some crimes, such as kidnapping and robbery, would decrease by 99%.

[George from New England]

This is guy is a product of the stupidity taught these days in public schools. Brainwashed 110%.

[yarddog]

I like the way they talk about putting guns on the street. Sort of like a big dump truck just dumps them out in high crime areas for everyone to grab.

In fact the guns are in the hands of overwhelmingly law abiding citizens.

[blackbart.223]

"I watched the TV coverage of the "peaceful" pro-carry rally at the Statehouse by those who claim it is their right to carry a firearm."

The Constitution affirms our right to be armed.

[Shooter 2.5]

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/convrates.htm

[GeronL]

Folks, I have a newsflash for you: Most of the firearms used in shooting and homicide incidents are stolen during burglaries or from automobiles. Very rarely are they legitimately owned

well, talk about defeating your own arguments

[Jabba the Nutt]

"Most of the firearms used in shooting and homicide incidents are stolen during burglaries or from automobiles. Very rarely are they legitimately owned."

If this is true, what then is the problem with CCW?

This cop is totally ignorant and uninformed, not to mention illogical.

[Gritty]

Well, it’s my right, should this bill ever pass, God forbid, to know who they are!

I just checked my copy of the Consitution, but I just couldn't find this right you claim to have.

However, while reading through the same Constitution, I found this right, which we all have ("civilians" as well as law enforcement)...

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

If you were an honest man, this subject would be settled in your mind. Any questions?

[Jackson Brown]

These dweebs need to answer a couple questions.

How many murders are committed by people with a license to carry?

Where it is known that a wide percentage of people do carry, how many murders and armed robberies were prevented?

It's a bit like the phony semi-automatic assault rifle (with background checks) issue. Like with FULL automatic rifles, there is not one known case where people who own fully automatic rifles (WITH the background check and license required) have EVER committed a murder.

Fully automatic weapons ARE legal in 35 states. As long the receiver was produced before 1986 it can be owned by a private citizen.

There are 10s of thosuands of "AUTOs" that are legally owned in the US and NOT ONE LEGAL FULL AUTOMATIC WEAPON HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN A CRIME SINCE 1930's.

People who are willing to have the background checks required to get a legal right to carry -- under present laws -- do NOT commit murder...but they often PREVENT IT!

[Mulder]

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/crime_records/chl/convrates.htm

That's the link I used. Actually there NO robberies or kidnappings committed by CCW holders, so it would be a 100% reduction in this category of crime, instead of the 99% I stated earlier (I was relying on memory alone instead of looking it up)

[Freedom2specul8]

"... banning word processors is the solution to stupid articles like this one."

I'll bump that and raise you 10!

[MarkL]

I have yet to hear the pro-carry people explain why putting several thousand more guns out on the street is a good idea and how that would make us all safer.

So given this line of thought, I suppose that this cop is against putting more armed police officers on the street, since that increases the number of guns out there... And I suppose that he opposes the National Guard patroling our airports, where 19 year olds are armed with M-16s, since again, there are more guns out there...

My guess is that he's not actually against more guns on the streets... He just wants to be sure that only the people he deems "proper" be allowed to defend themselves. He states the fact that most crimes committed with guns are where the guns are illegally obtained... So, why is it that he's against allowing legally armed citizens to carry arms on the streets?

Mark

[Shooter 2.5]

The Wisconsin State Senate is considering the week of January 12th for extraordinary session to vote on bills relating to job creation, and to hold an override session on concealed carry.
I just sent the Wisconsin Concealed Carry Association the link. They may need it. If I remember correctly, one of the anti's used false information concerning Texas license holders.

Tnanks for the reminder. I forgot to send it last time. Maybe it can sway a vote for our side.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

...Having spent most of that time on the street and in homicide, I have knocked on many doors to tell family members that someone they loved wouldn’t be coming home because someone with a firearm had ended their loved one’s life....

Most likely their unarmed loved one.

[Oztrich Boy]

He’s just what we need standing in line next to a family while they wait to get into a Blue Jackets game. After years of seeing firsthand the grief, suffering and loss of life, quite frankly the thought makes me sick.

Ossifer Barr is sickened by the Blue-Jackets?

[buccaneer81]

Ossifer Barr is sickened by the Blue-Jackets?

Well...as I see them losing again tonight in Chicago, I must admit it can be a less than healthy feeling to watch them.

[PistolPaknMama]

kaboom!

[jimfree]

By that worn out argument we should not license any new drivers or allow cars to be sold because people have died in automobile crashes.