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Lessons to be learned from the beating of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barret
Examiner ^ | 08/15/09 | Eric Puryear

Posted on 08/16/2009 1:18:41 PM PDT by freespirited

 

Milwaukee, WI Mayor Tom Barrett was leaving the WI state fair on Saturday night when he heard a woman scream for help.  Barrett began calling 911, at which point the suspect turned on Barrett and began beating him with a metal pipe.  The suspect then fled, and Barrett was taken to a local hospital.  Barrett was listed in stable condition at the hospital, and police are seeking the suspect.  The woman was unharmed. 

I would like to start by offering my best wishes for a speedy recovery to Mayor Barrett.  His willingness to come to the aid of a stranger, and endanger his life in doing so, should be commended.

However, as this case shows, heroic intentions are not enough to stop a criminal.  Criminals, who by definition don't care about the law, are quite willing to illegally carry and use deadly weapons, such as metal pipes, guns, bats, knives, etc.  Laws that restrict the carrying of guns for self defense just ensure that law abiding victims and Good Samaritans (like Mayor Barrett) are defenseless against the still-armed criminals.  Indeed, even when criminals don't happen to be armed, they still tend to be able to overpower those unarmed victims and Good Samaritans.  That is because criminals tend to be strong young males, who intentionally target physically weaker victims.  Even if Mayor Barrett had been able to complete his 911 call, it is unlikely that calling the police would have really helped.  Under even the best circumstances, the police are likely minutes away, while a violent criminal can complete their attack in seconds.  On top of that, the sad fact is that the police often fail to respond in a timely fashion, due to negligence or a lack of resources.

When citizens are armed, they are in the best position possible to defend themselves and other innocent people.  This armed citizen stopped a bank robber.  This armed Idaho woman defended her young children from 2 home invading prison escapees.  This armed man saved the life of a store owner from attack by a violent armed robber.  This armed homeowner saved 3 people from armed home invaders.  This armed college student saved 9 other people from rape and murder at the hands of armed home invaders.  I could go on giving more examples, but the point should be clear: armed self defense is a crime victim's (and a Good Samaritan's) best chance at surviving a violent attack. 

Wisconsin and Illinois are the only 2 states without any provision to allow law abiding people to carry a gun for self defense.  It seems to me that it is time for the residents of those to states to take a long hard look at whether they want to keep those victim-disarming laws on the books.



TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: banglist; rkba; selfdefense; tombarret
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To: gaijin

It was a nice young white boy wearing a Boy Scout uniform and carrying a prayer book.


21 posted on 08/16/2009 3:24:46 PM PDT by Sequoyah101 (Half of the population is below average)
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To: norraad

It’s Aikido - A-I-K-I-D-O.

I will assume you meant “Now that’s just plain fun!”

Fighting is not fun if it is necessitated, but only when it is joined in sport with accepted controls.


22 posted on 08/16/2009 4:40:08 PM PDT by reed13k (For evil to triumph it is only necessary for good men to do nothing.)
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To: wardaddy
My husband has a conceal carry permit. He carries every where - including church.

He would not hesitate to draw down, nor would I.

...and yes we know it is illegal to carry in church. He and I figure he will deal with the ramifications should he ever have to reveal his weapon.

23 posted on 08/16/2009 5:41:46 PM PDT by SoftballMominVA
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To: norraad
BS flag is on the field!

While I agree that one should know how to defend themselves w/o a firearm, the idea that an unarmed layman can “dance around etc etc” is disingenuous to say the least!

I'd really like to hear the tales of “mano-a-armed mano” combat-very likely the “armed mano” would be telling it.

I am quite proficient in combatives/blended martial arts, and I carry a firearm. Seen the elephant more than once and know enough of reality to be well armed.

best

24 posted on 08/16/2009 6:28:30 PM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret) "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War")
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To: freespirited

'Nuff said.

25 posted on 08/16/2009 6:35:43 PM PDT by Jabba the Nutt (Are they insane, stupid or just evil?)
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To: freespirited

I am completely in agreement with the major premise of your post. However, I don’t think you serve your argument well by alleging that the police fail to show up in time due to “negligence”. To a man and woman, the law enforcement officers I know would like to be at the scene before a violent event occurs. You mentioned also a lack of resources. I’d posit to you that this is indeed the reason police don’t show up “on time”. When seconds count, they can be there in a few minutes.

You’re absolutely right about Wisconsin and Illinois being States which guarantee, by law, a criminal’s right to have a selection of unarmed prospective victims.

If even one tenth of one percent of the population of law-abiding citizens were able to carry concealed, the criminal’s odds of encountering an armed citizen would serve as a deterrent. Unfortunately, when some nut-job takes after a woman with a metal pipe in full public view, this moron hasn’t considered consequences.

But for the coward who now preys on an unarmed populace, reducing his odds of success will reduce his willingness to take the risk that he now deems acceptable. By law, the only armed people he’s now likely to encounter are cops and other criminals.

This state of affairs needs to be changed.


26 posted on 08/16/2009 8:26:18 PM PDT by jimcarroll
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To: freespirited

A liberal is nothing more than a conservative who hasn’t been mugged yet. It’ll be interesting to hear from Hizzonner d’ Mayor on this one!!!!


27 posted on 08/16/2009 9:07:34 PM PDT by dtrpscout (A bad dog is better than most good people.)
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To: Don Carlos

lol...sounds like my ex-wife

i was skeered of her I confess...bad enuff I kept no firearm in the home she could access


28 posted on 08/17/2009 8:09:58 AM PDT by wardaddy (Aint it hard when you discover that He really wasnt where its at ....Bro.)
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To: Spktyr

not to mention just a good fighter....seems like in MMA these days that those best with striking win till he hits the ground ...then wrestlers prevail

foot work is down the list in effective


29 posted on 08/17/2009 8:12:02 AM PDT by wardaddy (Aint it hard when you discover that He really wasnt where its at ....Bro.)
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To: SoftballMominVA

shoot ..it’s a good thing to have a gun in church sometimes

i had a preacher once who used to rile me with his PC diatribes

not to mention loud kids in the balcony

/s


30 posted on 08/17/2009 8:13:27 AM PDT by wardaddy (Aint it hard when you discover that He really wasnt where its at ....Bro.)
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