Portland, Oregon City Attorney calls concealed-carrying citizens "insane," "evil." [Audio file]

Newsradio 750 KXL (Portland, OR) ^ | 12-19-02 | Lars Larson

[robert0122]

I just hope that our CCW folks (who hopefully are neither evil nor insane) will at least yell "FORE" or something like that before they start blazing away in the parking lot of WalMart so the rest of us could get a chance to duck.

Have there actually been any cases of CHL/CCW holders recklessly "blazing away" at anyone and endangering innocent bystanders? Or is this simply the product of an overactive hysterical imagination?

[Shooter 2.5]

There's always that online shopping option.

[Psalm 73]

.357 Magnum. How far will that round go before it is no longer lethal?

It will stop what it needs to stop, as I hit what I aim at.
What is the real reason you ask that question? Or, what do you carry - a cell phone to dial 911?

[BenLurkin]

Hmmmm . . . .you may have something there.

[BenLurkin]

A Cor-Bon frangible would be a good option I suppose. I think they make it chambered for .357.

Question remains though, why would anyone go shopping where they thought there was a significant chance they would need a firearm?

[wildbill]

i don't know when I've had so many responses. Write a reasoned essay on politics and you get nada. Write something about guns with [\irony on] and you get a bucket full.

To all of you out there dreaming of shoot-outs, you have my blessings. To those who feel they need concealed guns to protect themselves outside the home, I hope you never have the need to use them or you might try to live in a safer neighborhood. And I hope all of us never meet a bully with a need to prove his manhood with a gun.

[oldfart]

Ben, it isn't that we go shopping where we expect trouble, it's that we don know when trouble will find us. There are plenty of places where I know trouble will find me and I don't go to any of them.

The kids at Columbine didn't expect trouble. Neither did the patrons of Luby's Cafe, but had there been a concealed defensive weapon on hand at either site the outcome could have been considerably different.

It has been argued (and will be again) that adding another gun to an already tragic situation could make things even worse, but how much worse could either of those cases have gotten?

No, I think that if more people carry concealed guns, criminals and would-be criminals will have a much harder time making a living.

[oldfart]

So you think we should all try to live in safer neighborhoods. Care to point one out? I don't know where you live, but in recent years crime has moved away from the waterfronts and into the more upscale neighborhoods. Scarcely a day goes by without some mention of a meth-lab getting busted down the street from the house of a local politician or businessman.

My neighborhood used to be pretty quiet, but in the past year we've had drug busts, burglaries, home invasions and murders. I suppose I could take your advice and move, but the bad guys move too. Sooner or later I'd end up either in some 'secure housing' (which is just another form of self-imposed prison) or live in a armored motor home. I wonder what kind of deal I could make with the government on a used Bradley fighting vehicle?

Thanks, but I don't run very well any more.

[wildbill]

Well, since your neighborhood is getting run down, don't you think "open carry" instead of "concealed carry' would deter more crime? If they think you're an oldfart who can't run, and don't see a strapped down hog-leg, the bad guys are more apt to mug you.

And who cares about those wusses that say they worry about someone stealing their gun out of their holster in a crowd as a reason for concealing their weapon. Any Man who can't keep control of his weapon shouldn't have one, say I.

[oldfart]

Last July, I was standing by my car, waiting for my wife, when I was suddenly accosted by two guys in blue uniforms. They were reasonably polite, but they did point their guns at me, tell me to put my hands on my head and lie on the sidewalk. It seems my shirt had slipped up and they could see my gun and were worried I might decide to kill a bunch of people.

Society has been 'wussified' to the point that only police officers can carry openly without being instantly suspected of some sort of terrorisim. Even if you go to the trouble to get a concealed carry permit, you usually have to make sure your weapon is truly concealed. Sure, we have 'open carry' here in Oregon, but unless you're out in the woods or mountains, some idiot will call 911 and report you, whereupon you end up facedown on the sidewalk until the situation gets sorted out.

As an aside, when the officers were disarming me, one of them, in his best 'taking command of the situation' manner, told me that he had a Glock against the back of my head and if I moved, he'd blow my brains out. I think I surprised him when I told him that, with a Glock, he'd need to be that close.

Anyway, things eventually got straightened out and I went on my way. Now I'm a lot more cautious about how my shirt is hanging. I don't want to have to go through that again.

[wildbill]

I had no idea there were so many problems in defending your life and liberty in Oregon. I've also noticed that a lot of the men in blue have an attitude about guns--yours and theirs.

Since I seem destined by fate to solve your self-defense problems, let's review:

1. Open carry would be preferable because it announces to the bad guys that they'd better watch out.
2.But open carry brings on problems of its own (ie. fear by the uninformed general community that a potential criminal or nutcase is loose.)

We need to think outside the box. How about these ideas?

1. For open carry situations--Unfold a large umbrella (preferably pink to demonstrate mildness) with "I'm OK--Just defending myself" printed on it. Should be useful in all that rain up there as well.

2. For concealed carry situations: There's nothing like a return to our roots. For thousands of years Man protected himself with swords and spears, so keep your .44 magnum concealed, but blatantly exhibit some cold steel. Spears and longswords are pretty cumbersome,even in your humvee, so I'd recommend a kukri, a heavy, wide-bladed, medium length decapitator from Northern India. Anybody sees that baby, they know they better walk softly and watch out!

It's been fun, but this exchange ought to do it. I have other people to help all over the world.

[meyer]

There's always that online shopping option.

I do that armed, too.

[longrider]

I don't know where in Oregon you go. But where I've lived for the past 8 years,is nothing like where I came from ( Sacramento).The last Christmas I was there, I got shot at either 4 or 5 times. Close enough to hear the bullets buzz past my head. I now have conceal carry permit and so do most of my friends. And do you know what, we have a real friendly little town.

[oldfart]

Thank you Bill. I know you need to get back to your busy schedule. Still, you have no idea (really-- you don't) the appreciation I feel for your attention. It warms me to know that you're off helping someone else now.

[Shooter 2.5]

I don't think he works in Public Relations.

[John Lenin]

The Liberal Mantra:

Self Defense ? Two wrongs don't make it right !