Gunfighter

DEMON · Joined: 13 Jul 2007 Posts: 186 Location: Houston,Texas

Opposing view: Right-to-carry saves lives Fri Dec 14, 12:20 AM ET
By Wayne LaPierre

Let's stop saying there's nothing new to say.
The policy that USA TODAY derided in a 1994 editorial as "one of the most c*ckamamie clichés in the pro-gun lexicon" halted unspeakable carnage in a Colorado Springs megachurch on Sunday.
Colorado's right-to-carry law — which USA TODAY fiercely opposed as "an old West remedy" — empowered volunteer security guard Jeanne Assam to stop a mass murderer inside her crowded church.
It is fortunate but not relevant that Assam had a law enforcement background. All permit-holders undergo training, testing and background checks.
Right-to-carry saves lives. That's news this paper should cover, not disregard.
While USA TODAY predicted mayhem that never materialized, right-to-carry laws have spread from 15 to 40 states since 1991.
Statistics can't console grieving families, but might be more useful than defeatist editorials in developing public firearms policy.
Our analysis of FBI crime data shows that in 2006, compared with the rest of the country, states with right-to-carry had overall average violent crime rates 26% lower.
Critics argue that right-to-carry will produce "too many" armed citizens, but in the same breath they say that if a crime occurs, there'll be "too few" armed citizens to be useful. The fact is, some armed citizens are always better than none.
Only a tiny fraction of those eligible to get a permit actually get one. But nobody knows how many permit-holders actually carry.
Therein lies the deterrent. An armed few make the many safer, because the bad guys don't know who's armed and who's not.
It's a myth that more permit-holders mean more accidents. In fact, firearm accidents are among the lowest rates on record.
It's time to come clean. Would USA TODAY prefer that Jeanne Assam had left her gun at home on Sunday? Would USA TODAY support repealing Colorado's right-to-carry law?
USA TODAY should give an accounting for its years of opposition to right-to-carry. Or concede that it indeed saves lives.

Wayne LaPierre is executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. Twisted Evil

Hoff · Joined: 28 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: Warrior Nirvana

How many armed citizens are too many to few. How can you have too many when they are the good guys? One is all it takes to end the mudering spree of some frickin lunatic.

When we carry, we are responsible for self and family, we have the means to uphold our responsibility, and we will indeed make it so.
We are responsible.
Hoff

Semper_Fi · Joined: 08 Jul 2007 Posts: 399 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

For decades, liberal media outlets across the U.S. have filled their front pages and our TV screens with the ills of citizens owning firearms. These are the same "useful idiots" and "subversives" that are rounded up and eliminated when dictators take over countries. I've seen this happen in Cambodia and Nicaragua.

FBI statistics show that when law abiding citizens are armed, crime decreases. Further, NRA stats show that weapons training decreases weapon related accidents...both are no brainers.

The recent situation in Colorado is a perfect example of how one citizen, Jeanne Assam, who was armed, trained and willing to confront a killer, stopped crime dead in its tracks. Yes, the shooter took his own life but that was after Jeanne Assam put three 9mm rounds into him.

The U.S. media is downplaying Jeanne's role in the shooting and I've had my London staff scour UK media outlets for the story....sorry lads and lasses, not to be found.

The second amendment is here to stay as long as law abiding American citizens have the power to vote and remove gun grabbing politicians from office. The UK and Australia have been disarmed and violent crime has soared.

History has shown time and again that when dictators take power their first actions are to neutralize competing military and LE factions, disarm the public, restrict travel and take control of the country's public communication, media outlets and transportation/utility infrastructure.

Stay informed, stay armed and trained, and diligently protect your freedoms and rights...