In response to Mr. Graham: Anyone who dares to say guns are a problem gets
the same line every time: Don’t try to prevent gun deaths by making it
inconvenient to get guns -- no no. Not until you have made the world perfect
by eliminating mean people.
My response: There will always be mean people, and there will always be
crime. The Brady Law has kept guns out of the hands of 840,000 people who
shouldn’t have guns. Restricting access to guns makes a difference. I will
not say gun laws have failed because crime hasn’t been eliminated. Crime
never will be eliminated. But more people will survive if fewer crimes are
committed with guns.
The conceal-and-carry law is an outgrowth of the idea that if bad guys
continue to be bad guys, then let’s all be as much like the bad guys as
possible. For the current situation in Jordan, I do not think forming a
posse of permit holders and getting in bad guys’ faces with guns is a
constructive idea. If you want the status of rival gang member, then you’re
entitled, but I do not think that will make you safer. Furthermore, if it
becomes normal in Minneapolis to chase down one’s neighbors with a gun, how
are we going to be able to tell who’s “law-abiding”?
I always have been happy to pay for effective, professional policing of
every neighborhood – even other people’s neighborhoods, an idea that is out
of fashion with the current state government. The Gang Strike Force worked
and was cut drastically. The Minneapolis Police Department has seen violent
crime drop by 40 percent in five years and has been cut. Conceal and carry
wastes precious resources and complicates the enforcement of laws against
the illegal carrying of guns.
In response to the "I haven't heard of problems with permit holders"
statement: On April 21, 2003, right in the middle of the debate about this
law, a 31-year-old Brooklyn Park, MN permit holder was arrested for pointing
his gun at his wife and threatening to kill her. The media was not all over
it. It got a few lines in the Sun-Post May 1.
One of the biggest proponents of the law, David Gross of St. Louis Park, has
a permit from Florida. He told the Star Tribune that he had pointed his gun
at a pesky neighbor. (That’s a felony.) “It worked – they moved,” he is
quoted as saying.
Anyone who “hasn’t heard” about problems with permit holders should check
into the 5,314 arrests of permit holders in Texas ('96-'01) for crimes
including murder/attempted murder (41), sexual assault, and impersonating a
police officer. (From the Violence Policy Center, at vpc.org). In Utah,
1,000 permits have been revoked for reasons including convictions for murder
and sexual assault. (See current Christian Science Monitor,
www.csmonitor.com).
You can go to www.bradycampaign.org for incident reports of people
accidentally shooting each other and bystanders in restaurants, movie
theaters and more. Coming to a city near you!
Heather Martens
Kingfield
TEMPORARY REMINDER:
1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait.
2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject
(Mpls-specific, of course.)
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