[Mpls] gun signs

[heather martens]

Because I do not enjoy dining among loaded handguns, Mr. Gadberry advises me to "relax and take a deep breath." I appreciate his concern. I assume he speaks on behalf of those who are too scared to leave home without a loaded handgun.   I think these people should take his advice and consider the chances of shooting someone in self-defense (less than your chances of being struck by lightning). Then compare that to:   Getting killed with the gun they've bought for "self protection" -- (Risk of being killed with a gun is doubled if you own one - Annals of Emergency Medicine, June 2003).   Getting shot and killed by someone you know (Most victims know their assailants, with women significantly more likely than men to be victims of gun homicides. Ibid.)     Committing suicide with a gun -- (Risk is 16 times greater for gun owners than those without guns. Ibid.) Few people "attempt" suicide with a gun.   What is the chance of an accidental shooting with a permit holder's gun? I don't know, and the new concealed carry law doesn't let us find out -- the authors of this law preferred to track "justifiable shootings" instead. I predict an increase in handgun sales as well as more suicides and accidental shootings. There will also be crimes committed by handgun permit holders, including serious ones like murder and rape, as has happened in other states.   Gun rights activists continue to argue that laws have no effect on behavior. Yet the Brady Law has prevented 840,000 gun purchases. Because the Brady Law, with its gun-lobby sponsored loopholes, hasn't eliminated criminals, they say, let's give up on trying to prevent gun violence through laws. Okay, let's legalize murder, then. People who want to kill will do it anyway, right?   The signs in the stores discourage people from bringing their guns with them when they go out. Every gun left home locked and unloaded, or better yet, unpurchased, is an improvement on the alternative.   Heather Martens Kingfield