Letter: Anti concealed-carry-weapons letter contained many fallacies
May 12, 2008
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to Mr. Calhoun’s letter about concealed firearms (The NEWS, May 5). I feel there are several things wrong with his argument.
First is regarding the right of “the people” to keep and bear arms. The collective- right theory is pure fallacy. Why would “the people” in the Second Amendment be different than “the people” in the First, Fourth, Ninth or 10th? Here is a hint: It is not. You are very correct in stating that the Second Amendment should be looked at in the historical context in which it was written. Many states, including Ohio, guarantee the right of citizens to have firearms “for the defense of themselves and the state.”
Sighting a small number of justifiable homicides by concealed-weapons holders is also an error. Studies show in a violent encounter, simply producing a weapon often causes the attacker to flee. Concealed weapons are used successfully in defending people’s lives without firing a shot. Indeed, depending on which study you look at, lawfully owned firearms are used between 100,000 and 2.5 million times per year in self defense. It is likely that the true number lies in the middle.
Case in point: earlier this week a man entered a grocery store in Florida and got in an argument with the store managers. The man produced the weapon that he was illegally carrying. The two managers then produced their weapons. This caused the suspect to flee, firing several shots. The two concealed-weapons holders did not fire on the man. They surrounded and held him until the police eventually arrived. To say this isn’t a successful use of a lawful concealed firearm in self-defense is pure nonsense.
Lastly, it is true that officers are often killed by their own weapon. However, they carry openly, the suspects know that they are armed, and they know where the weapon is at all times. The element of surprise is on the side of the concealed-weapons holder. Not to mention, concealed-weapons holders do not have to restrain the suspects, as police officers do. This places the officers in very close contact with suspects on a regular basis. Do you have any statistics on concealed-weapons holders being disarmed and killed with their own guns?
And please, don’t quote the Brady Campaign studies. I can quote NRA studies all day long. In the end quoting studies from political groups with an agenda makes your argument look silly.
Andrew Wargo
Athens
Comments
Please log in to post a comment.
