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Banning concealed guns leaves citizens vulnerable
John Andrew Willis
The National Rifle Association is offering free one-year trial memberships to all Americans in an effort to show lawmakers how many citizens support their Second Amendment right to bear arms. Although President Barack Obama - along with the Democratic majority in Congress - has pursued some worthwhile progressive causes, extending gun control is not one of them.
While it's kind of cute to think disarming law-abiding citizens would lower shooting deaths, it's not realistic. The majority of intelligent college students don't support concealed carry on college campuses because anybody "bold" enough to go on a shooting spree would not go to the trouble of applying for a concealed handgun license.
A similar scenario is true in the high-crime urban neighborhoods in America where the most murders by gunshot take place. A nearly insignificant number of licensed concealed handgun owners commit murder. Therefore, by taking registered guns away from our responsible citizens who go through the trouble to complete all the legal paperwork, we are making individuals - and likely the general public - defenseless against criminals who don't fill out any paperwork and illegally purchase guns on the "black market." I know a person who could have been robbed at gunpoint by looters at his home in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina if it weren't for the firearm he had to defend himself.
You might be thinking, "When will this pro-Bush, flag-waving, neo-conservative extremist stop polishing his pistol and wake up to reality?" However, that's not me at all. Not only do I not own any guns, but neither does anybody in my family. I'm not an avid hunter because I didn't grow up around hunters, but I enjoy shooting a shotgun every now and then.
I never thought I would join the NRA, but I did because it advocates common sense. Banning registered handgun possession is like TCU playing a football game without a defense. I don't want to be presumptive, but I'd imagine the opposing team (the criminals) would prevail. Let's also not forget the whole constitutional guarantee - Americans aren't big on losing their inherent rights.
John Andrew Willis is a sophomore environmental science major from Dallas.
Viewing Comments 1 - 6 of 8
Willbill
posted 4/21/09 @ 7:16 PM CST
Thank you for joining the NRA. I challenge your readership to do the same and reply that they have done so.
Jim
posted 4/21/09 @ 7:29 PM CST
Your common sense can tell you whatever... tell me how the United States, which is the only developed country in the world without gun control, also has the highest crime rate? Saying that we should arm law-abiding citizens in order to prevent crime would be like saying we should provide nuclear bombs to peaceful countries in order to prevent war. (Continued…)
HerbM
posted 4/21/09 @ 10:55 PM CST
NO gun control works anyway -- none, not any of it.
None of the CDC, the National Academy of Sciences of Sciences, nor DoJ were able to find that ANY gun control reduces VIOLENT CRIME, SUICIDE or ACCIDENTS in any significant manner. (Continued…)
Gordon Martin
posted 4/22/09 @ 8:48 AM CST
"The majority of intelligent college students don't support concealed carry on college campuses because anybody "bold" enough to go on a shooting spree would not go to the trouble of applying for a concealed handgun license. (Continued…)
arthur
posted 4/22/09 @ 11:03 AM CST
quote:The majority of intelligent college students don't support concealed carry on college campuses because anybody "bold" enough to go on a shooting spree would not go to the trouble of applying for a concealed handgun license. (Continued…)
sherry
posted 4/23/09 @ 11:22 PM CST
Tell me why all you can see are signs saying ' guns kill people'? I think that should be rephrased to 'people kill people. I have been a gun owner many years and I'll be damned if I am going to give up my rights because someoen has decided what is good for 'me'. (Continued…)
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