I see where your coming from. But wouldn't you rather have a small chance than no chance? The comparison of armed citizens to gun slinging cowboys is a little over the top IMHO. In order for people in the majority of the states to conceal they must pass a firearms training and handling course. I would even venture to say that the vast majority of those carrying know when and how to use there EDC in a very safe and efficient manner.
I agree with you to some extent and understand the concern, firstly, we are in this world and so both yours and my answers will never be perfect, they will always have someone or something that will make them imperfect, yet the issue here is to address the need for innocence to protect themselves against the threat of violence and that i believe..though not perfect or without fault is important. i will also say that i believe bullets still hurt and can stop or slow an person who is shot with body armour on.
True, you may not get a kill shot, but trust me, if you put a couple rounds into his chest and break his ribs, he's likely to stop shooting for a little bit, at least until he catches his breath, and that will make it that much easier to tackle him and beat the pi$$ out of him.
This guy brought a gun to knife fight and ended it. It could have been like the mass knife murder in China but thanks to a gun carrying citizen, it ended. Kudos to you mr. Gun carrying good guy. http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4...-lake-city-smiths/NDNrL1gxeE2rsRhrWCM9dQ.cspx
The 911 hi-jackers used plastic knives. Over 3,000 killed... yet oddly... no one is crying out... and they get a monument and a masque.
Have you been anywhere near an airport since that attack? The crying out was loud and clear and steps taken. Several attempts since then have been successfully blocked. I would call it a win.
Not trying to throw off topic, but I think the 9/11 crowd mainly used box cutters/utility knives, nonetheless... The (visible) response was increased airport screening (fourth amendment debate aside), TSA, and improved cockpit security. Air marshals were also added but fairly easy to spot by frequent travelers. Behind the scenes much more has transpired... One part about the CO incident that I haven't heard much discussion about was why the door from the cinema didn't have an alarm. Another is the apparent ease of securing body armor. These are just curiosities for me. The elephant in the room is there are people who don't respect laws, the rights of others nor life itself -- regardless of the tool(s) they use (9/11 plane, gas in the japanese rail, bombs in european night clubs/trains, propane tank/bomb attempt in times square or guns in the more recent CO incident). The trajectory seems to be a gradual diminishing of existing Constitutional rights and migration away from the values, ethics, morals and principals which were held dear to prior generations. Sad and shameful.
Yes... and those who thwarted the attempts are heroes. The point is/was that banning things will never prevent their manufacture... and people cry out for what they are told to cry out for with a poor understanding that most laws are written to prevent decent folks from doing what they would never do without a new law being passed. 911 was just an example of what is possible within the mind of a terrorist bent on evil.
In case you haven't noticed, only my socialist state completely prevents law abiding citizens from carrying concealed firearms. 49 out of 50. And yet, the shootouts in the street with "Call of Duty - Modern Warfare" type body counts fail to materialize in those 49 states. In fact mass shootings almost never occur anywhere except in those locations within those 49 states where carrying of concealed firearms is prohibited.
Viginia Tech shooting - Public School - Gun Free Zone Northern Illinois University Shooting - Public University (and in the state of Illinois -no CC) Gun Free Zone Gabrielle Giffords Shooting - Public Meeting with Federal Official - Gun Free Zone Aurora Theatre Shooting - Theatre chain prohibits firearms by posting sign on the door - Gun Free Zone Any summer weekend in the City of Chicago. Until recently firearms were banned by City ordinance. Now after the Heller decision they have to "allow" them - it just takes 8-10 steps and your first born. More people have been killed in Chicago in the last 12 months than US soldiers/airmen/sailors/Marines in Afganistan - and they go in harm's way a whole lot more! Obviously that ban is working out well for the City. These are just off the top of my head.
Okay, I am familiear with those, thanks. So, the point you are making is what? Not being difficult here, just trying to understand your point. I think I know where you are going with this, but just curious. Are you saying that the gun laws actually allow this type of activity to happen?
Not at all. What I'm saying is multi-fold: 1) In spite of almost every jurisdicion in the nation allowing concealed carry, the Wild West which the Liberals complain about (and which they are even now complaining about in Illinois) has not come to pass. 2) The only recent instances of such mass mayhem and killing have taken place in locations where law-abiding people did not have the chance to protect themselves. 3) Since in at least two of these instances, the gunman shot everyone he could find (NIU and VA Tech), the outcome would have been no worse had a victim been armed, and could have turned out much differently, with only a comparative handful of victims, if one of the victims had been armed. I'm not saying that concealed carry would have changed the outcome in every case, but it is reasonable to assume that in some cases it would have changed the outcome. Also, we have no idea how many incidents have been "prevented" before they took place by the "shooter" not even trying out of fear that someone may be armed in whatever location they thought about shooting up. No real way to prove a negative, but we do know from interviews with convicted criminals in some of the early concealed carry states, that they targeted people with rental cars, thinking that they were more than likely tourists from out of state, and thus less likely to be armed. Knowing that gun bans don't work - criminals will always get guns from somewhere, I would rather take my chances with having the means to protect myself, than be a passive victim when, inevitably, some mentally deranged individual wants to go on a killing spree.
What if some creep bought 100-200 razor sharp knives and dropped them from a 50 story building during New Years Eve in NYC? Or how about if some whacko built a pipe bomb full of regular old nails and ignited it in a crowded theater? What if someone built a homemade flamethrower and walked into a church full of people on Sunday....and on and on and on and on. Not the weapon......
I see, thanks. So, in your opinion, is there anywhere that we should NOT be allowed to carry a concealed weapon? For instance, Church, schools, theaters, bars, stadiums, etc. Are we safer if guns are allowed in all of these places? If so, should there be additional training and continuing education for the carriers?
