We've had two horrific shooting incidents in the last two days that have gotten national exposure - the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, and the still-unfolding incident in Tampa, Florida. Since the specifics of the Tampa incident are not yet published, I'll focus on the Fort Hood murders.
When I heard that in excess of a dozen soldiers had been killed and 30+ had been wounded - on an Army base - I first assumed that the killer had walked in with a fully-automatic rifle and just sprayed the place down. It later came to light that this crime was perpetrated by a single individual with two, semi-automatic handguns. WTF?
How could this be possible on, of all places, an Army base?
It seems as though most military posts are "gun free zones" for the most part. Aside from guards and sentries, no one was armed. Having never been in the military, this surprised the hell out of me. Most of the weapons on base are in locked armories.
The murderer, being a Major in the Army, knew this. He took advantage of this when he entered buildings that had upwards of 400 soldiers present. Honestly, it's amazing more weren't killed. This dog was finally stopped by a civilian police officer who was called and arrived 10 minutes after the shooting started.
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How many fewer soldiers would be dead if they had all been armed? How many fewer students at Virgina Tech would be dead if someone were armed? Pick your "favorite" mass shooting and ask the same question.
Gun control advocates will NEVER address that question. Somehow, in their warped brains, taking defensive weapons out of the hands of law abiding citizens will make them safer. It seems - time and time again - as though the bad guys never get the memo that they're not supposed to be armed, and they instead target all of these gun-free zones.
Funny how that works out, huh?
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Here in the state of California, we have a "May Issue" law for concealed carry. The state has left it to the whim of the local sheriff to determine who is worthy of a permit.
In most cases, unless you're somehow politically connected, you're SOL. Someone like fellow Californian and anti-gunner Senator Diane Feinstein is apparently worthy -
"Less than twenty years ago I was the target of a terrorist group. It was the New World Liberation Front. They blew up power stations and put a bomb at my home when my husband was dying of cancer. And the bomb didn't detonate. [...] I was very lucky. But, I thought of what might have happened. Later the same group shot out all the windows of my home. [...] And, I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself because that's what I did. I was trained in firearms. I'd walk to the hospital when my husband was sick. I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me."So, her life is worth protecting, but yours and mine are not.
A few years back, I obtained a Utah non-resident Concealed Carry Permit. Every time I've ventured out of California and had a gun with me, I have somehow restrained my "inner beast" from going on a shooting rampage. It's amazing, but true!
All kidding aside, that's the case across the nation. If you're in the mood for some statistics, go to Gun Facts and read all about it. States with "Shall Issue" laws are significantly safer than those with more restrictive laws.
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The sheriff in my county is not running for re-election. There are two candidates up for the position. I've sent both of them letters requesting their position on CCW laws and our recently passed AB962, which will now require all ammo buyers to be fingerprinted with each purchase, and prevent Californians from buying ammo online.
I've promised to share their positions with my 1,400 member gun club. We all vote.
You may have noticed the Life and Liberty Insurance link over on the sidebar. I think I'll buy each of them one of the 2010 calendars and circle Election Day...
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