cuchulainn
Member
from the Grand Island Independent
http://www.theindependent.com/stories/040603/opi_edit06.shtml
http://www.theindependent.com/stories/040603/opi_edit06.shtml
Published Sunday, April 6, 2003
Concealed gun law won't increase safety
When virtually every law enforcement agency in America is decrying the increased approval of concealed gun laws, shouldn't that tell you something about why Nebraska should not have such a law?
It appears the Nebraska Legislature will bow deeply before the gun lobbyists and allow Nebraskans the opportunity to carry a concealed gun as they go about their daily lives. Supporters of the bill generally offer two reasons for Nebraskans to pack a gun at the grocery store or movie theater: 1) they contend that it is a constitutional right to bear arms, and 2) it will raise the personal safety factor of citizens if they are able to hide a Smith and Wesson under their polar fleece jacket.
We doubt that the fathers of the Constitution intended for the general public to be able to walk down their streets with a loaded .38 special tucked in their jeans. Times were different in the 1780s. As a newly liberated federation of states, there was a high priority to provide as much national and personal defense as possible. It was important that people of that era be able to defend their farms and property because of the lack of organized militia or police to enforce the law.
Quite frankly, it is a a terrible indictment on this nation that 43 other states have passed a form of this law and allow citizens to conceal a handgun while traversing the neighborhoods. Society is not going to improve because of this bill. It is estimated that 64,000 Nebraskans will be granted permits to hide a gun in their purses and pockets. We will not be safer with 64,000 additional guns on our streets.
We agree with the police that a better alternative to guns would be for people to carry pepper spray for personal defense. Bullets are final. Pepper spray offers a quick recovery to innocent victims of gun violence without permanent injury.
Currently, law enforcement officers presume that individuals are not armed. If police make what is generally referred to as a "felony stop" under the new law, they will need to presume that all persons are armed. They will not know if the driver has a permit for a concealed weapon. Even if the driver's license or vehicle registration contains the permit information, the officer will not know about the permit until after the initial contact with the driver. This will test the patience and restraint of both the police and the public.
Another issue is that there is no database or list of people who have been adjudicated by a court as mentally ill that would prevent them from obtaining a concealed weapon permit. Newly enacted medical privacy laws will make this even more difficult.
While there is a fee to pay for the permit, as well as mandatory training and safety classes, there is no way to judge a person's character or ability to assume the responsibility of carrying a gun. The bill requires that a check of criminal history records be made on behalf of those seeking a permit. The harsh reality is that the database for such a check is rife with errors, omissions and incomplete files. It is very conceivable that a criminal could obtain a legal permit to carry a gun.
We have no quarrel with gun collectors, sport shooters or hunters. Those weapons are generally locked up when not in use. Adding 64,000 guns to the daily fabric of society, with all of the irritations and pressures that accompany these times, only increases the chances of people losing control and firing a gun in the emotional heat of the moment.
The Grand Island Independent · All content © 2003
