A REBUTTAL TO THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE:
I read the recent column “Grab the Derringer, Honey, We’re Taking the Kids to McDonalds” by Nick Penning with ever increasing amounts of astonishment, disbelief, and dismay.
The first thing I wish to address is the entire issue of Virginia’s SB476. Rather than trying to understand Mr. Penning's interpretation I suggest that the reader go to the source by following this link to the Virginia Legislature tracking page
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?081+sum+SB476 .
Yes the wording of this bill would allow for persons with valid concealed carry permits to continue to carry concealed in a restaurant that serves alcohol and thus Mr. Penning would have you convinced that this will instantaneously lead to “a metastasizing of gun violence in bars and eateries all over the state”. However this argument falls flat because in Virginia it has been legal, for over a DECADE, for any citizen to have an “open carry” firearm in such a location (with the same restriction that they not consume alcohol). Many Virginians regularly go out to have dinner in a nice restaurant while carrying their firearms and have done so for more than 10 years and, believe it or not, they have obeyed the laws, acted responsibly, and there has been no “metastasizing of gun violence”. Yellow journalism aside, there simply is no threat and we have years of evidence to prove it.
Mr. Penning’s article title can be viewed with even greater irony as McDonalds doesn’t serve alcohol so carry (open or concealed with permit) is completely lawful in Virginia, and happens all the time irrespective of SB476.
Now let’s discuss where Mr. Penning likes to place the “blame” for SB476. He lays it squarely at the feet of “the Republican-led House of Delegates” and the National Rifle Association. I find it very interesting that he completely disregards the fact that the Democratically controlled Senate also passed the bill by a 24 to 14 vote and that so far I have seen a lot of grass roots citizen activity by individuals and groups such as the Virginia Citizens Defense League, but haven’t run into an NRA overlord one single time. Honestly some instructions from the NRA might have actually been helpful once in a while but no, we’ve had to muddle along on our own, as citizens of Virginia, figuring out how to let the government know what we’d like done and making our voices heard.
Next I simply have to address some worn out rhetoric. Someone once said “a lie repeated enough become the truth” so I feel it is a duty to address such lies when I discover them.
Mr. Penning talks about “gun-obsessed politicians”. Have you been to the capitol Mr. Penning? I have and the politicians I’ve met aren’t “gun-obsessed” but they are very concerned with both the responsibilities and the rights of the people of Virginia. I would strongly recommend that you read the Virginia State Constitution (which our representatives have sworn to uphold and defend) and it might make their behavior a little more clear.
http://legis.state.va.us/Laws/search/ConstitutionTOC.htm
“The cause célèbre of gunsters now is hiding <the guns>, when you’re in public”. Really Mr. Penning, I wasn’t aware that a decades long practice could be called a “cause célèbre”, especially when the primary purpose of this practice is an attempt to reduce the stress on the less stable elements of our society who have become convinced that a machined chunk of steel, visibly secured in a holster, somehow represents a threat.
“ handguns, the only purpose of which is to kill human beings”. Possibly the worst lie in the entire column. I have been using firearms since a very young age. I have protected livestock, entertained others and been entertained myself with demonstrations of skill, and had the enjoyment of participating in countless firearms related sporting events. I have literally worn out firearms from use and had to replace them. I would have difficulty estimating the amount of ammunition I have expended, and never in all of that use, not one single time, has any of my firearms ever, EVER, been used to kill a human being. If (God forbid) I were ever required to defend my life I’m certain that a firearm would be an effective tool for doing so, but “the only purpose”? Hardly.
In fact it appears that what Mr. Penning is truly concerned about is not guns, but criminals. Well I realize the following concept may be difficult to grasp, but criminals generally ignore the law . The folks who are interested in the implications of SB476 are not criminals, they are law abiding citizens and precisely the type of people that you simply don’t have to worry about because they won’t violate a “small” law like “don’t drink and carry” let alone the HUGE laws like “don’t MURDER”.
I have one final thought intended specifically for Mr. Penning. Until recently I lived in Arlington and it is very likely that we ate at some of the same restaurants, went to some of the same events, and possibly even had one or more pleasant social interactions. If so I have a surprise for you. It is very likely that I was armed at the time and that it had no bearing whatsoever on the event. Why? Because being a firearms owner does NOT make me a criminal and has no sinister influence over my day to day behavior. So when you, Mr. Penning, attempt to draw a false parallel between the thousands of investigated and vetted (certified “good guy”) CCW permit holders who have never caused any trouble; and the tiny percentage of psychotics like Seung-Hui Cho you are falling victim to your own fears and stereotypes and showing a prejudice every bit as real, and as bad, as any other.
