Gun control doesn't protect us -- guns do

[NineseveN]

Gun control doesn't protect us -- guns do
By Mike Thomas ***
mthomas@orlandosentinel.com
Columnist
Orlando Sentinel
OrlandoSentinel.com
October 4, 2007
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...0,print.column

Tiffany Barwick and Michael Ruschak asked the cops to protect them from
Barwick's former boyfriend.

She told them he had harassed her, threatened to kill her, bought a gun
and sent an image of her riddled with bullet holes.

A Seminole deputy advised her to get a protective court order. We all
know how effective they are against the criminally obsessed.

The deputy also would send her complaint to the State Attorney's Office,
which is akin to tossing it into the Grand Canyon.

There is a lesson in all this.

The cops can't protect you.

The cops could not protect Erin Belanger and her five friends who were
beaten to death by Troy Victorino and his band of thugs in Deltona.

She begged police for help in the days leading up to the assault.

"Can I ask you a question?" she said to a 911 dispatcher. "What can I do?"

Or better yet, what could they do?

Nothing.

I am not knocking the cops, just acknowledging reality. There are a
thousand threats in the Big City. Picking out the real ones from the
bluster is an impossible task.

Given this reality, given that Central Florida is turning into a bad Mad
Max sequel, my liberal belief in gun control is getting wobbly.

I'm not advocating selling machine guns and cop-killer bullets at
Wal-Mart. But if somebody faces an immediate threat, I have a hard time
understanding why they need to wait three days or longer to buy a
handgun for self-protection.

Shouldn't we be allowed to go to a reputable gun store, get a lesson in
how to use a specific weapon and buy it after the background check?

The stated reason against this is that some ill-tempered lout will blow
a fuse, run off to Guns R Us, buy a Glock and open fire on his spouse,
neighbor, boss or co-worker.

One might assume someone this prone to venting with a volley already has
a gun, locked and loaded.

A 2000 report in the Journal of the American Medical Association, hardly
part of the gun lobby, showed cooling-off periods did not reduce
homicide rates or overall suicide rates.

After examining 51 studies on various gun-control laws, including
mandatory waiting periods, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention concluded in 2003 that there was "insufficient evidence" to
say they reduced gun violence.

It seems we pass laws that feel good without a lot of proof they are
doing any good.

Maybe I need a good slap from Ted Kennedy, but I almost buy the National
Rifle Association argument that the primary target of gun-control laws
would be the people who shoot them at ranges, then lovingly oil and ogle
them before safely locking them up.

As far as keeping guns away from bad guys, gun-control laws work as well
as crack cocaine-control laws. My footnoted reference on this would be
our crime blog.

We even have high school kids in Orange County firing guns in the air at
high school athletic events.

If there were no guns, I would say allow no guns. But since all the
wrong people already have them, and the cops can't do much about it
except match their firepower, then it may well be time to arm thyself,
citizen.

When Florida liberalized permits for concealed weapons in the 1980s,
critics predicted a Wild West bloodbath. It never happened.

Responsible gun owners don't use guns irresponsibly. Go figure.

Until the cops get better at enforcing gun control on those who
shouldn't have guns, a better alternative for the rest of us is gun
education, gun classes and secure gun storage.



*** Mike Thomas can be reached at 407-420-5525 or
mthomas@orlandosentinel.com. His blog is OrlandoSentinel.com/mikethomas.

[novice]

Gun control doesn't protect us -- guns do
By Mike Thomas ***
"....the primary target of gun-control laws would be the people who shoot them at ranges, then lovingly oil and ogle them before safely locking them up."

<chuckle> there is that

[Mtbkski]

I just love it when someone isn't afraid to put on paper, "something which makes so much sense", that the anti gunners could never see it.

Thanks for sharing that with all of us. I wrote him and thanked him too.

[Zef_66]

Posted this on a very liberal car forum I am a part of. Should be interesting.

I love stirring the pot!

[theshadow]

You guys need to read the blog entries for this story. Overwhelmingly positive, but a few bleating sheep, guns are bad, cop killer bullets, ohh you've drank the cool aid, mucho emotion but no factual counter point. It went right over their heads and they lament how he's so wrong because this can't be right. Where DO these people come from?

[Turbinesaint]

This article should be sent to all those politicians (with armed bodyguards) who say the common folk don't have any need for a weapon. Great article!

[markheck1]

It usually takes being robbed for a liberal to do a 180 on Gun Control...like that congressman in Ohio!

[dnar]

As always, another great article, NineseveN. I too will email Mr. Mike Thomas to thank him.

rand

[Xringshooter]

Good article NineseveN,

I also sent an email to Mr. Thomas. Maybe now he is seeing what the left wants to do, take away ALL of our rights (not just guns) and how they are attempting to do it, little by little by little, until all our rights are gone and everyone says "how did that happen?" People need to open their eyes soon or we're going to be the United Socialist States of America .

[NineseveN]

I'm glad everyone is taking the time to send a note to the author about the article, little things like that often help.