Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Virginia Tech Shooting Calls into Question Concealed Carry Logic.


I've been saying for a long time that statistics need to be gathered regarding gun crimes committed by concealed carry license owners. The following story from Opposing Views, "Virginia Tech Shooting Survivor-"Keep Guns Off Campus" by John Woods says it all:
"I am a representative in Student Government at The University of Texas at Austin.

I'm also uniquely positioned to discuss the issue of firearms and classrooms as an alumnus of Virginia Tech: I was there in 2007 when the shooting happened, and I lost the girl I love. I feel obligated to address some of the misconceptions around the push for gun-free schools. Firstly, there is a suggestion that "Virginia Tech could have been prevented if only people were armed." Interestingly, none of the survivors think so. They describe utter chaos. At one point, my friend Colin thought he was being rescued by a police officer (all he could see from where he was hiding were shoes). Then he was shot four times.

According to the detectives, Maxine -- the girl I mentioned, who died in German class -- never saw the shooter come in. What good would a gun have done her? Virginia Tech police officers also told Colin that had they seen someone else with a gun, they would have fired immediately … it enables emergency medical technicians to get to victims more quickly.

Not all concealed handgun permit holders are responsible. The shooter at Fort Hood was licensed to carry a concealed weapon, as were four other mass shooters in the last year. Every time statistics emerge that the NRA dislikes, the NRA pushes for legislative changes that obscure such statistics under the guise of "privacy." In most states, there is no way to determine what percentage of violent crimes are committed by concealed carry permit holders."

3 comments:

  1. Significant questions exist about crimes committed by concealed carry permit holders. Permit holders committed four 2009 mass murders -- Michael McClendon, Frank Garcia, George Sodini and Richard Poplawski. Total dead is 32 -- 45 if you include Nidal Hasan's expired Virginia permit. Texas stats suggest very low crime rates, but they only count convictions reported to the concealed handgun licensing office. Are all convictions reported? What about murder-suicides? Is there a conviction there that would be reported? If four out of the 3 million to 5 million, depending on who's counting, US concealed carry permit holders engaged in mass murder this year, that could suggest that concealed carry permit holders have a significantly greater predilection for mass murder than the rest of us.

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  2. The State of Texas has a law that keeps the identities of CHL holders secret. I understand other states have similar laws. CHL holders should be easily identifiable in public and through government records. It is not right that people carrying concealed weapons cannot be easily identified by those around them.

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  3. Alex - I am sorry but your response is daft. You believe that an honest citizen should have to be identified because they choose to have a CONCEALED carry permit. Not only is that an invasion of their privacy, but completely irresponsible. Frankly the argument that a person being a concealed handgun holder has a higher predilection for violence is also absurd. If 4 people out of 3-5 MILLION commited a murder (a travesty yes) but statisically would be LOWER than the violent crime rates of most comparable communities. Also, you miss the point that even if a person has a CCW, it does not mean that they always carry a gun.
    The statement that officers would shoot on sight to better provide for EMTs to get to the wounded is just ridiculous and that officer should be reprimanded. Officers should ALWAYS have target descrimination before they shoot. There is NO reason to shoot a person without that ability to perceive if that person was a threat.
    You will NEVER have an incident in which everyone is safe because you think that telling a person that they cannot have a gun at certain locations will protect people. Bad people do bad things. If they were so inclined to commit a violent act (a Felony) do you think that they would care about walking into a place where their weapon of choice was prohibited (usually a misdemeanor)? Thats just plain ignorant.

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