LETTERS: Concealed weapons
To the Editor:
We live in a culture of death. You see it in newsprint everyday. Entertainment is violent. Abortion and euthanasia are at the forefront of societal issues. The solution to problems, that we are bombarded with in today's media, is to "KILL it."
Human nature dictates that we all like power. Whether it is in job status, position in social status, etc. Carrying a concealed firearm also is a position of power. Unlike other social powers, this power can result in death. The use of this power is dictated in our state of mental emotion related to a given situation. A state of anger or fear will cause one to act out with the closest weapon at hand. This often is a fist or anything within one's grasp. The concealed firearm would be the weapon of choice.
Law enforcement officers are trained to use the least amount of force necessary to nullify a situation. This is a difficult decision for an officer in the best of conditions, let alone the average citizen who would face such a situation only on rare occasions.
Kansas' law currently allows persons in approved occupations to carry a firearm concealed. Citizens can carry a firearm exposed unless a specific jurisdiction has a law to prohibit it. Hunters receive hunter safety training yet they shoot other hunters, other property, and themselves.
Criminals with firearms. This is a states' rights issue about protecting its citizens. The criminal in our society is the negative part of an open and free society. Legislatures on both the state and federal levels have passed strict penalties for committing crime using a firearm. The ongoing problem is their strict enforcement and prosecution. The Brady bill is a good example. Many law enforcement agencies do not have access to all the information required to approve a firearm purchase. They either do what they can or don't do the Brady check at all.
I believe the issue is the word "concealed." This law is fallible. The jury is still out in regard to the states that have this law, and will be for many years. A citizen carrying a firearm exposed is at less risk from a criminal for this reason. A criminal seeing his victim wearing an exposed firearm will be deterred. The criminal will attack the same victim carrying a concealed weapon. The victim at the moment of attack will have to decide immediately to use the firearm. Even with training, this is a risk with high probability of injury or death. The plainclothes law enforcement officers who were killed under these conditions attest to this.
I don't believe "concealed" is the answer. I believe more aggressive enforcement and prosecution of the current gun laws is the answer.
Edward Davies
Marion
