August 30, 2007

Americans and Their Guns: A Sensible Alternative

So a new report is out that says Americans... are getting fatter? No, that was yesterday. Apparently Americans are packin' not just pounds, but heat. We're number one in the world when it comes to come to gun ownership, as there are now 9 guns for every 10 Americans.

(This is a health blog. Guns are design to shoot bullets, which then enter human bodies and do Terrible Things to the tissues, bones, and organs that reside within. From a health perspective, the ideal ratio of guns to people seems more like 0 to 10).


Here are some of the reported highlights culled from the study and related interviews:

  • More than half of the 8 million guns manufactured worldwide each year are bought by Americans.
  • While there is about 1 gun for every 7 people worldwide, leave out the United States and it drops to 1 per 10 people.
  • France, Canada, Sweden, Austria and Germany were the next highest, all with about 30 guns per 100 people.
  • Poorer countries, even those associated with violence, ranked far lower. Nigeria had just one gun per 100 people.

And the reasons we can't just say "enough" and ban firearms outright in this country, despite all the damage they cause? These seem to inevitably come down to the Constitution or self defense.

Well, the Constitution can be changed. We don't live in the same times anymore. The British aren't coming (except to take advantage of the exchange rates) and the Indians are now Native Americans and they're not interested in attacking your freakin' Covered Wagons.

But what about self-defense? Don't we need guns to protect the Home and the Family from Criminals?

Well, let's say for argument sake that we do. What's the best way to do that? Who needs protecting? Whom do they need protecting from?

What if only women over 18 were permitted to own or carry firearms? A new national law, to be implemented just as soon as we have reliable functioning biometric gun locks. So a gun would be useless in the hands of a man. And any woman who owned one would be registered and traceable. (It looks like we're already well on the way with the technology too).

And then serious resources would be devoted into getting rid of the old guns. Random checkpoints. Buy-back programs. Stings at gun-shops. Internet quasi-entrapment schemes like they use for pedophiles. The sort of resources we're only too happy to use to catch foreign terrorists or arrest drug dealers or invade countries we don't like.

C'mon, you know this makes sense. Picture all the functioning guns in this country in the hands of women or police officers. Guns that would turn useless if men tried to use them.

Families who wanted to protect themselves with firearms would have to let Mom be in charge. She'd have to go get trained in how to use her weapon and spend some time on the range shooting at targets. If a Creepy Criminal really did break in to the house and threaten her children, she'd know exactly what to do.

So it's not perfect. They'd be the occasional female nutball or aggressive anti-social criminal. We'd catch her quick, though, because there'd be so few shootings that it wouldn't be quite so hard to trace her registered weapon to her and throw her in jail and keep the rest of us safe.

Oh yes, and there's the issue of Sex Discrimination. Curious, isn't it, that we haven't yet managed to pass a Constitutional Amendment outlawing that? There seem to be plenty of loopholes available when it serves men or Traditional Thinking. (Just ask a woman who wants to compete equally with men for military combat assignments, for example).



  1. Note: This post was inspired by Dr. J, who sent in the article which I'd totally missed!

    And the idea of only women owning guns may well be the Lobster's--it's something we've talked about for years and I can't remember who first brought it up. (Cranky Fitness is probably not the first blog to ever propose this, either. For all I know it could be a whole Movement that I've never heard of).

  2. aha! I didn't forget to come by today. :-)

    As a Canadian, I always watch the US gun debate with interest - and horror. Many of us here just can't imagine having that much gun power in private homes. It boggles the mind.

    I'm not anti-gun. I think they do have a time and place for everything. If someone wants to sports shoot, they can join a club and leave the gun there. If they're hunters, they don't need semi-automatics. I don't know. It's just so different here when it comes to gun culture.

  3. I have said that I think that women should be required to have a black belt in some type of martial art when leaving High School. This would probably cut down on everything from domestic violences, to rape.
    I am actually on the fence about gun control. I like in a state where you see "cowboys" with guns in holsters on the street. No joke.
    Perhaps women should also get shooting lessons as well. People will less likely try to hurt a woman who is a black belt sniper, thats for sure.
    I think that you make a good point, sure some crazy lady might kill a few people but, in today's society, men are definitely the more violent sex.
    My father owned a lot of guns as I grew up (probably someone to take into account for the high number of guns per person). My father taught me and my brother a healthy respect for guns. He even made my brother take classes. I was really too scared to hold one.
    He did talk about protection too but, he mostly had the guns for hunting. He also kept them locked up tight.
    I don't like the idea of guns everywhere. I don't think many people are very responsible. My boys went to a neighbors house when they were younger and they told me that the father kept his gun on the high shelf in his kitchen!!! When I confronted him, he said he didn't think that his kids could find it! Unbelievable!
    People don't get that kids know where EVERYTHING is in your house. Even if they don't tell you they do. Not just guns either.

  4. Penn and Teller suggested something like this in the Bullshit! episode about gun control. They suggested giving every woman her very own pink handgun. What man in his right mind would attack a woman knowing that there was a very good chance she would be packing heat? And what self-respecting man would want to steal a pink gun? (Well, that one's a little weak. I like your biometric security idea better.)

  5. PMS+handgun=?

    Perhaps you should rethink your plan. On the other hand, population control may no longer be an issue!

  6. I forgot to add something that I thought was important.

    When my daughter started grade 7, that's the first year of high school here in Quebec, her school required that the girls (all girl school) take an after school activity. They had to do two per year for grades 7 and 8. I sort of gave her no choice and made her take the sexual assault prevention course.
    OF course, nothing will guarantee safety, but courses like this will help reduce the risk. It taught things like how to stay out of situations that could increase the risk, what to do in such situations and the importance of SHOUTING as loud as you could.
    I'm glad we did that.

  7. I'm not sure where to go with this. I like the idea of only women having guns.
    I wonder how difficult it would be to change American thinking re: right to bear arms? An aside: years ago critic TV Cleveland Amory (sp??) reworked this to "right to arm bears." That I support wholeheartedly.

    Licensing and registration of firearms is underway in Canada and has been for several years. It's still controversial and not everyone is willing to comply. Natives who hunt for subsistence are exempt.
    I guess if we can entrench racial discrimination in our firearms control then the US can find a way to entrench sex discrimination. Put your best women on it, Crabby.

  8. I totally agree with your Consitution argument-- it needs to be updated as times change. Guns were for militia purposes-- we don't have too many of those any more. Plus, the *FOUNDING FATHERS* were not perfect! If there are things that are wrong with the Consitution, we should fix them, not merely wave it around saying "this is constitutional, this isn't." Slavery and only men voting were also part of some vision of American democracy as well, but we seemed to be able to fix those after much debate. This is the same deal. Guns create more problems than they fix.

    Like Marijke said, I'm also not anti-gun. I've got no problem with sport shooting or even hunting. Very responsible gun ownership is fine-- keep the guns locked in a gun safe, know who has the key. Don't keep a loaded gun by your bed. Guns for "protection" is where I'm less okay with it.

    The problems I have is with accidental shooting, kids getting their hands on guns, and gang violence. Yes, you could argue that even if guns were taken off the streets, people would find other ways to kill each other, either with illegal guns or knives or something. But pulling that trigger is easier and more detached than other ways. You could also argue that there are underlying problems that also need to be solved with youth violence, that guns don't kill people, people kill people, but at the same time, if guns weren't as accessible, maybe less people would kill people.

    The argument to carry guns also renewed itself after the VT shootings. People said, oh, what if someone had a gun to take the shooter out, maybe less people would have died. I would argue that more could have died. Can you imagine pulling out a gun, scared as hell, and trying to take out someone who is moving, laughing, and shooting others? The chances of accidentally shooting another student were probably really high. Being trained to use a gun and actually using it when the situation calls for it are completely different.

    Great post. Sorry my response was so long!! I'm riled up, I guess.

  9. Chicken Girl- Oh, that is a good idea. Maybe if they added some crystals like the ones they put on cell phones and a dangly feather boa it would be even more discouraging for men to take the guns.
    At the very least, the guns would be easy to spot!
    Here the sheriff has made all kinds of things pink in the jail house. Underwear to handcuffs to make them less desirable to steal. I am not sure how well this has worked though. I think some people collect them now.

  10. I like the biometric thing asd gun control - unless someone was willing to cut off my arm, they'd be out of luck using someone elses gun...
    Really, I don't hate guns - my issue with guns is that, well...sure people buy one to "defend" themselves, but they rarely know how to use it. Me? I couldn't shoot anyone, even though I've *taken* gun training. So I'd never carry a gun as it'd just be taken from me or used against me...or worse, improperly stored or taken from me by a child/ other person and something awful could happen. Do we really need to carry a gun with us? Seriously? The world can't be *that* bad.

    My main beef with guns is that people don't take proper security with them when storing/using them. I've a friend who is a marksman - he actually teaches RCMP cadets, and is a good shot - goes to tournaments and the like and likes to hunt. His guns and ammo are stored separately in key locked, alarmed safes in his house, in different locations. All his kids are trained with guns but not allowed to use them, so he knows they won't accidentally hurt themselves with someone elses gun. Sadly he is one of the very rare gun owners.
    Then there's the whole personal use of semiautomatic weapons I won't even bother to go into - I can't even see how that gets rationalised...

    Maybe it's being Canadian, but I don't think guns really will solve anything - they just get people killed. I'd rather endorse self defense and martial arts for someone who wants to defend themselves. If you're paranoid, get a bunch of locks and maybe a can of mace and hide out till the invasion is over.

    Or *maybe* just be nice to people and learn to share. Me? I'll just go have some tea and cake. I'll share if anyone want some!

  11. I think the argument that if hand guns were illegal (or at least really hard to get) that murder rates would not go down is a false one. A gun allows the killer critical physical and therefore psychological distance from the victim. It makes it easier to pull the trigger.

    The closer you have to physically be to your victim, the harder it is to commit the killing act. Ever wonder why murders committed during sex are so rare?

    ("On Killing" by Dave Grossman is a great book to read more about that kind of thing.)

    My mom was actually licensed to carry a concealed weapon for many years. She worked long hours in a rough part of a city and was usually the last to leave her office. She even had a purse that had a very cleverly concealed compartment for her weapon. She never had to use it, but it made my dad feel better, heh.

    So I'm a little muddled too about where I stand on gun control. I think weapons for hunting and sport are alright. But hand guns seem to need much stronger regulation - they are only meant to kill people, after all.

  12. i'm with holly - i'd be afraid to arm us at that time of the month...

    But as another hoser, i'm actually surprised by the stat for canadians with guns. with, what, a tenth of the population of the US does that make it better or worse, especially considering we're supposed to have stricter gun control laws here?

  13. I used to be uninterested in guns. Then I started dating the daughter of a marine from Indiana. A few short shooting lessons later and I'm considering picking up a double-barreled shotgun. It's not because of some bloodlust or even a desire for home defense--I doubt I could bring myself to shoot someone, even an intruder--but because I, well...think guns are cool? I enjoy shooting them. It's very satisfying to nail a target at the other end of a firing range, or blow skeets to smithereens.

    I do think gun sales need to be restricted. I believe you should pass a test before you can own and use your own guns--we have to with cars, don't we? Mandatory background checks at every point of sale are a wise choice too, and no, Mr. Hunter, you do not need a fully automatic assault rifle to take down a five-point buck.

    But please be joking about your Women Only thing. Otherwise I'd be worried you were gonna start spelling it Womyn.

  14. I don't know if you realize jsut what you've done crabby with this topic. This is a BIG ISSUE that can split people into oppossing sides based on strong opinions. But here goes:
    My dad owns several guns, he used to hunt. He doesn't any more, but still has them. Occassionally there is a need to shoot skunks or the like at the farm. However they're not registered. (we got that in Canada but it's completely retarded. You have to pay so much and it's completely unorganized. I know people who have registered their water guns to prove a point. And somebody else who wrote in registering his AK47 (which he doesn't have) but just wanted to show how stupid the registry is. He got a letter back in the mail thanking him for registering his gun. that's all)
    My husband hunts - next week actually. he doesn't have a gun, he uses 1 of his father's. He did have to take a firearm safety course which is good. I don't have a problem with hunting and you need guns for that. You need shot guns and black powder guns and whatever other type of hunting guns. You don't need hand guns or automatic guns. Those should be completely outlawed.
    I think the problem with guns is not the accidental shootings (though those are very very bad too) but rather when Bad Guys get guns and use them for Crimes. Generally Bad Guys don't use hunting guns - they are too hard to conceal. While I am for stricter gun control and outlawing some guns, I don't believe we should be saying Guns and including all of them, rather just the Bad Guy type.
    just my opinion.
    oh - and I don't think that would work well for the women thing. Much more men than women hunt.

  15. I have a question, what happens when only dad is home and is attacked by a female criminal with a gun?

  16. Crabby,

    This post is forcing me to think!

    I have come back twice now and can't quite formulate what I want to say, so I am off to the library for an hour or so. I'll pop back later.


  17. Hi folks!

    Lots of really thoughtful comments so far!

    And yeah, I realize this is possibly a divisive issue, but at least so far I've been very impressed with the way commenters seem to handle differences of opinion in a respectful way! I really hope that continues and that it doesn't bring up any hard feelings.

    My suggestion was probably only 10% serious--partly because it seems so incredibly unlikely to ever happen. But I have to admit there's a part of me that feels it would be a better system than what we've got, silly as that sounds. So many innocent people are killed by guns!

    In the same way we can take lethal drugs or child pornography or explosives out the hands of ordinary citizens, I think as a society we have to start recognizing the cost we're incurring to allow guns in the hands of anyone other than police officers. I know many, many people disagree with this. Just hope the discussion can continue to be as respectful and thoughtful as it has been so far!

  18. Can I just say ditto to what terrie said. My thinking cap is not on today. I've got lots of opinions stemming mostly dealing with kids accidently getting killed with guns. So that's all I'm gonna say, but I do enjoy reading all of the comments of everyone else (who can actually put together an intelligent thought today).

  19. I hate guns.

    I have not much more to add, and nothing that intelligent.

    But I really hate guns.

  20. Crabby, I have a question for you.

    As you said, the Constitution can be changed. Of course, keep in mind that doing so is not done at the drop of a hat -- and for good reason. We have a system of checks and balances in place so that you can't, for example, have one tyrant come along and sign away women's suffrage or similar.

    So say that in the process of ammending the Constitution, voters decided that they DIDN'T want guns banned. Then what would be your reaction? Are you in favor of the democratic process when YOUR views aren't satisfied?

  21. Why can I never seem to convince people that the Constitution can be changed? Do they not remember when alcohol was illegal? We added one amendment to make it illegal and then another amendment to repeal the first one. It's not an easy process and would require 75% of the states to ratify it, but I can be done.

    I doubt it ever will though. I grew up in Oklahoma, where probably 70% of people have guns in their home, and most of those have several. I learned how to shoot when I was 12 or 13, but never really took an interest in it or hunting.

    I guess it such a radical shift for most Americans to think about not being allowed to own a gun that it won't happen for awhile.

  22. Hi again,

    So I apologize, this is one of those posts where I'm not going to be responding to every comment. But I did think I'd respond to a couple that were direct questions.

    Re: "What happens when only dad is home and is attacked by a female criminal with a gun?"

    Well, in my not-entirely-serious scenario where only women get to own guns, this would indeed be a terrible tragedy. But how often do gun wielding women go on rampages? It happens, but, it's really, really rare. I do believe that if somehow magically men didn't have access to guns, then violent and accidental deaths would go way down.

    Actually, the truth is, I think we'd be better off with NO guns at all, and I don't think sex discrimination should actually be legal, even if in this rare case it might be pragmatic. But I do understand that people feel they want to protect their families. The suggestion that we leave it to the women is actually a compromise to no guns at all.

    And as to the other question:
    Suppose in amending the Constitution "voters decided that they DIDN'T want guns banned. Then what would be your reaction? Are you in favor of the democratic process when YOUR views aren't satisfied?"

    I'm always in favor of the democratic process. And yeah, sometimes I don't like the results. I'm not sure why expressing a desire to change the system we have now through the democratic process somehow makes me against democracy. And there's not a chance in hell, from what I understand, that most Americans are ever going to agree with me on banning guns, so I don't think you need to worry much about the Constitution being changed to accommodate Crabby McSlacker's personal preferences.

    But Erica and Anonymous, thanks for airing your opinions and I totally understand not everyone (or anyone, probably, once you throw the "women only" into the mix) agrees with me.

  23. Guns are also for self defense from the government,the founding fathers made it very clear that if the government ever got too powerful than it was the people's responsibility to take up arms and revolt.

  24. I've never liked guns or being around them. I can't tell you why, perhaps it's because I grew up in England where there are much fewer guns. (Or at least there were when I was living there.)

    For home security I have a big dog and "Clubber Lang" - the name I give the baseball bat that resides in my closet. Sure it's probably no match for a gun, but I know the lie of the house better and the dog would assist.

  25. rpm2004-
    No offense, your argument is a little outdated.

    How effective do you think hand guns and hunting weapons would be against assault vehicles, aircraft, missiles/long-range artillery, and better-equipped, trained soldiers?

    I don't know about you, but I have a feeling the answer is "Not very."

  26. Lisa Giebitz,
    The answer to your question can easily be seen in Iraq, where a small number of poorly armed and equipped people are fighting the US army to a standstill. You may also wish to look at recent conflicts such as last year's Israel / Lebanon war, Vietnam and the first Afghan war. All examples of poorly equipped insurgents fighting much better equipped armies.

    Still, I'm not a big supporter of guns. For self defense, you're better off with a dog. I'm perfectly fine with hunters since they're usually (although not always) responsible with their guns, but people who believe guns are "fun" need to live in a war zone for a while and see how much fun they have.

    And Crabby, you may want to be aware of the fact that sexual discrimination goes both ways. You may not be able to get a combat position in the army, but you also aren't in danger of being drafted. Trying to fix sexual discrimination by enshrining it seems a bit ass backwards to me.


  27. dont ever count on the govt helping you out... nothing more empowering than having the skill of knowing how to competently use a firearm.

    As in life... focus on the front sight, folks

    gp in montana

  28. As we all know I live in Texas, the state in which one in four DRIVERS is carry a gun in his or her VEHICLE. I don't know how many guns per household in Texas, but I can't imagine it isn't the highest per state.

    Anyway, Karen is completely anti gun and I hear about it constantly. Here are her thoughts:

    The constitutional argument is bogus. Jefferson was talking about circumstances unrelated to modern lifestyles. Period.

    Statistically speaking you are SIXTY PERCENT more likely to shoot a loved one than an intruder. Furthermore, most intruders looking to steal break in when no one is at home and most homicides aren't random. Thus, I don't buy self defense either.

    Most states do not have appropriate systems to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally ill. That's great: give your local paranoid bipolar a firearm.

    Anyway, Karen won't let me have a gun. She said she didn't want to come home to bullet holes in the walls.


    -- P

  29. 60 in 3 said...

    You realize there's half a million Iraqi deaths compared to three thousand dead US solders, right?

  30. I don't like guns. If no one had them, no one could get shot.

  31. I come from Europe and had a conversation with a good ole American and it was an unbelievable chat. They were as pro as I was anti guns. I see no need to own one, they see no reason why not to own one. Maybe it is predominantly bad guys who shoot each other in America, but even so, life seemed cheaper to them than the constitution. That was written how many years ago? And I thought Europeans are supposed to be the stick in the mud traditionalists!

  32. There will never be "smart guns". Notice how popular glocks are? That's because they have so few parts. The less parts, the more simple the design, the more reliable the firearm. You will never get anyone using a gun with ANY electronics to use for self defense, it's a joke. Adding electronics to the chain of what's required to fire the gun makes a gun hundreds of times more unreliable. Anyone who thinks differently simply doesn't understand how guns function.

    And you said something about very "violent" countries having very few guns. Hm, I wonder where the connection is there? Guns in the hands of the people is simply giving people power. If you think the common man shouldn't have that power, then you say that there's more people that are aiming at wanting to do each other harm than good, which is simply not true.

    Gun laws that are passed only affect the law abiding citizens, not the criminals. Look at Australia's growing gang problems since their gun ban if you don't believe me. Did the no guns zone stop Cho at Virginia Tech? How about the killers at Columbine. No, they were already intent on breaking the law. The only thing those laws stopped is people legally carry arms being able to defend themselves or anyone else.

    I carry a gun daily. I am licensed (not permitted, but LICENSED) to do so. To obtain the license to do this, I had to have a clear criminal background check, which means no drug charges, no violence related charges, no restraining order, no felonies, etc. I had to pass a basic firearm familiarity course, and be fingerprinted. Can you say that much about the typical person next to you as you walk through the world? More guns in the hand of good people is a good thing. Not allowing people to have guns only makes a large gathering of victims unable to defend themselves.

    Think before you talk. Yes, guns are capable of horrible things. Yes, there are many bad people that would use them wrongly. How would you go about solving this problem? I cannot keep a policeman in my holster. That's why I am trained and I keep a gun there.

    If you think your typical, law abiding citizen should not be able to possess a gun, I would question why you view society in such a bad light. I don't view the majority of people I meet in day to day life with disdain or suspicion.

    Here's a good article that sums up what I'm trying to say rather well:

    10 things non-gun people should know about CWP holders.

    1. We don't carry firearms so that we can ignore other basics of personal
    safety. Every permit holder that I know realizes that almost all
    dangerous situations can be avoided by vigilance, alertness and by simply
    making wise choices about where one goes and what one does. We don't walk
    down dark alleys. We lock our cars. We don't get intoxicated in public or
    hang out around people who do. We park our cars in well lighted spots and
    don't hang out in bad parts of town where we have no business. A gun is
    our last resort, not our first.

    2. We don't think we are cops, spies, or superheros. We aren't hoping
    that somebody tries to rob the convenience store while we are there so we
    can shoot a criminal. We don't take it upon ourselves to get involved in
    situations that are better handled by a 911 call or by simply standing by
    and being a good witness. We don't believe our guns give us any authority
    over our fellow citizens. We also aren't here to be your unpaid volunteer
    bodyguard. We'll be glad to tell you where we trained and point you to
    some good gun shops if you feel you want to take this kind of
    responsibility for your personal safety. Except for extraordinary
    circumstances your business is your business, don't expect us to help you
    out of situations you could have avoided.

    3. We are LESS likely, not more likely, to be involved in fights or rage
    incidents than the general public. We recognize, better than many unarmed
    citizens, that we are responsible for our actions. We take the
    responsibility of carrying a firearm very seriously. We know that loss of
    temper, getting into fights or angrily confronting someone after a
    traffic incident could easily escalate into a dangerous situation. We are
    more likely to go out of our way to avoid these situations. We don't pull
    our guns to settle arguments or to attempt to threaten people into doing
    what we want.

    4. We are responsible gun owners. We secure our firearms so that children
    and other unauthorized people cannot access them. Most of us have
    invested in safes, cases and lock boxes as well as other security
    measures to keep our firearms secure. Many of us belong to various
    organizations that promote firearms safety and ownership.

    5. Guns are not unsafe or unpredictable. Modern firearms are well made
    precision instruments. Pieces do not simply break off causing them to
    fire. A hot day will not set them off. Most modern firearms will not
    discharge even if dropped. There is no reason to be afraid of a gun
    simply laying on a table or in a holster. It is not going to discharge on
    its own.

    6. We do not believe in the concept of accidental discharges. There are
    no accidental discharges only negligent discharges or intentional
    discharges. We take responsibility for our actions and have learned how
    to safely handle firearms. Any case you have ever heard of about a gun
    going off was the result of negligence on somebody's part. Our
    recognition of our responsibility and familiarity with firearms makes us
    among the safest firearms owners in America.

    7. Permit holders do their best to keep our concealed weapons exactly
    that: concealed. However, there are times with an observant fellow
    citizen may spot our firearm or the print of our firearm under our
    clothes. We are very cognizant that concerns about terrorism and crime
    are in the forefront of the minds of most citizens. We also realize that
    our society does much to condition our fellow citizens to have sometimes
    irrational fears about firearms. We would encourage citizens who do
    happen to spot someone carrying a firearm to use good judgment and clear
    thinking if they feel to need to take action. Please recognize that its
    very uncommon for a criminal to use a holster. However, if you feel the
    need to report having spotted a firearm we would ask that you please be
    specific and detailed in your call to the police or in your report to a
    store manager or private security. Please don't generalize or
    sensationalize what you observed. Comments like there's a guy running
    around in the store with a gun or even simply I saw a man with a gun in
    the store could possibly cause a misunderstanding as to the true nature
    of the incident.

    8. The fact that we carry a firearm to any given place does not mean that
    we believe that place to be inherently unsafe. If we believe a place to
    be unsafe, most of us would avoid that place all together if possible.
    However, we recognize that trouble could occur at any place and at any
    time. Criminals do not observe gun free zones. If trouble does come, we
    do not want the only armed persons to be perpetrators. Therefore, we
    don't usually make a determination about whether or not to carry at any
    given time based on "how safe" we think a location is.

    9. Concealed weapon permit holders are an asset to the public in times of
    trouble. The fact that most permit holders have the good judgment to stay
    out of situations better handled by a 911 call or by simply being a
    careful and vigilant witness does not mean that we would fail to act in
    situations where the use of deadly force is appropriate to save lives.
    Review of high profile public shooting incidents shows that when killers
    are confronted by armed resistance they tend to either break off the
    attack and flee or choose to end their own life. Lives are saved when
    resistance engages a violent criminal. Lives are lost when the criminal
    can do as he pleases.

    10. The fact that criminals know that some of the population may be armed
    at any given time helps to deter violence against all citizens. Permit
    holders don't believe that every person should necessarily be armed. We
    recognize that some people may not be temperamentally suited to carry a
    firearm or simply may wish not to for personal reasons. However we do
    encourage you to respect our right to arm ourselves. Even if you choose
    not to carry a firearm yourself please oppose measures to limit the
    ability of law abiding citizens to be armed. As mentioned before:
    criminals do not observe gun free zones. Help by not supporting laws that
    require citizens to be unarmed victims.


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