Monday, April 04, 2005
A Trend to Ease Gun Laws ?
My, My! What a change in the (New York)Times Shootings Fuel a Drive to Ease Gun Laws ; a news article that actually reports on guns without a negative slant. Just the facts here :
"Paul Bucher, the district attorney for the Wisconsin county where a man opened fire in a church service last month, killing seven people and himself, has one answer to the deadly mass shootings around the country in recent weeks: more guns.
"The problems aren't the guns, it's the guns in the wrong hands," said Mr. Bucher, a Republican who recently announced his candidacy for Wisconsin attorney general. "We need to put more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Whether having that would have changed what happened is all speculation, but it would level the playing field. If the person you're fighting has a gun and all you have is your fists, you lose."
Across the country, efforts to expand or establish laws allowing concealed handguns have been fueled by the horrifying shootings in the last month - of the family of a federal judge in Chicago, at the church service in Wisconsin, at courthouses in Atlanta and Tyler, Tex., and the nation's second-deadliest school shooting, on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota.
In Texas and Illinois, the shootings prompted new legislation to allow judges and prosecutors to be armed. Legislators in Nebraska and Wisconsin, which were already considering allowing concealed weapons, say they think the shootings will help their cause."
Indeed. This article, like the trend it's reporting, refects a more realistic assessment of the benefits of armed citizens in contrast to the "dangers" more often raised by the media. The country seems to have been on this trend for a while and it's good to see a mainstream media outfit taking notice. Let's hope the trend continues. It's not just about easing gun laws; it's about trusting citizens to be responsible in exercising their rights and making reasonable decisions.
"Paul Bucher, the district attorney for the Wisconsin county where a man opened fire in a church service last month, killing seven people and himself, has one answer to the deadly mass shootings around the country in recent weeks: more guns.
"The problems aren't the guns, it's the guns in the wrong hands," said Mr. Bucher, a Republican who recently announced his candidacy for Wisconsin attorney general. "We need to put more guns in the hands of law-abiding citizens. Whether having that would have changed what happened is all speculation, but it would level the playing field. If the person you're fighting has a gun and all you have is your fists, you lose."
Across the country, efforts to expand or establish laws allowing concealed handguns have been fueled by the horrifying shootings in the last month - of the family of a federal judge in Chicago, at the church service in Wisconsin, at courthouses in Atlanta and Tyler, Tex., and the nation's second-deadliest school shooting, on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota.
In Texas and Illinois, the shootings prompted new legislation to allow judges and prosecutors to be armed. Legislators in Nebraska and Wisconsin, which were already considering allowing concealed weapons, say they think the shootings will help their cause."
Indeed. This article, like the trend it's reporting, refects a more realistic assessment of the benefits of armed citizens in contrast to the "dangers" more often raised by the media. The country seems to have been on this trend for a while and it's good to see a mainstream media outfit taking notice. Let's hope the trend continues. It's not just about easing gun laws; it's about trusting citizens to be responsible in exercising their rights and making reasonable decisions.
