What are your thoughts to this letter to the editor?


Concealed weapons won't make us safer

Gun enthusiasts such as the writer of the letter "Concealed weapons could cut crime rate" (Jan. 16) often cite flawed research that falsely attributes falling crime rates in some states to concealed weapons, instead of to improved police practices and changing demographics.

Allowing anybody to carry a concealed handgun would make Maryland more dangerous. And carrying a concealed gun would have been no help against the high-profile crime sprees of recent years. For instance, the Washington-area snipers crawled into their car's closed trunk and shot through a peephole with a highly accurate sniper rifle.

Many other killers shoot to settle scores with family or other close acquaintances such as those involved in the illegal drug trade.

If Maryland makes it easy for anyone to carry a handgun, the death toll from domestic disputes will increase dramatically and our state will become a lot less safe.

Matt Fenton
Lutherville

The writer is a member of the board of CeaseFire Maryland Inc.



Edit to add his profile from ceasefire:

Matthew Fenton - Mr. Fenton is an engineer at Maryland MTA, and a longtime supporter of gun control legislation. He survived robbery and a head injury from a shooting in a 1980 attack. He has served on the Handgun Roster Board and currently serves as Registrar of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, Lutherville, MD.



List your arguments that discredit this guy.

Just off the top of my head.. Using high-profile cases as a basis for all crime is rediculous, as they generally constitute such a tiny percentage of all crime.

Lets also not forget the part about where he assumes that ANYONE could get CCW, not just those who go through all the steps, pass the checks, and have training.

ETA: I like the part where he likens criminals illegally carrying firearms to commit crimes to law abiding citizens lawfully carrying for lawful purposes.

he fails to mention the fact that places such as Arizona where crime actually dropped after CCW permits started getting issued

Good points.  Anyone have stats for the states that have drop in crime since CCW was passed?

Anyone have stats of people who legally acquired their CCW and used it in a crime?  I'm guessing it happens all the time so there should be some good info on it.

He is a train driver.  Wow!

Quoted: List your arguments that discredit this guy.

Amendment II A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

Shit--there was a guy not too long ago here in AZ that stopped a robbery with his CCW in a movie store, and another guy who did the same in a check cashing store. Criminals do NOT expect armed resistance (or any resistance at all) from their victims. Start shooting the fuckers and using their skulls as beer mugs and they'll think twice.

Usually people that have a CCW license are law bidding citizens that aren’t likely to pull their gun in a domestic violence situation and I would go as far as to say most wouldn’t be involved in a domestic violence situation to begin with.  What about all the armed robberies, rape and other crimes that would be thwarted. Theses people irk me!

Seems to me, the only arguement that you need to discredit this guy is:  Statistics from DC and Statisitcs from an area that is very Pro-carry.  Also, the lack of physical stats in his letter tend to tell me that he's full of political BS instead of actual facts.  Also, I don't see how CCWing a pistol relates to the sniper case (unless he was trying to say having CCW didn't prevent it).

Quoted: He is a train driver.  Wow!

"He survived robbery and a head injury from a shooting in a 1980 attack."

And a slow learner, apparently.

G

I read somewhere that the DC sniper tried to start his crimewave in Louisiana. Supposedly his first potential victim was missed by the sniper's shot and he saw where it came from. At that point he took out his CCW and fired back. The snipers got away, but were scared and then moved on.. to somewhere that CCW is illegal and restricted.

Someone help me out and post the original story on this.

Quoted: What are your thoughts to this letter to the editor? Concealed weapons won't make us safer Gun enthusiasts such as the writer of the letter "Concealed weapons could cut crime rate" (Jan. 16) often cite flawed research that falsely attributes falling crime rates in some states to concealed weapons, instead of to improved police practices and changing demographics. Allowing anybody to carry a concealed handgun would make Maryland more dangerous. And carrying a concealed gun would have been no help against the high-profile crime sprees of recent years. For instance, the Washington-area snipers crawled into their car's closed trunk and shot through a peephole with a highly accurate sniper rifle. Many other killers shoot to settle scores with family or other close acquaintances such as those involved in the illegal drug trade. If Maryland makes it easy for anyone to carry a handgun, the death toll from domestic disputes will increase dramatically and our state will become a lot less safe. Matt Fenton Lutherville The writer is a member of the board of CeaseFire Maryland Inc. Edit to add his profile from ceasefire: Matthew Fenton - Mr. Fenton is an engineer at Maryland MTA, and a longtime supporter of gun control legislation. He survived robbery and a head injury from a shooting in a 1980 attack. He has served on the Handgun Roster Board and currently serves as Registrar of the Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, Lutherville, MD. List your arguments that discredit this guy.

They need to outlaw people with head injurys.

Quoted: I read somewhere that the DC sniper tried to start his crimewave in Louisiana. Supposedly his first potential victim was missed by the sniper's shot and he saw where it came from. At that point he took out his CCW and fired back. The snipers got away, but were scared and then moved on.. to somewhere that CCW is illegal and restricted. Someone help me out and post the original story on this.

WOW

TAG FOR STORY!

Quoted: Shit--there was a guy not too long ago here in AZ that stopped a robbery with his CCW in a movie store, and another guy who did the same in a check cashing store. Criminals do NOT expect armed resistance (or any resistance at all) from their victims. Start shooting the fuckers and using their skulls as beer mugs and they'll think twice.

I like the way you think.

Quoted: I read somewhere that the DC sniper tried to start his crimewave in Louisiana. Supposedly his first potential victim was missed by the sniper's shot and he saw where it came from. At that point he took out his CCW and fired back. The snipers got away, but were scared and then moved on.. to somewhere that CCW is illegal and restricted. Someone help me out and post the original story on this.

That's a good theory except for realilty creeping in. About half of their shootings were in VA were CCW is legal.

He survived robbery and a head injury from a shooting in a 1980 attack.

I bet if he had a CCW then, that robber would have fled and he wouldn't have suffered a head injury.  Dumb fuck.

fear of guns is a tell tale sign of retarded sexual maturity - poor dumb bastard

Does the guy have any evidence that CHL holders use their license to go on shooting sprees?

Seems to be an untested hypothesis to me.

I don't think we will ever change his mind.

64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:aULKSzm1XDwJ:www.nealknox.com/alerts/msg00174.html

There was an interesting tidbit in Sunday’s Washington Post:  One of the suspected victims of the D.C. sniper shot back. If the government convicts John Muhammad of murder in those killings, they intend to introduce during the sentencing phase other “unadjudicated acts” which they believe he did but cannot prove.  In two D.C. shootings and one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (which occurred while he was known to be in the area), forensics experts could not positively match the bullets with Muhammad’s Bushmaster .223 Remington/5.56 NATO. (That’s an example of one of the flaws in the much-hyped Ballistic Imaging Database.  If trained forensic ballisticians can’t detect a match on three of a dozen or so jacket fragments they’re rigorously inspecting, computer imaging can’t even come close.) A Baton Rouge groceryman, Wright Williams Jr., had noticed a dark Chevy parked with its trunk toward the store as he started to lock up.  A bullet ripped through his lip and into the store’s front door. He ran toward the street, drawing a 9mm handgun as a second shot was fired. Williams returned fire as the car headed for a nearby interstate highway. Two things are significant about this incident:  It’s the only one where the snipers split rather than face an armed citizen, and the only one in which the snipers fired twice – once again indicating that the over-10-round magazine ban is immaterial to crime control.

If Maryland makes it easy for anyone to carry a handgun, the death toll from domestic disputes will increase dramatically and our state will become a lot less safe.

Possibly true.  Female victims of domestic abuse may start shooting the abusers.  Oh the horror!

Incidentally, domestic disputes generally happen in a residence.  As such this point of Mr. No Evidence holds no weight.  As far as I can tell Maryland has no law against possessing a handgun in a private residence.

Aren't people with CCW statistically five times less likely to committ a felony or serious misdemeanor than Joe Sheeple?

his falacy is emotion. plain and simple.



he's a skeeeeeeerd of inanitame objects

"If Maryland makes it easy for anyone to carry a handgun, the death toll from domestic disputes will increase dramatically and our state will become a lot less safe."

This has never happened.  In fact, the opposite has always been true, crime rates have dropped where citizens have easier access to guns.

Yeah, a slow learner.