I have seen a lot of life in the years I have lived; some of it good, some not so good….it is what it is, no more no less.
The front page article in the Sunday edition of the Globe Gazette had a profound way of waking me up, in fact it frighten me and made me pause to think just where I was. The issue I speak of has to do with gun control and the right to carry a deadly weapon.
Next month I will be 78, truthfully I don’t relish it but again it is what it is; I would much rather be 48 or 28 if it is just a wish…but I’ll settle for what I have seeing there is no other option and I am still lucid and upright. My point is simply this; I have traveled the world, been all over the globe and into some of the largest population centers on earth, I have walked the streets and avenues of these cities during the day and well into the night…..and I did all of this without a gun. Think about this, think hard about it, no gun and no other instrument that might be used to protect myself from harm. Yet here I sit writing these words, safe.
My point being, why do we need to carry guns on our person? By allowing this madness it will put far more of society in harms way than ever before; ask yourself why you would need to carry a gun into the supermarket to buy groceries, or when you need to fill your tank, or get a haircut of wash your car. I read a few months ago that gun permits were up considerably over a year ago…think about it.
I am well aware that in order to get a carry permit you need to be tested, but it puts more guns out there; what if your child get their hands on your gun? What if they take it to school, or get mad a the neighbor because they chased the dog out of the yard, then goes into the house grabs your gun and waits behind the bushes and shoot your neighbor when he comes home from work? You think it can’t happen? Think again. Your child might shoot you because you reprimand them for some slight infraction Do you want to go into a establishment that sell intoxicants where there could be a half dozen or more guys in there drinking and carrying weapons? I think if you want to carry a weapon and you are not in law enforcement there is something seriously wrong with you. You could be suffering from a sense of extremely insecurity, then there is depression, no one who suffers from depression should be around guns…they might just kill their entire family then themselves.
This guy featured in the article is 28 years old, he wants Iowans to be able to respond with deadly force and at the same time be free of liability if they feel threatened…how nice that means you can kill some one and not be arrested, but only if you feel threatened. Does that work for you? He wants guns to be allowed in public buildings…like courthouses where you can shoot your newly divorced wife if you feel the judge gave her too much, the maybe shoot the judge as well.
It is my opinion that any guy who carries a firearm and does not work in law enforcement is impotent and desperately needs a phallus symbol to compensate for what is lacking between his legs.
Peter Children
Silly Bloggers,
You are never going to change Peter Children’s mind with your logic. Here’s how you change his mind . . .
Hey, Petey! Eric Bookmeyer supports gun control too!
i lived in des moines for 8 years. i lived right downtown. single, attractive, 20’s going to nursing school; never did i feel the need for a gun or feel so threatened that i felt i’d have to go get one. i can’t imagine being so f***ing paranoid about my surroundings
that i would consider going to get a gun. the minute i do if ever, someone–anyone!–please take me out before i start stockpiling and waiting for the rapture!!!
You feel free to be a victim. I’ve spent alot of time in Des Moines and most of the time I felt more comfortable with a weapon.
But hey, it’s a free country you walk around unarmed all you wan’t, that’s your right. It’s our right to walk around with one.
Don’t associate gun owners with those who are looking forward to the end of times, not all of us are like that. However, if they choose to prepare for that, more power to them!
I own three guns, a rifle and two shotguns. They did need to take the final decision away from the sheriffs on permits but every person applying for a permit should have to get a mental evaluation. Their are alot of unstable people that have no records on file that would stop them from getting a permit.
Arm the good to defend themselves from the evil. that is the idea.
Criminals do not use or need a permit to commit their crimes. Criminals by their very nature do not obey the law.
No one is required to carry a weapon.
It is a right like voting. it wasn’t that long ago that certain people weren’t able to freely vote in america.
When seconds count, law enforcement is only minutes away.
Another flawed article by Peter Children. You have already aknowledged that most people have guns reguardless if they have a permit to carry or not. You can what if anything to death. Kids hiding in bushes shoot someone is just rediculous. Peter did you serve this country? I don’t think so. So now you want to take your liberalism ideas and take away rights that people have fought and died for and made this country what it is today. The responsible citizen who takes the classes and training is not the threat. It is the 58 people who are right now sitting in the cerro gordo jail for various crimes from Burglary, Drugs, Bank Robbery, and assults that you have to worry about and they will never carry legally. So I would rather have someone stop them and make them think twice before committing a crime that knows what they are doing rather than play the victim because someone like you thought it was better to take away their right to carry.
Peter, I have to say that for the most part I uaually agree with alot of the stuff you write about, but with this issue you have taken the road that so many take who have very little knowledge of reality and deal mostly with “myth”! Let’s break your piece/ideas down paragrapf by paragraph.
Your first paragraph says you are “frightened”…who are you frightened of, it can’t be the well trained gun owner and carrier of a concealed weapon who practices weekly with his weapon and reviews the policy of “carrying” along with its responsibility(s).You are frightened by those who would use a weapon “against” you. Those of us who are “responsible” don’t use our weapons to frighten others…we use those weapons to protect “ourselves”!
Another paragraph: You “state” you know one has to be tested to get a permit…the new law took that “assumtion” away from need for the public to get a permit…you no longer need to be tested…take a class…be proficient in shooting…just apply for one! By the way most of us “serious” CCW carriers would rather there be “classes…testing…and shooting qualification” in order to get a “carry” permit!
Another paragraph: Most of what you brought up concerned the total lack of responsibility of the person who might be carrying a concealed weapon…well isn’t that the number one reason people do stupid, ill-mannered things in the first place? You will never be able to make laws that regulate “stupidity” and poor judgement. You asked would we want someone to carry a weapon…let’s add the term “responsible” person…carrying a weapon into a store or courtroom. Go to your computer and type in “Courtroom shootings”, and you will pull up over 10,000 pages of articles, with many people killed or injured…how much less carnage might there have been had there been (1) well trained private citizen in that room at that time carrying a concealed weapon? Recently in Dahls grocery store in Des Moines there appearred a man with a knife walking the ailes and threatening shoppers…mush time went by before the police were even called and more time with customers in jeapordy before they arrived! With a person with a concealed weapon and a learned “skill” a bullet to the leg or arm, would have brought that scene under control.
Another paragraph: People have been killing people since man first walked the earth…should we be allowed to kill each other, absolutely not, but we do and thus we have laws for punishing those that illegally kill others. Guns are, and always have been just tools and despite what you and others will and have said, guns by and of themselves do not and can not kill…they are merely tools to be use in a responsible manner! Take away or restrict the use of firearms and you will have to take away baseball bats, knives, chain saws, cars, pieces of rope, hammers, well you hopefully get the idea here. I think Paul Harvey always said it best,
“With great freedoms, comes great responsibility”! Peter you will never have to fear responsible people who carry concealed weapons, just the irresponsible ones and the bad guys in general…which has always been the case anyway.
By the way, persons who work in law enforcement are merely another microcosim of society with good cops and bad cops and “all” of them carry guns!!! and one other fact you should know…I have carried a concealed weapon for many years while living here in your city, falling under my “umbrella” of protection, and you were never aware of it…and you are welcome!
The world is changing and not for the better. I choose to protect myself and my family if the need desires. You choose not to, your right, but don’t supress my right to protect myself. The police or any other law enforcement division can not be all places at all times.
We are seeing more gang members moving into our area, drug dealers and other types who wan’t to take over our “turf”. Why? Because we have been a peacefull and civilized area for a very long time. It is safer here for them to practice their trade, Until they get competition and decide to keep there turf under any cost. The shooting at the north end Casey’s is a good example. What if at that moment you walked to your vehicle parked there and saw what happened? What might that person have done? You’ve just whitnessed him shoot someone, will he simply flee or will he shoot you a witness to his deed? I don’t have the answer to that, but I can tell you I would not let him harm me without a chance of him loosing his life as well. How about going to do your bankning? Noticed lately that bank robberies are on the rise. As the economic times worsen the crime rate will rise, desperate times create desperate people who take advantage of those that have a bit more then they do.
The shall issue law was passed to bring uniformity to the carry laws in this state as it had become some complicated that no one was really sure what law or ordinance was in place anywhere. Each sheriff had his own rules. Again, local law enforcement and governments are trying to restrict the new law, so they now need to pass another to reinforce a current law. Sad that laws have to be passed for the protection of a existing law.
The choice to own and or carry a gun is a personal one. If you have the legal capacity to own a gun you should be able to do so and protect yourself and property. As law stands now, you must flee your home, this is wrong. Owning a gun is a responsibility, no different then owning an automobile, both are deadly weapons. You can kill your exwife with your car when she walks out of court just as simply as you could shoot her. That is a mental problem, the only choice is which weapon you choose. I am a responsible person, I have been well trained in the use of weapons as I encourage any person who decides to carry a weapon to do so.
If they keep chipping away at our freedoms, soon we will have none left.
AND UNDER CURRENT LAW YOU WILL GO TO JAIL
Again I must make this clear. I am in no way against owning guns, nor the right to protect your home and family with whatever means are necessary. I just don’t think it helps having so many guns being carried on your person. I have never shot a pistol, never wanted to own one. I have a very fine shotgun, five shot automatic…its more than enough. I believe almost every home in this country has a gun in it, but that is where the gun should be, not on your hip unless you are the law. I will say it again; if you break into my house I am not going to run out the other door. I will shoot you once you are inside.
Peter;
Shoot all you want, if you shoot that person YOU will go to jail. THAT IS WHY IOWA’S LAWS NEED TWEEKING
“what if your child get their hands on your gun? What if they take it to school, or get mad a the neighbor because they chased the dog out of the yard, then goes into the house grabs your gun and waits behind the bushes and shoot your neighbor when he comes home from work? You think it can’t happen? Think again. Your child might shoot you because you reprimand them for some slight infraction.”
Has NOTHING to do with people carrying a weapon, but it does reveal your true feelings about anyone owning a weapon.
I normally agree with the articles you write Peter, but must share my opinons on Gun control. I have a permit to carry but choose to keep my guns in my home only. A responsable gun owner knows how to keep them secure. It scares me to think of our rights being taken away and the criminals being armed if they choose to break into a persons home. I have a right to defend myself. As far as careing a gun in public I do not do so, if the need arose for me to defend my self in public I would be concerned about innocent bystanders possibly being shot in a scuffle. I have guns in my home because I no longer feel safe from a home invasion. Times have changed and people who say otherwise are living in the past. Would I shoot to kill, probably not, I would shoot to make a point that I am armed first, then if my life were in danger I would shoot. What a dangerous place this would be if only criminals have guns! There have also been times when knowing someone near me is carrying a gun would have been a good thing. i am not for guns for the irresponsable. The down side of our new gun laws allow people to get a gun permit on the internet after reading some information, taking a simple test, printing the certificate out and taking it to the sherrif. The gun laws need to be tidyed up without taking away our rights. Criminals and those who have been commited because of mental problems do not receive a permits anyway. Hopefully you will never find yourself at the mercy of a criminal.
While you make some solid points, I am from another generation. I hunted birds as a young man, then I put my gun away…but I keep it loaded with #4 shot and that isn’t for birds.
I will admit that I did not know of the retreat law; that won’t work at my house and of course I have two doors. If you come in here by force you’ll be dead when you leave…bet all you got on that. I know there are a lot of gun people in this country, but you must also realize that we don’t need the majority of the population carrying weapons simply because they can.
Peter, I carry because it is my LEGAL RIGHT! You choose not to carry, that’s fine, that is your right and your choice!
Someone armed breaks into your house to do harm to you and/or your family…. you release urine at a rapid rate from your fallus and have to wipe your backside should you make it out alive. I and others that carry responsibly, in that same situation make the would-be robber think twice, hopefully turning tail and running (best case scenario). Should things escalate then I brought a gun to a gun fight and will defend myself, my family, and property as lawfully as I can. I know if it is not classified a “clean shoot” I am legally responsible. Not being a victim… priceless!
I respect the law, carry only when I feel my safety could be jeapordized (I am in some not so nice places from time to time for my job), no bars, restaurants, courthouses, etc. I have over ten years of military experience, attended the arms classes offered locally, and secure my weapons according to the applicable safety requirements. Additionally, I fire it repeatedly to maintain accuracy and competence. Educating those that carry is PARAMOUNT. Unfortunately, no one can fix stupid 100%.
While I realize I may be over-cautious, those I know that carry are just as cautious and respect the weapons and intent of the law. As far as others carrying for whatever reason they have, I can only hope they carry their weapons and themselves as legally and responsibly as the majority of us already do!
When do you feel your safety could be jeapordized? Could you give me examples? I’m not against gun control or the right to carry. I just looking for informatoin.
Any time you pass 5th street traveling north on federal. Alley Katz has had 2 shootings in the parking lot in the last 3 months.
There is also an organization in MC that uses their “concealed carrier” status’s as a scare tactic.
I go into cities like Des Moines, Waterloo, and the Quad Cities. Within these cities I have to go into some VERY “interesting areas”. No one other then those I visit actually know I carry when I am there (with their prior approval, and all of them have approved). I took a third-party consultant in with me once, we stopped in order for me to carry. His words exactly… WTF are you doing? My response was, this is for our safety, if it makes you uncomfortable then you can wait somewhere and dial in. After our meeting when I was putting my weapon away he said, “I appreciated you having that. It could have gotten really interesting going to and from those businesses.” Now does that happen every time??? No! But I dont get an agenda prior so I dont know what is going to happen and I evaluate the situation prior.
Confused is right on with this. Peter read up on Iowas “duty to retreat law” Sorry Peter but your arguements just don’t cut it. Grocery store assault?? It could very well happen. I’m taking Ted Nugents stance on this..”the second ammendment IS my carry permit..PERIOD” There is talk about when the constitution was written that we didn’t have semi auto firearms…WELL we didn’t have tv-radio-internet either and no one says anything about that when free speech is discussed… I can hear it now “your story will be legal if it only has the capacity to piss off 5 people at one time”(magazine capacity laws) MANY people have served their country and died for our freedoms..and anyone who is trying to limit our rights in any way are spitting on their graves..simple as that