Everyone knows someone like this,who thinks the 2nd amendment is about hunting

Josey1

John D. See: We'd be less safe with concealed weapon law By John D. SeeFebruary 26, 2002As an avid hunter and conservationist, I have watched with growing alarm the way the gun lobby and its political allies have insinuated their way into Wisconsin's outdoor sports. We now see that the Wisconsin Conservation Congress has agreed to become a forum at its April meetings for Sen. Dave Zien's concealed weapon bill (Personal Protection Act, Senate Bill 357). Once again Zien is trying to force this pet legislation of the National Rifle Association down the throat of Wisconsin. It may interest you to know that Zien is listed as a contact person in an advertisement that accuses Attorney General Jim Doyle and state Sen. James Baumgart of being terrorists. The ad states that Doyle and Baumgart are out to destroy our way of life and plan to ban guns and hunting in Wisconsin. It concludes by saying, "Let's get rid of them!" (Tradin' Post Buyer's Guide, Feb. 19-25). This is the type of hateful rhetoric we associate with skinheads and militia groups, not state senators. Let's hope Zien will disassociate himself from such talk. For its part, the Conservation Congress has absolutely no business taking up the question of concealed weapons. Its chartered function is to advise the Department of Natural Resources on issues that pertain to conservation and wildlife. It is not a forum for discussing larger societal issues such as crime or public health, and it betrays the public trust when it enters into such a charade with right-wing politicians. They hope to sway the outcome by focusing on such things as funding for shooting ranges and protecting hunters' rights to carry handguns in the field, but these are just camouflage to obscure the real question, which is whether the carrying of loaded pistols on our streets will decrease the level of violence. This is a public health question that should not be put to a popular vote; it can be answered only by scientific research. There are many responsible hunters and NRA members, but on this issue they are allowing themselves to be hijacked by a gun lobby that is more interested in power politics than public safety. Here are some of the main issues surrounding the concealed-carry weapon (CCW) laws. The first thing the gun lobby claims is that concealed weapons will protect us from violence, but in fact the evidence for such a proposition is highly controversial. They continually cite the work of John Lott (More Guns, Less Crime, 2000) as proof that more concealed handguns result in less crime. What they don't tell you is that many scholars have seriously questioned Lott's statistical analysis as well as his conclusions (Myths About Defensive Gun Use and Permissive Gun Carry Laws, Webster & Ludwig, 2000, www.jhsph.edu/gunpolicy). They also don't tell you about the large and compelling literature that points in exactly the opposite direction, i.e., fewer guns lead to less harm. Wisconsin is one of the safest places in America. We rank 45th in violent crime, and our overall crime rate has been dropping steadily for the past decade without any help from concealed-carry weapon laws. Our police do an excellent job of protecting us and they do not need or want the help of bumbling vigilantes with handguns. The Wisconsin Chiefs of Police Association continues to oppose this legislation. Since Sept. 11, Zien and others from the gun lobby have said that concealed-carry weapon laws will help in the fight against terrorism. Do these guys really believe this nonsense or is it just more shameless opportunism? In either case, it should be ignored. Gov. Tom Ridge, Bush's head of homeland security, says in regard to armed citizens, "That's not the best antidote to 21st century terrorist attacks." (December, CNN report). Certainly, recent events have shaken our confidence and we should be deeply worried about terrorism, but concealed handguns in Wisconsin are irrelevant to the discussion. The gun lobby continually peddles the myth that those states that have adopted concealed-carry weapon laws have had few if any problems. This is a half-truth at best. To get the rest of the story, check out "CCW License Holders: Law Abiding Citizens?" at www.bradycampaign.org. In Florida and Texas alone, there have been thousands of concealed-carry weapon licensees arrested for the full range of criminal behavior, including murder and assault. The savagery unleashed by these legal, concealed weapons should be disturbing to anyone whose brain isn't bloated with testosterone. For those who want to examine the handgun issue in depth, here are some good resources that Sen. Zien and the NRA will never tell you about: "Gun Violence, The Real Costs" by Cook & Ludwig, 2000; "Every Handgun Is Aimed at You" by Josh Sugarmann, 2001; the Violence Policy Center at www.vpc.org; the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence at www.bradycampaign.org; Americans for Gun Safety at www.americansforgunsafety.com. John D. See, Ph.D. is a retired college professor, life-long hunter, and member of numerous conservation groups such as the Sierra Club and Nature Conservancy. He lives in Menomonie.Published: 6:29 AM 2 http://www.captimes.com/opinion/column/guest/21195.php

Iconoclast

And his PhD is in what, marine biology? Interesting they always give the degree but not the speciality, to give a false sense of authority. Note the sources he quotes. I'm moved to wonder if *his* PhD research was based on the same principles as the Emory clown; this piece is anything but academically objective.