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Christine Eberle's death spotlights flaw in CCW law in PRNJ
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
In the wake of Christine Eberle's abduction on November 12th from the Ferry Avenue PATCO station and subsequent murder, there will be many questions. Where were the police? Did anybody see anything but refuse to get involved? These and many other factors could have had an effect on the outcome of the incident. Sadly, the one factor that could have made the most difference between life and death for Christine Eberle probably won't ever be discussed. That factor is whether she could have defended herself if she had been able to obtain a New Jersey handgun carry permit.New Jersey's handgun carry permit system is discretionary, and applicants must prove "justifiable need" to obtain one. Under the principles of self-defense, the only time the use of deadly force is "justified" in a situation is when all other options have been exhausted. Therefore, to meet "justifiable need" for a handgun permit, an applicant must prove there are circumstances in his or her daily life that will most likely lead to such a situation. This standard, in effect, requires applicants to predict the future. And because there is always a possibility that a person will never be attacked, the authorities can technically deny any application regardless of how serious a person may perceive the potential danger in his or her case to be.Those that administer the system steadfastly claim impartiality in their decisions. But one look at other states with discretionary systems reveals the true nature of the injustice caused. In New York City and Hollywood, permits are issued to the rich, the famous and those politically well connected. In San Francisco, United States Senator Dianne Feinstein - a champion of gun control advocates - legally carries a concealed handgun, one of a number so small you can count them on one hand. It's perfectly reasonable to assume New Jersey's system fosters the same corruption.Under a non-discretionary permit system, like Pennsylvania's, applicants still must pass criminal background and mental health checks, but do not have to explain why they want the permit. And the burden is on the state to show why a particular aspect of an applicant's past is reason to deny the permit. This system ensures that no preferential treatment is accorded to a select few.Allowing the general public to carry handguns for self-defense also reduces violent crime. Studies by Florida State University Professor Gary Kleck and Yale University Professor John Lott confirm that allowing people to own and carry firearms for self-defense deters criminals without increasing the risk of accidental shootings, road rage and street justice. Of the thirty-three states that have non-discretionary permit systems - some fifteen years old - not one has experienced problems that warrant restricting the system. In fact, many have further liberalized the rules to allow interstate recognition of permits.Maintaining a system that deprives people of the right of self-defense is egregious enough. But what is most offensive about New Jersey's system, particularly on a philosophical level, is what it says about people's worth. It endorses the view that some people's lives are more valuable than others. It imposes the requirement that the public accept a certain level of criminal victimization because they are not special enough to carry a handgun. And it contemplates that the public is not trustworthy enough to make their own decisions about how to best defend themselves and their loved ones.Unfortunately, the general public doesn't realize this harm. Gun control advocates have been very successful in playing to emotions, vilifying those who hold contrary opinions, misrepresenting statistics and promoting the fallacy that the government will take care of everyone if we just blindly place our trust in it. In the highly charged atmosphere that naturally comes with the subject, it's easy to loose sight of what's really going on.New Jersey's Governor-elect has made it clear he opposes changing the permit system. As a result, millions of people who live, work and travel in New Jersey will continue to be deprived of the ability to fully exercise their right to self-defense. Many of them will be required to endure state-endorsed defenselessness in the face of a criminal attack. And all of them, whether they realize it or not, will be subject to the offense of being considered lesser members of society, not worthy of equal recognition for their intrinsic value as human beings.All of them, except for Christine Eberle. http://home.earthlink.net/~michaelbane/eberle.htm
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It's the stuff dreams are made of AngelNRA Certified Firearms InstructorMember: GOA, RKBA, NJSPBA, NJ area rep for the 2ndAMPD. njretcop@copmail.com
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