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Guns Kill people, Gun Control Kills More
Josey1
Member Posts: 9,598 ✭✭
Guns Kill people, Gun Control Kills More
By Emiliano Antunez
The picture on the front page of the Miami Herald's local section spoke volumes. A mans lifeless body laid covered by a white sheet, next to his outstretched hand lay a crowbar. His name was Jonada Campos a 49 year old immigrant from Nicaragua who was shot to death by robbers at his jewelry store. His wife Angela also died as a result of the shooting.
Mr. Campos died while trying to defend his wife and son with a crowbar, unfortunately his assailants had guns. Why would a jewelry store owner not have a gun on the premises? The most telling part of this story comes from comments made by Scott Miller General Manager Opa-lacka Flea Market where the store was located. When asked about the Flea Markets policy on guns, Mr. Miller responded "If a vendor was found to keep a weapon at the booth, they would be gone; no second chances-it's a zero tolerance policy."
Nobody should question the Flea Markets right to impose restriction on guns. It is a private company located on private property and they are well within their rights. Vendors are aware of these rules and regulations and accept them in exchange for being able to do business at the flea market. What should be analyzed in this case are the results of policies that curtail the right of individuals to own and carry guns.
The objective of most criminals is either to obtain as much economic gain or inflict as much pain as possible, with the least amount of consequences. In the case of the Flea Market robbery the assailants were probably well aware of its "Zero Tolerance" policy towards guns. A jewelry store with substantial amounts of gold and cash and no guns makes a very enticing target.
Why would the flea market management like some governments restrict law abiding citizens' rights to own and posses' guns? The perception of these individuals and politicians is that by outlawing guns they will make their area safer. In a perfect world where everyone played by the rules, that would be the case. But we all know our world is far from perfect and populated by folks who don't always play by the rules. So why do some people insist on curtailing others rights, to own and carry guns?
Most politicians both liberal and conservative have an elitist view of society. They obviously believe that they are part of the elite, sane and knowledgeable. The citizenry in their view is not as bright (they elected them, didn't they?) and capable of violence for the most menial of reasons. This elitist view leads some politicians (and Flea Market GMs) to insist that guns should only legally be possessed by government approved law enforcement officers and in some cases private security guards. In their view they are only protecting us from ourselves and of course themselves from us. Gun Control also makes life easier for tyrants.
Though, police sometimes deter crime that is not usually the case. In most instances police officers respond to a crime after it has taken place. This leaves unarmed citizens at the mercy of criminals, who aren't worried about breaking laws. Accidents and crimes of passions will undoubtedly take lives in an armed society, but the number of those deaths pale in comparison to the number of lives saved because criminals are deterred by armed or possibly armed citizens.
The deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Campos unfortunately are a text book case of how deadly and dangerous gun control laws and regulations can be. Would Mr. Campo's have been able to fend of the attackers if he had a gun? Would the robbers have been deterred if a "zero tolerance" policy towards guns had not existed at the flea market? We will never really know. What we do know is that the "zero tolerance" policy towards guns not only made the thugs decision to rob the store a lot easier, it also made it safer for them to carry out their crime.
Visit Author's own web page http://www.antunez.org/
http://www.sierratimes.com/03/05/30/guestoped_ea.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>
By Emiliano Antunez
The picture on the front page of the Miami Herald's local section spoke volumes. A mans lifeless body laid covered by a white sheet, next to his outstretched hand lay a crowbar. His name was Jonada Campos a 49 year old immigrant from Nicaragua who was shot to death by robbers at his jewelry store. His wife Angela also died as a result of the shooting.
Mr. Campos died while trying to defend his wife and son with a crowbar, unfortunately his assailants had guns. Why would a jewelry store owner not have a gun on the premises? The most telling part of this story comes from comments made by Scott Miller General Manager Opa-lacka Flea Market where the store was located. When asked about the Flea Markets policy on guns, Mr. Miller responded "If a vendor was found to keep a weapon at the booth, they would be gone; no second chances-it's a zero tolerance policy."
Nobody should question the Flea Markets right to impose restriction on guns. It is a private company located on private property and they are well within their rights. Vendors are aware of these rules and regulations and accept them in exchange for being able to do business at the flea market. What should be analyzed in this case are the results of policies that curtail the right of individuals to own and carry guns.
The objective of most criminals is either to obtain as much economic gain or inflict as much pain as possible, with the least amount of consequences. In the case of the Flea Market robbery the assailants were probably well aware of its "Zero Tolerance" policy towards guns. A jewelry store with substantial amounts of gold and cash and no guns makes a very enticing target.
Why would the flea market management like some governments restrict law abiding citizens' rights to own and posses' guns? The perception of these individuals and politicians is that by outlawing guns they will make their area safer. In a perfect world where everyone played by the rules, that would be the case. But we all know our world is far from perfect and populated by folks who don't always play by the rules. So why do some people insist on curtailing others rights, to own and carry guns?
Most politicians both liberal and conservative have an elitist view of society. They obviously believe that they are part of the elite, sane and knowledgeable. The citizenry in their view is not as bright (they elected them, didn't they?) and capable of violence for the most menial of reasons. This elitist view leads some politicians (and Flea Market GMs) to insist that guns should only legally be possessed by government approved law enforcement officers and in some cases private security guards. In their view they are only protecting us from ourselves and of course themselves from us. Gun Control also makes life easier for tyrants.
Though, police sometimes deter crime that is not usually the case. In most instances police officers respond to a crime after it has taken place. This leaves unarmed citizens at the mercy of criminals, who aren't worried about breaking laws. Accidents and crimes of passions will undoubtedly take lives in an armed society, but the number of those deaths pale in comparison to the number of lives saved because criminals are deterred by armed or possibly armed citizens.
The deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Campos unfortunately are a text book case of how deadly and dangerous gun control laws and regulations can be. Would Mr. Campo's have been able to fend of the attackers if he had a gun? Would the robbers have been deterred if a "zero tolerance" policy towards guns had not existed at the flea market? We will never really know. What we do know is that the "zero tolerance" policy towards guns not only made the thugs decision to rob the store a lot easier, it also made it safer for them to carry out their crime.
Visit Author's own web page http://www.antunez.org/
http://www.sierratimes.com/03/05/30/guestoped_ea.htm
"If cowardly and dishonorable men sometimes shoot unarmed men with army pistols or guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary and gallows, and not by a general deprivation of a constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878<P>