Saturday, March 8, 2008

The Armed citizen.

Recently the criminal violence of citizens - some armed with guns - has made the local news. A 40+ year old man shot and killed a 17 year old teenager who was allegedly in a dispute with the older man's nephew. A 21 year old man, defended himself from a robbery, killing a 22 year old man (who was accompanied by two conspirators) when the criminals pointed a gun in his face. The citizen was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and used it to protect his life.

Blade


Greater regulation of the law abiding citizens will do nothing to stop the crimes of the non-law abiding citizen. However, legal gun ownership, responsible use, and freedom will.

“On Sunday, Victor Wiggins, 22, of 2433 Glenwood Ave., was shot in the chest by a man he was attempting to rob, police said.” Mr. Wiggins was shot and killed by another citizen, same race and nearly the same age, who was licensed to carry a concealed weapon and defendned himself when Mr. Wiggins and two associates, pointed a gun in his face.

What caught my eye after reading a recent post on Glass City Jungle on this topic, was the lead in “Irresponsible gun ownership creates scenarios over and over again where the circle of violence is played out.” The criminality of the offenders (yes plural) created the violence.

Had the deceased been hit with a hammer, stabbed - like a recent high school student - or clubbed with a baseball bat, the post would not have lead with; “irresponsible athletic equiptment storage creates scenerios over and over again where the circle of violence is played out.”

But the “victims” would still be dead, and the tragedy still a reality. A gun is an assemply of metal and plastic parts, designed for legitimate purposes, which, like many other tools, gets misused. No one is calling for a ban on Mr. Gagnon’s Ford F350that killed a family of 5 on the highway recently, they are holding him responsible. Although there has been a cry for more street signs.

The A-Hole.