HerrGlock
06-20-2008, 08:01
http://www.gazette.com/opinion/drunks_37497___article.html/price_failure.html
UNARMED ADULTS COULDN'T HELP
It's a shame a cop shot and killed a 27-year-old man who was busy stomping and punching a toddler to death June 15 in Stanislaus County, Calif. It's tragic because someone else should have stopped the killer before police arrived on the scene. The police were too late, and the baby died.
That's not to criticize the cops. Most would move mountains to get to a child in peril. Few would wince at shooting a child killer. But they will almost always be too late to counter violent crime in progress.
Ordinary folks, however, stumble on violent crime more often. The child died because nobody on scene was able to do anything useful. At least three people stopped their cars and tried to intervene, but the baby killer was too strong, too hostile and too charged with adrenaline for the passersby to overpower him. None was equipped to do what the cop did.
Colorado has a shall-issue law that requires sheriffs to issue concealed carry permits to nearly anyone who applies. California does not, but it should.
In Stanislaus County the sheriff 's department issues permits only to special people who can show "good cause." To qualify, an applicant must prove that he or she "is in greater peril of criminal victimization than the average citizen and/or for whom professional law enforcement assistance is unreasonably diffcult to obtain given their particular circumstances." It probably doesn't hurt to be wealthy or well-conected, either. It's a law that reflects old-school thinking about law and order, ignoring the fact that more guns mean less crime.
The "good cause" policy is most unfortunate, and it probably reduced this baby's chances at life. A better reason to qualify a citizen for a permit is the mere possibility he or she may come upon some maniac beating a child along the road. Or, the possibility of the applicant happening upon a violent rape. Or the possibility of the applicant being raped.
It's not unusual for just plain ordinary folks, like those who wanted to stop the brutal murder of a child, to find themselves needing guns. That's why more states need shall-issue laws like Colorado's, freeing up citizens to carry weapons without having to prove special status. Law-abiding citizens shouldn't have to explain why they want or need to carry weapons in their cars, purses or hidden holsters.
Passersby almost always stumble on crime scenes before cops arrive. If just one is properly prepared and equipped, he or she might be able to save a life.
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UNARMED ADULTS COULDN'T HELP
It's a shame a cop shot and killed a 27-year-old man who was busy stomping and punching a toddler to death June 15 in Stanislaus County, Calif. It's tragic because someone else should have stopped the killer before police arrived on the scene. The police were too late, and the baby died.
That's not to criticize the cops. Most would move mountains to get to a child in peril. Few would wince at shooting a child killer. But they will almost always be too late to counter violent crime in progress.
Ordinary folks, however, stumble on violent crime more often. The child died because nobody on scene was able to do anything useful. At least three people stopped their cars and tried to intervene, but the baby killer was too strong, too hostile and too charged with adrenaline for the passersby to overpower him. None was equipped to do what the cop did.
Colorado has a shall-issue law that requires sheriffs to issue concealed carry permits to nearly anyone who applies. California does not, but it should.
In Stanislaus County the sheriff 's department issues permits only to special people who can show "good cause." To qualify, an applicant must prove that he or she "is in greater peril of criminal victimization than the average citizen and/or for whom professional law enforcement assistance is unreasonably diffcult to obtain given their particular circumstances." It probably doesn't hurt to be wealthy or well-conected, either. It's a law that reflects old-school thinking about law and order, ignoring the fact that more guns mean less crime.
The "good cause" policy is most unfortunate, and it probably reduced this baby's chances at life. A better reason to qualify a citizen for a permit is the mere possibility he or she may come upon some maniac beating a child along the road. Or, the possibility of the applicant happening upon a violent rape. Or the possibility of the applicant being raped.
It's not unusual for just plain ordinary folks, like those who wanted to stop the brutal murder of a child, to find themselves needing guns. That's why more states need shall-issue laws like Colorado's, freeing up citizens to carry weapons without having to prove special status. Law-abiding citizens shouldn't have to explain why they want or need to carry weapons in their cars, purses or hidden holsters.
Passersby almost always stumble on crime scenes before cops arrive. If just one is properly prepared and equipped, he or she might be able to save a life.
(Comments block at the bottom of the page)
