Gun Free Zones

By Bob Weir

Last week, I wrote about the shooting rampage at the Town Council meeting in Kirkwood, Missouri that took the lives of 5 people. Only a couple of days after the column appeared on the Thinker, another gun-related tragedy occurred; this time at Northern Illinois University and it claimed 5 more innocent lives.

That's right: another maniac, with guns bristling all over him, walked into a "gun-free zone" and began picking off human beings as if they were ducks in a shooting gallery. There were only a few minutes left in the ocean sciences class being held in the large lecture hall of the school when a tall, thin man, dressed in black, stepped out from behind a curtain on the stage. Witnesses said he looked around, almost as though he was relishing the thought of what he was about to do, pulled out a shotgun and began the slaughter.

While scores of students were screaming and ducking for cover, the creature with the guns was certain he would get no resistance from his helpless targets. Since the killer knew it was a building in which guns were prohibited by law, and, since he intended to take his own worthless life anyway, all he needed to do was disregard the law and calmly walk up to the cowering figures and press the trigger. Before he was finished, 5 students were dead and at least 15 were wounded, many of them critically. When his blood lust ended, the murderer, Stephen P. Kazmierczak, 27, shot himself to death with one of the 2 pistols he also brought with him.
One sane person in that room with a firearm could have saved those lives. On the other hand, if it had not been designated a gun-free zone, it's unlikely that the coward would have chosen the place to act out his homicidal rage. I've heard all the reasons given by gun control advocates about the need to keep guns off the streets. Yet, the slogan that keeps resounding in my mind is: "If guns are outlawed, only outlaws will have guns."

The Second Amendment to the Constitution declares a well-regulated militia as "being necessary to the security of a free State" and prohibits infringement of "the right of the people to keep and bear arms." Even though some politicians have twisted that venerable document until it looks like Turkish taffy, it seems to me that our Founding Fathers believed that people had a right to protect themselves.

How many more massacres are we going to endure before we realize that we are giving malcontents a license to hunt humans when we broadcast the message that, "Everyone in this building, campus, church or city council meeting is unarmed?" Why not go even further and just say: "Those of you suffering from a deep seated, burning passion to kill, will be able to satisfy your hate-filled existence by entering these premises with the weapons of your choice. We can guarantee you plenty of free shots and no return fire."

Imagine the following scenario: You and your family are among about 50 other patrons eating dinner at a local restaurant. During the course of the evening, you happen to look up and see a man with a long topcoat enter the place; his hand concealed in one of the pockets. No one else seems to notice, but you have a gut feeling that he's dangerous. Although you've had training with firearms, you, like almost everyone else walking around unprotected, don't have a license to carry. If that man suddenly were to pull a gun, he'd have total control over that crowd. You and your family would continue living, only if the gunman decided not to aim his weapon in your direction.

Is that any way for a free people to live? Is there anything remotely reasonable about forcing decent people to disarm themselves, while knowing full well that the reprobates of the world have plenty of access to guns and no compunction about using them?
Does it make me a gun-crazy vigilante if I feel the need to protect my family and myself from a homicidal hit man? Like most normal people, I'd like to live my life without ever having to use a gun against a human being. But, I'd sure like to have one when a nutcase shows up with murder on his mind.

Mr. Bob Weir is a former detective sergeant from the New York City Police Department. He is the executive editor of The News Connection in Highland Village, Texas.

Legallyarmed.com will give exposure to articles like this that are done by individuals who believe legally armed citizens should be allowed to defend themselves & their loved ones from deadly attacks like this shooting incident at NIU & any other similar incidents.

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COMMENTS

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" The general public will never allow authorized individuals [other than law enforcement] to carry in higher education learning establishment. It is the fault of the majority of legally armed people who just sit back and abide by the rules and regulations 'forbidding' them to protect themselves. The only state that has enacted laws that lean in the direction of the legally armed and law abiding citizens, is Colorado. I applaud them for their insight. When some nut case elects to end the life of innocent people on a Campus in Colorado, I hope there will be some legally armed person to prevent it.

If you are authorized to carry a 'lethal' weapon, do your part in contacting your elected officials to remove the restrictions that hamper the law abiding and allow the odds to favor the criminal & criminally insane. Work to remove laws that allow the innocent to be harmed & killed by the nut jobs, and the criminals. Do it now before another administration begins and placec even more restrictions on your Rights.
Bob Rider, New York

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If you live in Tennessee, here is a bill that would help prevent this type of incident to occur by allowing intervention by a legally armed citizen. Senate Bill 3730, sponsored by State Senator Dewayne Bunch (R-09) and companion House Bill 3014, sponsored by State Representative Stacey Campfield (R-18).

This bill would authorize full-time faculty and staff with valid handgun carry permits at public schools, colleges, and universities in Tennessee to carry handguns upon completion of an annual firearms training course. These bills are currently in Judiciary Committees. This is the type of bill that needs the support of every Tennessee Handgun Permit Holder. Don't allow the criminals or the insane to take innocent lives without objection. Help to make this bill become law.
Legally Armed Citizen from Shelby County
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I am a 100% disabled veteran and former police officer. I am apalled at the current attacks on legal gun owners in this country, especially those against Veterans. Rather than addressing the problems that plague our society, our government choses to punish those people who enjoy gun ownership and follow the rules. Gun owners in this country are under attack like has never been seen before in the history of this Nation. All across America the News media bombards us with tales of shootings on a daily basis. Every illegal shooting is a tradgedy, but we must bear some blame for this. We have become a Nation of Victims. We have decided that the government should provide security to every citizen and self defense is only something that the hillbilly, rednecks, or the deranged ever contemplate.Where it will end I do not know, but this is one individual who is a proud owner, and defender of my own life. I refuse to become an unarmed sheepish victim who requires, and or demands that someone else defend me. I will never give up my right to defend my family and friends against those that might do us harm. I would probably defend those that wish for the repeal of the Second Amendment. The attack at NIU is horrific, but I wonder how many lives could have been saved if only one person had been armed other than the perp. It's time to let those who decide to use firearms as a means to express their displeasure with society that when they do the chances are that they will die and die quickly with very little news coverage. The attention they seek will be short lived!
Kenneth R. Bass JR Hampton, TN
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