I commend Sarah Poser for a balanced article on the allowing guns on campus in the Monday issue of the Alligator. However, Brian Malte’s quote, “The more outrage there is, the more the gun lobby starts to retreat.” The gun lobby is composed of the NRA and Second Amendment supporters. And, “Without a lot of protest, there is a chance the gun lobby could shove it through,” Malte said.
Quite the contrary. Malte’s statement is deceptive. Whenever the NRA or mere gun owners show outrage over more proposed limits to gun ownership, the gun control lobby retreats. They are continually losing out with their agendas to place more restrictions on gun ownership. The gun control lobby, including The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence — a deceptive name for a major gun control organization — is notorious for quoting deceptive figures and statistics about gun violence in their anti-gun propaganda. They exaggerate the figures about gun violence to make it look like the misuse of firearms is actually worse than it actually is. I noticed that Kyle R. Mitchell used some of these deceptive numbers in his letter to the editor. The fact that the gun control lobby and its allies, such as the CDC, exaggerate the figures and are losing the battle over gun control can be verified from several sources including the NRA and Gun Owners of America. Like the majority in the gun control lobby, Brian Malte is attempting to stir up trouble so more limits to private gun ownership will be made into laws under the current Obama regime. These people loathe and hate guns and the Second Amendment, often for no more of a reason than the fact guns simply exist. Don’t believe Malte’s false statements.
After thinking it over, do not lean toward the open carry of guns on Florida campuses. If guns were to be carried at all, besides those used by university police, concealed carry would be a better option. However, I know if Senate Bill 234 passes, the gun control supporters and those on the left would have a fit and start making up claims about open or concealed carry of guns. Some are already doing so. I am neither a member of the NRA nor Gun Owners of America. I don’t belong to the Tea Party. I am simply an American who believes in and supports the Constitution as it is and as it was originally meant to be.
People who apply for gun permits are required by state law to go through gun training safety courses and to become familiar with the various requirements surrounding carrying a handgun with a permit.
Permits are not issued willy-nilly to someone just because they own a handgun or want to carry it either openly or concealed. These people have various requirements that they must meet and abide by, including that said people must be 21 or older. That in itself would rule out a majority of Florida college students acquiring such permits. Permits are not issued to everyone. There are those who have been denied a permit due to a criminal past, drug use or mental instability. On that note, there are about 165 million gun owners in the U.S. About 40 million of the owners are military veterans and over six million are combat veterans. Florida has issued nearly two million permits since adopting its concealed carry laws in 1987, and it had more than 760,000 licensed permit holders as of Oct. 31, 2010. How many of these gun owners have actually committed gun crimes or turned Florida or the United States into the Wild West? I think a lot of the gun control supporters have watched too much TV and too many movies.
Besides that, the vast majority of the millions of guns in this nation have never been used in any sort of crime. The private ownership of guns by Americans has even struck fear into our enemies past and present. It is said that during World War II, the highest ranking admiral in the Imperial Japanese Navy, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, believed any attempt by Japanese forces to invade the U.S. would fail because, according to him, there would be a rifle behind every blade of grass. This is one of the main reasons the U.S. has never been invaded by an enemy military force since the War of 1812.
Contrary to what Nicole Iovine feels and stated in her letter to the editor, guns are not antiquated. They are still useful for self-defense, hunting, recreational target shooting or curio collecting. She appears to lack a basic understanding of guns and seems to fear them, which is not uncommon seeing how many who fear guns get their ideas from an anti-gun media, the gun control lobby and movies or TV. Many who once feared guns overcame their fear by actually taking the time to learn by taking gun training and safety courses. If properly used, stored, maintained and treated with the proper respect, they are not the evil tools they have been made out to be. Sadly, some are misused, like in the cases of the Tucson shooter or the Virginia Tech shooting.
These incidents should be examples as to why concealed carry should be allowed without restrictions. If there had been trained concealed carry gun owners in Tucson or at Virginia Tech, things would have turned out differently, and there would not have been as many people dead. Cops can’t read minds and can’t be everywhere at once, even though that seems to be a common belief. It’s up to the individuals to defend themselves, their loved ones or those around them, no matter the form of self-defense. The Second Amendment to our great Constitution states that “the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” The Second Amendment is not strictly referring to law enforcement, security guards, private security personnel or the military only. It states “the people.” Period. And the Second Amendment it is not just referring to guns. I would like to know what part of “shall not be infringed” the gun control supporters and anti-gun politicians do not understand. I also wonder what would happen if politicians or political groups tried to put limits on the gun control lobby’s First Amendment rights of free speech.
August Lee is a Gainesville resident.
Editor's note: This letter refers to this article.
