Nicole Iovine’s paranoid Jan. 26 raving (“Carrying Guns on Campus Unnecessary”) was not only short on specifics but also completely failed to comprehend why it is necessary to defend oneself. Nicole claimed there are 30,000 people killed each year by firearms; she neglected to mention how many of those 30,000 are dangerous criminals who are killed in the act of committing a violent crime.
Perhaps it is Nicole’s inherent bias against gun owners that renders her incapable of looking at facts and processing them to form a logical conclusion. Nicole questioned how she is supposed to defend herself against gun-toting individuals. A little research would lead an informed individual to learn that “In Florida, where 315,000 permits have been issued, there are only five known instances of violent gun crime by a person with a permit” (David Koppel, “More Permits Mean Less Crime” Los Angeles Times, Feb. 19, 1996). I’ve got news for you: It’s not the people who legally carry firearms that you need to worry about.
Nicole concluded her fear-mongering by invoking the ugly specter of the Virginia Tech shooting but apparently failed to realize that the Virginia Tech campus bans the unauthorized possession of a firearm on campus, even by a person who possesses a concealed weapons permit. The University of Utah, which allows students to carry a gun, has yet to have a mass shooting. Instead of exploiting national tragedies to deny responsible gun owners their right to defend themselves, Nicole should take a deep breath, slowly count to 10 and do some research.
Editor's note: This letter refers to this other letter.
