THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, February 19, 1995              TAG: 9502170037
SECTION: COMMENTARY               PAGE: J4   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   24 lines

WEAPONS RIGHTS

I believe I should have the right to a concealed-weapons permit. I am not a ``nutcake'' or ``Rambo.'' I am not willing to kneal down and let an armed felon or drug dealer shoot me in the head. I should have the right to at least try to defend myself. The police won't get involved until after I'm dead. They are, by design, a force that reacts after violence, not before.

Politicians like Madison E. Marye, Richard L. Saslaw, Yvonne B. Miller, L. Louise Lucas, and Stanley C. Walker are ostrich-minded and need to pull their heads out of the sand, open their eyes, look out their windows and face reality. We voters and good Americans already have. So has our Senate.

SIDNEY D. KEITH

Virginia Beach, Feb. 8, 1995 by CNB