THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 10, 1995 TAG: 9508100008
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Virginians Against Handgun Violence fought tooth and nail to prevent the General Assembly from liberalizing the commonwealth's concealed-weapons-carry law. I don't understand why it adamantly opposes lawful adult men and women being given the freedom to carry the most effective means of deterring criminal acts upon themselves.
According to a U.S. National Crime Survey Report (1979-1985), victims who used a gun for self-protection against robbers and assaulters were significantly far less likely to be attacked or injured than those who were unarmed and offered no resistance at all. Furthermore, a series of studies conducted of prison inmates showed that criminals were more afraid of armed civilians than of police or the judicial system.
In the cities of Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C., the sale of handguns is banned, possession of semiautomatic rifles/shotguns is forbidden and those long guns, still authorized, must be registered and the owners licensed. Only police and ``special'' people are allowed to carry concealed weapons.
Yet, in 1992, these cities had more handgun homicides than the combined total of the 35 lowest states! Gun-control advocates would rather these truths be ignored, just as they do not like to discuss Vermont - a state which has no concealed-carry law simply because any man or woman (over 21) can legally carry a concealed weapons without anyone's knowledge.
Interestingly, in 1993, Vermont had but five handgun homicides, two gun robberies and 48 aggravated assaults involving firearms. In comparison, Washington, D.C. - the gun-banning capitol of the United States - had 70 times as many handgun homicides, 1,561 times as many gun robberies and 45 times as many firearm assaults.
The number of privately owned guns in the hands of lawful Americans should not be the issue; rather the number of predator sociopathic criminals who possess illegal guns - that's the problem.
WILLIAM B. SEARIGHT
Virginia Beach, July 31, 1995 by CNB