Posted on 12/13/2007 7:54:13 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
Last April, an unbelievable tragedy unfolded in Blacksburg. A student, armed and angry, plotted and carried out a brutal assault on the students and faculty at Virginia Tech. After an early morning attack which left two people dead, he locked the doors to an academic building, and then moved methodically from room to room, shooting the occupants while they sat, stood, hid or attempted to flee.
...
This Sunday, another unbelievable tragedy unfolded in Colorado. A young man, armed and angry, plotted and carried out a brutal assault on members of a Christian mission organization and a church. After an early morning attack which left two people dead, he drove to the church, killed two people in the parking lot, and then entered the building where people were worshipping.
...
But something was different in Colorado, something that kept the Colorado shooting from being an unfathomable bloodbath. In that Colorado church, they did not prohibit handguns. Instead, they had volunteer church members with permits to carry weapons, armed and ready.
When the killer arrived, church members had a better option than trying to hold the door closed, or hiding under a desk waiting for police. One of the volunteers stood fast, took aim, and took down the murderer before a single person inside the building was harmed.
... I doubt any of the victims at Tech, or in the Omaha mall, died thinking "I'm glad people aren't allowed to carry guns here."
... The police do their best, but they can't protect you. Mall security can't protect you. A legally armed responsible citizen is the best hope against killers. The killers know this and target "gun-free" environments. It's time we took away their "gun-free" "killing fields."
(Excerpt) Read more at potomacnews.com ...
In the detroit shooting, a mother was being shot by an ex-boyfriend and the 7-year-old jumped between him and her mother to protect her. She was shot multiple times but survived.
In Omaha, the mall was a gun-free zone, and nobody had a weapon. 8 people were killed, then the guy was shot by the only person with a weapon -- himself.
In Woodbridge, an illegal immigrant ex-boyfriend came into the house, nobody had a gun. One guy died shielding the mother and her child from the gunman, who was later arrested in Pennsylvania.
The editors, in their opinion link section, added the following tag to my story: "What a difference a handgun in the right hands makes."
Unfortunately, even though it's my article, I need to excerpt it. Go to the link to see the entire article, I just grabbed the highlights here (the whole thing is only 750 words or so).
Thanks.
Nice editorial. Thanks for writing it.
Is this “Potomac” as in suburban DC?
Yes. It also appears in the Manassas Journal-Messenger. (pretty much the same paper, but sometimes they have different items).
Very nicely written article.
Well said, sir. Thanks.
Nice.
I’ve heard the Omaha mall was a gun free zone and I’ve heard it wasn’t a gun free zone. Is there proof it is a gun free zone?
bump
Congressman Billybob
they had volunteer church members with permits to carry weapons, armed and ready.
Here’s another thought about the Colorado shootings.
Scene 1:
Church A
Armed citizens present: No
2 innocents killed, killer escapes.
Scene 2:
Parking lot
Armed citizens present: No
2 innocents killed, killer escapes.
Scene 3:
Church B
Armed citizens present: Yes
0 innocents killed. Killer stopped (permanently.)
Very good, but two points.... 1) Someone WAS injured but not killed inside the church, the unarmed man (Larry Bourbonnais, a combat-tested Vietnam veteran) who diverted attention of the shooter before he could start shooting others and gave Jeanne Assam a better chance of succeeding was hit in the shoulder when his diversion succeeded and he ducked behind concealment but not cover. 2) CCW permits are NOT required in Colorado to carry a weapon (except in Denver. Boulder has some asinine law about a firearm being in a case marked “gun” but I’m unsure how that affects carry) So Jeanne had one is a fact, but I think it’s nice to point out that it was not needed to carry, only to carry concealed, which did not come into play in this instance at all since she had already drawn before she came around the corner and confonted the shooter.
Well done, Sir.
Thanks for the info. In all the news articles I read, none of them mentioned the victim inside the church. If I had known that, I would have worded that section more accurately — it’s the problem with writing about recent events, by the time the article gets published you always have more facts than when you wrote it.
Virginia has similar carry laws. Anybody can carry a weapon openly, but you need a permit to conceal it.
That's what I love about AZ!!
Took a few, but I found this link inside this thread at post # 402....
Thank you for a well pointed article. Arm yourself and keep the articles flowing...
Great column!
Colorado expressly allows one to carry a concealed weapon (firearm) under the following circumstances (see C.R.S. sec. 18-12-105):
1) in his own dwelling or place of business, or on property under his control at the time of the act of carrying; or
2) in a private automobile or other private means of conveyance for lawful protection of his or another's person or property while traveling; or
3) when one is a permit holder;
4) when one is a peace officer; or
5) when one is a federal probation officer, or pre-trial services officer, within the scope of his duties.
Any other situation requires a CCW Permit.
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