Posted on 08/01/2013 3:36:13 PM PDT by matt04
The number of people seeking permits to buy guns has surged in this town following the December massacre of schoolchildren by a local man, even as the parents of some victims had urged stricter weapons laws nationwide.
Through July 24, more than 200 people in Newtown have received new local pistol permits, according to a review of local records, surpassing the 171 new permits issued for all of last year. Such permits are prerequisites for Connecticut permits that allow people to purchase and carry pistols as well as rifles or shotguns.
The rise in Newtown comes in tandem with a general upswing in gun sales nationwide and in Connecticut, which passed tough firearm restrictions after Adam Lanza shot and killed 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. It was the nation's worst shooting of young children.
The local surge is especially sensitive in Newtown. The town of about 28,000, approximately 75 miles northeast of New York City, has a sizable population of hunters and sportsmen as well as a base of politically active gun-control advocates that has organized since the Sandy Hook shooting.
"I think people realize that you can't call the police all the time and expect them to save you," said Newtown resident Bill Stevens, 48 years old, an avid hunter who owns more than a dozen firearms. "It's sinking in to some folks that 'I need to take responsibility for keeping my family safe.' "
Others say the surge in guns—in Newtown and statewide—is troubling. "If you look at how many guns the Lanza family had in their home and what that led to, it's a recipe for disaster," said Dave Ackert, a Newtown resident and founder of gun-control advocacy group Newtown Action Alliance.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
The gunman had something like 20 minutes of "alone time" in the school before the Police entered. He could have used a AR-15, bomb, muzzle loader, revolver, etc. to kill as many as he wanted because all the adults in the school had been disarmed.
Beat me to it but I’m going to say it anyway:
If I lived in a town with 20 minute police response times, I’d buy a gun too.
There is nothing like actually visualizing being in a public place with your children and someone with a gun starting to shoot people at random to focus someone of the need for a personal defense system. There is only one nightmare worse than losing a child. That is surviving an assault on your family when your child doesn’t survive.
Do you cows actually think you can protect yourselves by yourselves, without the almighty GuvCo's help or permission?!?
How dare you, you ungrateful insubordinates!
Wait until the UN hears about this! Then, there will be hell to pay! You'll see, you stupid, citizen worker cows!
When seconds count, the police are minutes away.
Ours is almost the same: 17 minutes. That was the response time when a scumbag started shooting at a busy popular intersection and the police station was...4 blocks away.
wow
When my sister had a seizure it took 911 a full minute to pick up the phone.
This was at the same time the council was debating tens of millions for an entertaining complex and the city manager wanted to be bought out for the last month of his contract.... for $400,000.... to leave a month early!
Hope your sister was OK. Same thing when the nearby row of bars where people get run down, stabbings etc. They are the same distance and the cops never respond until 1 to 2 hours later. They have long donut breaks.
must be jelly-filled eclairs
17 minutes? That’s nothing. Try 90!
http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Slow-Response-By-Dallas-Police-Angers-Robbery-Victim-206317351.html
Give ‘em a break. They’re busy running radar and conducting East German-revival checkpoints for seatbelt use.
One reason I have a pump shotgun.
The ka-chunk sound alone oughta scare 0’s sons away.
If Dave knew how many folks had a number of guns and ammo in their homes, he would mess his pants. He would also start walking the streets in ragged cutoffs, dusty sandals, and carrying a sign heralding the end of the world...
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