http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,59374,00.html
Do you agree with the Governor’s advice?
Yep, but I doubt that a lot of women will suddenly go out and buy a gun just because our governer said it would be a good idea.
I agree completely
Agree, but would this hypothetical woman (or man for that matter) risk prosecution and possibly jail time a la Tony Martin if she used the gun?
Amen to that, Governor.
For all my other liberal views, I am all for law-abiding citizens having just about any kind of gun they want for self-defense, hunting, or recreation. My father is an avid outdoorsman (hunting, fishing, etc.) and as I child I went along on many of his trips. I learned to handle and use guns with care and respect at a young age. My two young daughters have recently begun fishing with my dad as well, and as soon as they’ve reached a reasonable age, he will begin letting them shoot targets, skeet, etc. IF THEY WANT TO LEARN.
I think that anyone with a clear criminal record who can pass a gun safety/gun use course should be entitled to carry a concealed weapon if they choose.
There’s always some risk involved when dealing with the government of course, and I’m not familiar with Lousiana, but based on Louisiana law on self defense and these summaries of Louisiana firearm laws, I would say the risk is minimal.
Of course, all gunowners really should keep enough easily accessible funds for bail and to retain a lawyer, just in case.
Let’s hope she also gets training to learn to use it.
While this hardly holds for the short term fear of a particular serial killer, in general I would recommend self defense classes over gun owning. Having the gun in your purse doesn’t mean you get a chance to use it. And unlike guns, you can be assured that your training will not be used against you.
I don’t know about that. However, I wouldn’t suggest sneaking up on teens parked at the “lovers’ lane” in Quartz Hill, CA for a while unless you want to be met with a blast from a 12-gauge shotgun. For which a permit isn’t required.
Wrong David.
In CA, which has quickly put in place some of the most Draconian anti-gun laws, you must have a permit for ANY firearm. And the firearms must pass CA “drop tests”.
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I like it. “You have the right to beg the government permission to excercise your… right”.
I agree that responsible people should keep guns in the house, serial killers or no.
Many people have an impression, after handing numerous duties and responsibilities to the government, that the police are there to protect you. This is pure bunkum. Police cannot be everywhere at once, and cannot arrest someone until a crime has already been committed. This is no comfort to the rape, murder, burglary or robbery victim.
We all have the right and responsibility to protect ourselves. This is elementary to most of us. We follow basic precautions - avoiding certain parts of town or businesses, going other places only in the daylight, keeping company only with people we trust, having a knowlwge of self-defense. These things are all intuitive and natural.
Keeping firearms is only an extension of this, but it is an important one. Guns are the great equalizer. They make the weak strong. They give the 100 lb woman the means to resist a 250 lb potential rapist.
You can’t tell when the next serial killer will crop up, or when you will be the victim of a more mundane crime. Being prepared for all threats is a good and sound policy.
I don’t know what direct effect the Governer’s suggestion had, but ** a lot of women are suddenly going out and buying handguns!**. I live in Baton Rouge and my wife has been trying to get one. I talked her out of it for now. I’m all for responsible gun ownership, but she doesn’t know shit about them. She’d just end up shooting herself (or more likely, ME). I would like her to have one, but not until she’s had some training.
Personally, I would much prefer that the Governor support legislation setting up tax-funded or tax-subsidized training centers for firearms safety - allowing women (and men) to easily obtain training in safety, proper usage, storage, cleaning, and legislation (“when to draw/when to shoot”). I would also prefer that the training level be equivalent to at least 40 hours of usage/class (similar to some police academies).
Personally…I would love to see a revival - or to be more correct, a creation - of shooting sports culture for young women. I’ve daydreamed occasionally of having the Girl Scouts do such a thing.
An optional course or camp/camps where members of the Girl Scouts could be trained in target shooting, firearms safety, legislation, care and cleaning, respect for the weapons, and other things. I can only feel that that sort of thing would help give young women a serious boost in self-confidence and maturity, if conducted right and in a proper manner.
Shooting sports are one place where a 15-year old girl in a wheelchair can successfully compete with a 29-year old ex-linebacker. They are a great equalizer in many ways, breaking across sex, race, size, and many handicap barriers.
And they’re damn good fun too.
I can just imagine, however, the liberals in the press (note I didn’t say “liberal press”) howling at the thought of Girl Scout camps which taught young women “how to slaughter children”. I can imagine … people … like Eleanor Clift calling the Girl Scouts a “militia” as a result, and calling for their immediate “banning”. I can imagine CNN “unscientific bullet polls” coming on the screen asking “Should the Girl Scouts turn into an armed seperatist group, or should they stick to selling cookies?”
Well…the notions are not mutually compatible. Hell knows I’d buy a shitload of ThinMints if Sally was packing heat. 
Oh Fuck.
Replace “mutually compatible” with “mutually exclusive” and forget I ever brought my ass into this thread.
Move along.
I’ve searched California Gun Laws and can’t find any requirement that you have a permit, in the same sense as that for a concealable weapon, for a shotgun. In order to *buy[/y] any firearm you have to have ID, like a driver’s license, be at least 18 and not have a record of any of certain specified, violent felonies.
But no “permit.” Could you give a cite?
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You had it right with revival. In the late 19th and early 20th century shooting was a very popular sport among both men and women. It wasn’t uncommon for schools to have shooting teams and all sorts of people particupated in shooting clubs.
Marc
Sometimes people confuse the “CA” in terms of “California” with the “CA” in terms of “Canada” - could that be it?
Has any serial killer ever actually been shot by a potential victim carrying a concealed weapon?
What happens if the killer just walks up from behind and grabs her before she has a chance to reach for a gun? This seems like a very likely scenario. I mean the killer has every bit of his attention dedicated to abducting the woman. He’s going to do it fast. She’s probably not paying any attention to him, then suddenly out of nowhere, a flash of movement, and a strange man running right at her. It’s a strange occurence and it takes a moment for it to register in the brain, and it takes even more time for the brain to send that signal down to her hand to grab for the gun. Or maybe she just acts like a deer in the headlights, confused, disoriented, and doesn’t even think of the gun.
Either way, the attacker has the advantage and I’d say the odds are pretty damn good that he can grab her arms before her arms can grab her gun under most circumstances.
Plus, LSU has a pretty drunken student body. It doesn’t seem like throwing a few more firearms up into the mix will help anyone.